News

Go Figure

Recent stats on health, giving, and church life.

Health

62%: Adults ages 45 to 84 who attend religious services or other organized religious activities weekly are more likely to be obese than those who never participate. (Another study found a 46% greater risk of obesity.)

Source: TheArda.com

Giving

Donations to missions groups

Change between 2008 and 2009

International: 5.8%

Domestic: -2.7%

Short- term: -4.3%

Change between 2009 and 2010

International: -1.9%

Domestic: -1.7%

Short-term: 13.4%

Source: ECFA State of Giving

Church Life

8% Evangelical churches that have non-English or bilingual worship services.

Evangelical churches that say they want to be racially and culturally diverse:

2% Strongly disagree

6% Disagree

30% Strongly agree

23% Neutral

39% Agree

Source: Faith Communities Today (2010)

Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

See our past “Go Figure” postings from December 2011, November 2011, October 2011, September 2011, August 2011, July 2011, June 2011, May 2011, April 2011, February 2011, January 2011, December 2010, and earlier issues.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Cover Story

The Cure for Election Madness

Amy E. Black

Calling All Callings: Amy Sherman on ‘Kingdom Calling’

Interview by Morgan Feddes

News

A Crackdown on International Adoptions

Matthew D. LaPlante in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Review

Strength in Weakness: The Bible, Disability, and the Church

News

Europe's Top Courts Are on a Pro-Life Roll

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra

A Pro-Life Plea This Election Season

Jesus and the Goodness of Everything Human

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen

How Bethany Hoang Was Wired for Justice

Mark Moring

Is Cage Fighting Ethical for Christians?

Joe Carter, Ted Kluck, and Matt Morin

Excerpt

J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom on God's Will

J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

Review

Girl Meets Grace: Lauren Winner's New Reflection on Her Divorce and Desolation

News

Discipling the Dragon: Christian Publishing Finds Success in China

John W. Kennedy

News

Will Immigration Slowdown Prompt a Bilingual Ministry Bust?

Wilson's Bookmarks

John Wilson

How the Physical Form of a Bible Shapes Us

News

Counterterrorism Laws Hamper Humanitarian Aid

Ruth Moon

Editorial

Thou Shalt Not Abuse: Reconsidering Spanking

A Christianity Today Editorial

Blessed Are the Jobless: How Ministries Aid the Unemployed

Elissa Cooper

Six Indie Films You Won't Want to Miss

Kenneth R. Morefield

Readers Write

News

Passages

Natural Length Reading: Christianity Today Launches eBooks

News

Quotation Marks

News

Corporation Switches to Adult Stem-Cell Therapy, Copeland Loses Suit, and More

My Top 5 Books on Christians in Politics

Stephen Mansfield

Commander and Chaplain: The Faith of Presidents

News

Has the Same-Sex Marriage Debate Helped Pro-Life Advocacy?

Compiled by Ruth Moon

Don't Worry, Read Happy: Alan Jacobs on The Pleasures of Reading

Interview by John Wilson

2012 Christianity Today Book Awards

News

Top 10 News Stories of 2011

The Annual Book and Music Awards

Matt Reynolds, CT associate editor

News

As USCIRF Faces Possible Closure, Funding Divides Religious Freedom Experts

Bobby Ross Jr.

View issue

Our Latest

Blaming Women Harms Us All

Dorothy Littel Greco

When we fail to protect and honor women like Jesus, we all lose.

Synthetic Love Will Tear Us Apart

Chris Poblete

When we outsource intimacy to machines, we become what we practice. And we’re practicing the wrong things.

The Russell Moore Show

N.T. Wright on The Vision of Ephesians

The Professor is in – and he’s talking about Ephesians.

The Bulletin

Kidnappings in Nigeria, Rep. Greene Resigns, Mamdani Meets Trump

Mike Cosper, Clarissa Moll

Persecution in Nigeria, Marjorie Taylor Greene resigns, Mamdani and Trump have a friendly meeting, and listeners give thanks.

Excerpt

You Know Them As Fantasy Writers. They Were Soldiers Too. 

Joseph Loconte

An excerpt from ‘The War for Middle-Earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945.’

Our Prayers Don’t Disappear into Thin Air

Bohye Kim

Why Scripture talks of our entreaties to God as rising like incense.

From Outer Space to Rome

In 1962, CT engaged friends and enemies in the Cold War and the Second Vatican Council.

May Cause a Spontaneous Outburst of Festive Joy

8 new Christmas albums for holiday parties, praise, and playlists.

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