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

Calling All Callings: Amy Sherman on ‘Kingdom Calling’

News

A Crackdown on International Adoptions

Review

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

News

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

A Pro-Life Plea This Election Season

Jesus and the Goodness of Everything Human

How Bethany Hoang Was Wired for Justice

Is Cage Fighting Ethical for Christians?

Excerpt

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

Review

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

News

Discipling the Dragon: Christian Publishing Finds Success in China

News

Will Immigration Slowdown Prompt a Bilingual Ministry Bust?

Wilson's Bookmarks

How the Physical Form of a Bible Shapes Us

News

Counterterrorism Laws Hamper Humanitarian Aid

Editorial

Thou Shalt Not Abuse: Reconsidering Spanking

Blessed Are the Jobless: How Ministries Aid the Unemployed

Six Indie Films You Won't Want to Miss

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

Commander and Chaplain: The Faith of Presidents

News

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

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

2012 Christianity Today Book Awards

News

Top 10 News Stories of 2011

The Annual Book and Music Awards

News

As USCIRF Faces Possible Closure, Funding Divides Religious Freedom Experts

View issue

Our Latest

Being Human

What It Means to Be Well

Alan Briggs discusses rest, recovery, and recognizing the good life.

How to Talk About God and Politics in Polarized Times

My work in conflict management helped me develop an effective way to navigate sensitive topics. Here’s what I found.

News

Died: Andar Ismail, Prolific Writer Who Made Theology Simple

With his Selamat series, the Indonesian pastor wrote more than 1,000 short stories illuminating Jesus’ life and teachings.

The Bulletin

Praying for Time

Hosts and guests discuss Gen Z in the workplace, Israeli hostages, and astronauts stuck in space.

Wire Story

China Ends International Adoptions, Leaving Hundreds of Cases in Limbo

The decision shocked dozens of evangelical families in the US who had been in the process since before the pandemic.

Boomers: Serve Like Your Whole Life Is Ahead of You

What will our generation do with the increased life expectancy God has blessed us with?

Wire Story

Bangladeshi Christians and Hindus Advocate for a Secular Country

As political changes loom and minority communities face violence, religious minorities urge the government to remove Islam as the state religion.

Public School Can Be a Training Ground for Faith

My daughter will wrestle with worldliness in her education, just as I did. That’s why I want to be around to help.

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