For the first time in the Gallup poll’s eight-decade history

For the first time in the Gallup poll’s eight-decade history, in 2020 church membership in the United States fell below 50 percent in America. From World War II all the way to the mid-1990s, church membership among adults was nearly always above 70 percent. The precipitous decline occurred across...

The death of denominations in America

One of the primary lenses through which demographers can track religious decline is through denominational records. Almost every large religious tradition has been tracking their total membership for decades as a means of understanding where churches are growing and where they are declining....

Dechurching: who is leaving?

No group of people is immune from the Great Dechurching. The dechurched are almost evenly split between men and women (52 percent and 48 percent respectively). According to our study, Roman Catholics, Protestants, and those who identify as “other Christian” have all dechurched equally at 32...

Are educated or uneducated dechurching?

In every tradition, the more education people have, the more likely they are to stay in church. This offers a surprising challenge to the common belief that higher education is facilitating departures from the church. Many Christian colleges were founded based on the belief that secular liberal...

Mental health and the dechurched

In phase 3 of our study, we looked at the mental health of dechurched evangelicals, and it became clear that anxiety, depression, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts were major factors in their lives. When asked to rate themselves on a scale of 0–100 in these areas, with 0 being very negative and...

Dechurching: what a difference 50 years makes

It’s hard to fully grasp just how much different American’s behavior is around church attendance today versus fifty years ago. The General Social Survey (GSS) is the gold standard for measuring religious changes in the United States. It has been asking the same questions with the same response...

The Great Dechurching & reasons for hope

As our data poured in on the Great Dechurching, one truth became increasingly clear: what looks like defeat to many could really be the beginning of something special. Tens of millions of people may be leaving the church, and more than eighty-six churches may be closing every week, but if we have...

The Dechurched are not atheists

When social scientists think about religion, they typically categorize religiosity in three ways: behavior, belief, and belonging. Behavior is measured through things like church attendance or amount of offering donated to a religious organization. Belief is assessed through asking questions about...

The surprising orthodoxy of the dechurched

Early in our research, it was disorienting to realize how orthodox the dechurched still are in their beliefs. This brought equal parts hope and confusion. Sixty-eight percent of dechurched evangelicals (DE), 69 percent of dechurched mainliners (DM), and 63 percent of dechurched Roman Catholics...

The Dechurched: What THEY said would bring the back

Belonging (or lack thereof) is the primary pain point many dechurched feel. Of all the things people said would make them likely to return, this is the greatest felt need. We asked two vital questions to understand the animating concerns of the dechurched: What made you leave? And what would...

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All these Bible Studies and More

Welcome to subscription-based lessons—like Netflix for Bible Study Lessons. One low monthly fee gives you unlimited access to all these lessons and more. For a medium-sized church, cost is about $10 per teacher per YEAR.

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20 Questions

If you can read 20 Questions, you can lead a Bible Study.

Not sure you know the answer to the questions? No worries.

We provide answers in the form of quotes from people like Charles Swindoll, David Jeremiah, and John Ortberg that will make you sound brilliant.

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Why we must discuss

We are changed more by what we say than what we hear. Paul said, “SPEAKING the truth… we grow.” Jesus said it is what comes out of a man that changes him. James said your words are the rudder of your life. Effective teachers lead people to speak the truth, not just hear the truth.

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Weary of Struggling to Recruit Teachers?

A common problem in all churches–big churches and little churches–is the need for more workers. Jesus said it would be true. He said, “the harvest is plentiful is but the workers are few.” Question-based Bible Study Lessons makes recruiting teachers a whole lot easier.

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Knowing God

“A hundred years from now only a handful of books written today will still be widely read and accepted as Christian classics. Dr. James I. Packer’s Knowing God may well prove to be one of them. A gifted theologian and writer, Dr. Packer has the rare ability to deal with profound and basic spiritual truths in a practical and highly readable way. This book will help every reader grasp in a fuller way one of the Bible’s greatest truths: that we can know God personally, because God wants us to know him.” Billy Graham

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The Pursuit of Holiness

“Be holy, for I am holy,” commands God. But holiness is something that is often missed in the Christian’s daily life. According to Navigator author Jerry Bridges, that’s because we’re not exactly sure what our part in holiness is. In The Pursuit of Holiness, he helps us see clearly just what we should rely on God to do—and what we should take responsibility for ourselves. As you deepen your relationship with God, learn more about His character, and understand the Holy Spirit’s role in holiness, your spiritual growth will mature.

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Lifeway Bible Study Supplements

If you use Lifeway Bible Study literature, you will love Good Questions Have Groups Talking. They approximate three of Lifeway’s lesson series, and make groups come alive with application-oriented discussion.

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How to Get Everyone to Read Their Lesson Every Week

If you’ve ever led a Bible study, small group, or Sunday school class, you know the frustration. You assign the lesson, send reminders, maybe even offer incentives—and still, week after week, a large portion of the group shows up unprepared. It’s tempting to sigh, shake your head, and wonder: “Why can’t they just read the...

Discussion-based Lessons

Discussion-based lessons have groups talking and changing. We are changed more by what we say than what we hear. "Instead SPEAKING the truth (not just hearing the truth) we will grow." Ephesians 4.15 https://www.youtube.com/embed/lduldVUA8-4

How to Live in God’s Presence During Difficult Times

How can I experience God's presence during suffering? Where is God when life hurts? Is it possible to walk closely with God during a spiritual night season? The Bible answers each of those questions with a resounding "yes." Few desires are more deeply rooted in the human heart than the desire to know that God is near. More than...

Pray It Through: What to Do When Life Gets Worse After You Trust God

One of the most difficult parts of faith is what happens when we obey God and life gets harder anyway. That is exactly what happens in 1 Kings 17. The widow of Zarephath has already taken an enormous step of faith. She had almost no food left, yet she trusted Elijah’s word from God, prepared the meal, and watched day after day as...

Something Is Changing in the American Church

Something is changing in the American church. That was the opening line of the first chapter of Change Your Church or Die when I wrote it years ago. At the time, I pointed to declining Southern Baptist membership and baptisms, aging congregations, and churches struggling to reach a new generation. I wrote, “The ship is taking on...

10 Marks of Great Bible Teaching

What makes someone a great Bible teacher? It isn't necessarily a seminary degree, a booming voice, a brilliant personality, or the ability to explain Greek verbs. Some people know an enormous amount about the Bible and aren't particularly good teachers. Others have never taken a formal Bible course, yet when they open God's Word,...

The Friendship That Changed a Kingdom

What David and Jonathan Teach Us About Loyal Friendship We live in an age of thousands of "friends" and very few deep friendships. Social media has made it easier than ever to stay connected, yet many people quietly admit they have no one they can call in the middle of the night. We have become experts at networking but often...

Learning to Listen During Prayer

How do you listen to God during prayer? Does God still speak today? How can you recognize God's voice without falling into subjectivism or simply following your own feelings? Learning to listen to God is one of the most important—and often misunderstood—aspects of the Christian life. Most Christians have no difficulty...

One Scoop Away from Empty: Trusting God When There Isn’t Enough

There are seasons when we look at what we have and conclude that it is not enough. Not enough money. Not enough strength. Not enough time. Not enough help. Not enough energy to keep going. Sometimes the problem is not that we have nothing. The problem is that we have just enough to see how close we are to empty. That is where the...

A Promise That Changed History

What God's Covenant with David Means for Us Today Every one of us builds our lives on promises. We promise faithfulness in marriage. Employers promise wages. Parents promise to care for their children. Nations are held together by constitutions, contracts, and covenants. Human civilization depends upon people keeping their word....

Sometimes the Most Spiritual Thing You Can Do Is Calm Down

Some problems require immediate action. Others require us to stop trying to fix everything and give God time to work. Knowing the difference is one of the great challenges of the Christian life. At the Red Sea, the Israelites were understandably terrified. Pharaoh’s army was closing in behind them. The sea blocked the way ahead....

For the first time in the Gallup poll’s eight-decade history

The death of denominations in America

Dechurching: who is leaving?

Are educated or uneducated dechurching?

Mental health and the dechurched

Dechurching: what a difference 50 years makes

The Great Dechurching & reasons for hope

The Dechurched are not atheists

The surprising orthodoxy of the dechurched

The Dechurched: What THEY said would bring the back

All these Bible Studies and More

20 Questions

Why we must discuss

Weary of Struggling to Recruit Teachers?

Knowing God

The Pursuit of Holiness

Lifeway Bible Study Supplements

How to Get Everyone to Read Their Lesson Every Week

Discussion-based Lessons

How to Live in God’s Presence During Difficult Times

Pray It Through: What to Do When Life Gets Worse After You Trust God

Something Is Changing in the American Church

10 Marks of Great Bible Teaching

The Friendship That Changed a Kingdom

Learning to Listen During Prayer

One Scoop Away from Empty: Trusting God When There Isn’t Enough

A Promise That Changed History

Sometimes the Most Spiritual Thing You Can Do Is Calm Down

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