Blogs by Leland Maples

Every religious survey in the past 20 years has shown a downward spiral in church attendance.  Granted, there are some mega churches that have been started and are showing growth, but these are more due to population growth than leadership.  The truth of the matter is that their growth has not kept up with the population growth.  Others have grown, then plummeted when their "rock star" pastors were unmasked.

Another astounding statistic is that 85% of the unchurched are actually "de-churched," i.e.,  they used to attend church on a regular basis and quit!  Why did they quit?  In...

I was thinking about the church where I was saved in 1953.  We had Sunday School (Bible teaching) and a preaching service on Sunday morning.  On Sunday night we had Training Union (Christian training) and a preaching service.  On Wednesday night prayer meeting and preaching.  Most everyone, children included, brought their own Bible.  We could even have what they called "Responsive Reading" (a person would read a verse of scripture and the congregation would read the next verse in response.)  Wouldn't that be something today?  It would sound like Babylon with everyone having a different...

This decade has witnessed an increased hatred in our world toward Jesus Christ.  During most of our lifetime, opposition and animosity toward Jesus Christ has been low-key and among the minority.  Today, more and more are becoming openly vocal toward the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  Jesus told His disciples, when questioned about the end time, that they would be hated by all men for His name's sake (Matthew 24:9.) 

This is a paradox; why would men hate the One Who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, made the lame to walk and restored life to the dead...

The Barna Research Company just released the results of an ongoing study regarding American attendance to the Christian church.  Please remember that their definition of the "Christian church"  includes many non Christians by Bible standards.  Barna's Christian church includes Catholics, Protestants and other religions.

Barna's research revealed that 156 million U.S. residents are not engaged with a Christian church.  To put that number into context, that is roughly one half of the U.S. population.  In the last decade the number of adults who are unchurched has increased by more...