Rick Warren, Newsweek, & Larry King

In response to the latest Newsweek cover story titled "The Decline and Fall of Christian America" (article here), Larry King had Saddleback's Pastor Rick Warren on his show last night.

While they covered a wide variety of issues, one segment in particular stood out to me:

"I don't think faith is changing that much. I think that during a recession three things happen, Larry. Three things go up when money goes down. Church attendance goes up, bar attendance goes up, and movie attendance goes up, because people are looking for three things when they're disappointed in materialism.

They're looking for meaning, and that's why they start going to church. They're looking for connections in relationships, and that's why they go to bars. They're looking for relief, and that's why they go to movies.

We at Saddleback...have created three different programs that we're launching nationally for connection, for relief, and for meaning. At the same time, bad times are good times for churches in many ways, because people are much more open to spiritual truth than any other time."

Have you seen a rise in your attendance numbers lately? Are you adjusting your ministries or launching new ones? How are you responding to your church members' current needs?

Best,
Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor

Note: You can read the entire transcript of the interview here. (He was the second guest, so you'll have to scroll about halfway down the page for his segment).

Also, Warren will be presenting a "State of the Church" webcast on Sunday, April 19. Click here to register for the event.