Tom Allen

We've all heard the statistics.  At least 50% of all marriages end in divorce.  You've heard them.  I've quoted them.  We all know them...or, do we.  Here's the scoop on what's really going on. According to the Census Bureau, 72 percent of those who have ever been married are still married to their first spouse! And the 28 percent who aren’t includes everyone who was married for many years, until a spouse died. No one knows what the average first-marriage divorce rate actually is, but based on the rate of widowhood and other factors, we can estimate it is probably closer to 20-25 percent. For all marriages (including second marriages, and so on), it is in the 31-35 percent range, depending on the study. Another myth that is begging to be debunked is the notion that “Barna found that the rate of divorce is the same in the church.” Actually, the Barna Group found no such thing, and George Barna himself told me he would love to correct this misunderstan

    Carey Nieuwhof calls it MOONSHOT THINKING.  Craig Groeschel says it this way, " If you want to reach people you aren't reaching, you have to do things you aren't doing".   But, the reality is, the Church, even that portion of the church that thinks it is indeed innovative and thinks outside the box, mostly simply fails to realize the restrictions of the boxes we have built around ourselves without even knowing it.      Much of the church proudly announces that it " does not do it the way we've always done it before", then, with great gusto, we proceed to do it " almost like we've always done it before".   YIPPEE!  That's the spirit that took us to the moon!      Take a look at this video if you will... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uaquGZKx_0&feature=youtu.be&ct=t(Get_More_Vo lunteers_10_21_2013)       Where does that kind of thinking exist in the Church today?  If our goal is to keep our head above water and sta