New for Congregations: From Other Sites Funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Here are the results of some exciting projects funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Teenage Religiosity: Widely Practiced, Poorly Understood. A four-year study of youth and religion reveals that youth are not alienated from religion. Many believe that religion has a positive effect. And even those teenagers who do not regularly attend worship services say that they pray. But religious communities don't engage youth as fully as they could. Sociologist Christian Smith notes that "Not a lot is being asked of them" (from Resources for American Christianity and reported in In Sites).

How Much Should We Pay the Pastor?: A Fresh Look at Salaries in the 21st Century. This study, headed by Jackson Carroll, examines the current realities of clergy compensation and concludes that "the gap between clergy salaries and those of other comparably educated professionals continues to grow." In addition to providing economic findings, this report suggests ways for congregations and denominations to respond (from Pulpit and Pew).

Taize. Perhaps you've heard of it: a simple, contemplative service that focuses on music and chanting as forms of prayer. Taize has become popular in many congregations around the country. Songs and chants in the Taize tradition can be easily learned, and CDs of Taize music are big sellers. Here is the story behind this phenomenon in Christian spirituality (from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly).

Transition into Ministry. Congregational members often expect their pastors to be, if not perfect, certainly more virtuous (and smart and kind and understanding) than the persons next to them in the pews. When students fresh out of seminary find themselves faced with larger-than-life expectations, the experience can daunting. This report describes a program for helping students make the leap into pastoral ministry (from Resources for American Christianity).