Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans

5 days ago | religionunplugged.com | Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans

Your view of the health of American Christian congregations and of their clergy may very much depends on the angle taken: Up from the orchestra or looking down from the balcony. One thing seems evident: In a country in which Christian affiliation has declined (though there are signs it has stabilized) many Catholic and Protestant clergy face significant challenges: including shrinking congregations, political divisions, financial stress and the need to adapt worship for new generations.

1 month ago | religionunplugged.com | Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans

In the wake of his daughter’s death “I learned to live with unknowingness.”Those were the words of Ken Druck, a clinical psychiatrist who has his doctorate in that discipline. Druck said he’s had as much training in grief and loss as the average graduate school student. “The most important thing in my life were my two daughters,” said Druck.

1 month ago | religionunplugged.com | Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans

The Rev. Dr. Fran Tilton Shelton’s ministry as a Presbyterian (PCUSA) pastor has always been focused on pastoral care and grieving — so much so that her late husband Bob humorously called her “Funeral Fran.”  Now a parish associate at the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, Shelton is also a spiritual director and the co-founder of Faith & Grief Ministries, a nonprofit with a national footprint. In between parish assignments, Shelton spent six years caring for her husband, the Rev.

Jan 19, 2025 | religionunplugged.com | Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans

From a big-picture perspective, the outlook for many American Christian congregations can seem foreboding. Two decades ago, approximately 42% of Americans attended worship services on a weekly or near-weekly basis. Today, that figure hovers closer to 30%, according to polling. While some megachurches continue to grow, other smaller congregations are struggling to stay open — many with an average membership of just 65 and an aging population.

Sep 29, 2024 | religionunplugged.com | Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans

To understand why “The After Party” curriculum was created, it helps to talk with Caleb Campbell. The lead pastor of Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Campbell could have been a casualty of the strife engendered by conflicts between Christians torn by the election of Donald Trump, the pandemic that followed and the ascendancy of Christian nationalism in some segments of the evangelical right.