Belief in God at 23-Year Low, Birmingham Church Sees Senior Adult Ministry as ‘Vital’ & Serving in Church

Belief in God, Satan, angels, heaven and hell is at a 23-year low in America, Gallup Poll said in a recent update.

But most Americans still believe in the spiritual entities.

The poll released in July reported:

— 74 percent believe in God compared to 90 percent in 2001, the greatest decline in the study;

— 69 percent believe in angels, down from 79 percent in 2001;

— 67 percent believe in heaven, down from 83 percent;

While only 59 percent surveyed said they believed in hell and 58 percent said they believed in a real devil.
The poll reflected that those with a household income of less than $40,000 a year registered higher in belief than those making over $100,000.
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A Birmingham, Alabama church is working to bounce back following the COVID pandemic. Greater St. John Baptist Church in Birmingham is trying to reconnect their senior adults.

Pastor Nate Brooks says senior adults make up 60% of Greater St. John Baptist Church in Birmingham and they’ve slow to return following the pandemic.

Brooks says many of the seniors in his community became hesitant to leave their homes because of preexisting health conditions. Even more, they were disconnected due to limited knowledge of how to navigate social media.

He says they’ve started re-engaging seniors through what the church call a Paint and Sip Fellowship. A time for activity, coffee and to hear about resources that may be beneficial to the senior adults.
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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In the Baptist Press Toolbox, Brandon Sutton offers several ways you might consider serving your local church. Here’s a few:

1. Look to meet existing needs. Look for needs that must be met. Sometimes in the church, we just need to fill roles and do jobs because that’s what’s needed.

2. Lean into your passions. Often, your spiritual gift corresponds to your passions. Think about what you love to do and look for ways to do it in the local church.

3. Look for ministries that need to exist. Sometimes your area of service doesn’t exist yet. While you don’t want to place extra burdens on your church leaders, there may be a needed area you see and they don’t. Even more, they may see and not have someone to meet the need. Consider graciously talking with your pastor about a potential way to serve in your church.