Believers still hold a majority in the United States, but their share of the adult population fell 12-percent in the last decade. Protestants saw the most significant decline, a category spanning most evangelical denominations, while Catholics held relatively steady.

Although believers can influence wider society, the reverse is also true.

For example, “if you believe everything you hear in the culture and on television,” Greg Yoder, Executive Director of Keys for Kids Ministries, says.

“[If] you believe religious leaders who don’t [teach] biblical truth, it starts eroding [what] you’ve learned, even as a child.”

To combat the secular shift, Keys for Kids Ministries equips entire families to follow Jesus.

“We’re here to ignite a passion for Christ in kids and teens, but also, families. We’re providing tools for moms and dads to disciple their kids,” Yoder says.

(Photo courtesy of Alexander Drummer/Unsplash)

The battle to shape belief and worldview starts at home. Studies show children who hear the Gospel message between the ages of four- and 14-years old are likely to receive Christ as Savior.

“We want moms and dads to sense, through the Holy Spirit, that there’s something beyond just having a good kid. Having them be good students, getting into that good college, having a family – that’s not what it’s all about. It’s about instilling biblical values [and] the Gospel,” Yoder says.

Take a look at Keys for Kids resources here.

“We share the unchanging message of the Gospel with Keys for Kids devotions, our online ministry, our app – with all the things that we offer,” Yoder says.

Traditionally, parents are the ‘gatekeepers’ of the family unit, monitoring media before it influences the kids. However, God sometimes takes the opposite approach to reach unbelieving parents. “We see that happen time and time and time again,” Yoder says.

For example, Storytellers are solar-powered MP3 devices and stuffed animal holders, equipped with nearly 30 hours of Keys for Kids devotional stories plus a Bible in audio.

“As kids listen to those, and they come to Christ, moms and dads also come to Christ.”

Pray believing parents will take an intentional approach to discipleship with their kids. “If we’re not living out our faith in front of them and talking about tough things, sometimes they’re never going to hear the Word (of God),” Yoder says.

Pray that as families put the love of Christ on display, it will lead others to know the Lord.

“They (unbelievers) have this negative connotation about what Christians are. They reject it and refute it until they see real true followers of Jesus. That’s when things will change.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Luis Quintero/Pexels.

Helen Williams with World Missionary Press just visited partners in four European countries. She brought back some good news to share with MNN.

“We believe that the Lord is opening doors in Europe and awakening things.”

Find more details in this WMP newsletter.

God moves the nations

Europe received a massive influx of refugees and migrants between 2014 and 2015. As recorded here by Pew Research, 1.3 million people filed asylum applications in 28 member states of the European Union, Norway and Switzerland in 2015. While this flood of humanity strained resources and infrastructure, it also activated the Church in several European nations.

(Photo: Ben White/ CAFOD, October 2015 via Flickr)

“People that had been using the booklets on a limited basis were experiencing these people (refugees and immigrants) coming up through Italy and Greece and Hungary and Germany. They saw [an] opportunity to reach these peoples through the booklets as they came off the trains [so that’s exactly what WMP partners did],” Williams recounts.

So, “some of it (revival) is [due to] the movement of people,” she acknowledges. Additionally, “some latent things [are] being revived, if you will – stirred up by the Spirit.”

According to Operation World, Christianity remains the largest religion in Europe. The Protestant Reformation began in Germany; legends of the faith like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wycliffe, and more all hail from the European continent.  “They were missionary-sending countries; they were stalwarts of the Gospel. But now, these nations – between politics and just the spirit of the age – things have dulled.”

Today, God is using World Missionary Press Scripture booklets to grow His Kingdom in Europe.

“This one man and his church sent a request in for about 10- or 12,000 booklets. They have an intensive summer campaign to reach out to their community. They’re part of the city of Oslo,” Williams describes as one example.

As noted here in WMP’s newsletter:

WMP currently has 103 active distributors in Norway, with more than 80 in and around Oslo. A couple in the far north uses WMP literature in their AirBnB apartment rentals, in which many different nationalities stay. This year, five people came to faith in Jesus through reading the Scripture booklets while on vacation.

“[Another] man that came with another group… he just sat there and kind of looked at me and smiled at me all evening. He’s Iranian; he doesn’t speak English but he’s part of a church of 300 ex-Muslims from Iran and Afghanistan in Stockholm,” Williams shares.

Next steps

(Photo by Artem Beliaikin @belart84 from Pexels)

As the Lord opens doors of opportunity, WMP seeks to walk through them. Right now, Williams and others are organizing Scripture booklet shipments to new contacts in Romania and Sweden. Some contacts also submitted an “urgent request” for the How to Know God booklet in the Swedish language, she adds.

“They believe that will help offset some of the confusion with the Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons… I really have a burden on my heart to get that booklet available to them.”

You can help send Scripture booklets to Europe for less than $5 USD.

“Because our booklets only cost about three-and-a-half to four cents to print, even $1 will provide 25 booklets. And, each booklet is used by more than one person,” Williams explains.

“We are printing about 7 million pieces a month, but I have orders on my desk for 130 million pieces.”

Most importantly, please surround WMP and its leaders in prayer. Pray for wisdom regarding new ministry opportunities. Ask the Lord to guide leaders’ decisions. Praise God for opening many doors of opportunity in Europe, and pray for financial provision so WMP can send Scripture booklets where they are needed.

“We just ask that they (MNN readers) pray that the Lord would provide for those needs… And for us to know how to go through this open door.”

Header image is a representative stock photo obtained via Pexels.

Click here to see where your city ranks.

The top ten cities identified as post-Christian have a combined population of more than 43 million people.

(Photo credit Mr.TinDC via Flickr)

“I can’t help but be grieved that there are so many people who claim that they are not Christian at all,” says Keys for Kids’ Greg Yoder.

“They don’t have any inkling to read the Bible. They probably have never been to a church. They don’t believe that the Bible is something that should be a way of life.”

Keys for Kids wants to reverse the “post-Christian” trend by reaching young people for Christ.

Reaching the Next Generation

Debate surrounds which label to place on the Next Generation, sometimes called Generation Z, and where its generational boundary lines lay. However, Pew Research Center defines the “post-Millennial” generation as anyone 21 and younger as of this year.

This demographic fits well within Keys for Kids’ focus. The ministry seeks to reach children between the ages of four and 14 years old, a bracket Yoder dubs “The 4:14 Window.”

“80% of kids in that age group are looking for spiritual truth, and they’re going to find it. But, will they find it in atheism? Agnosticism?…Or, will they find it in Christ alone, Christianity?”

He adds, “We’re emphasizing our need to reach kids at a young age so that their foundations are firmly planted… they can acknowledge who Christ is, can grow in their faith, and become defenders of their faith.”

Keys for Kids exists to “ignite a passion for Christ in kids and their families,” Yoder says. They minister to younger children through a devotional, radio programming, and mobile app. A program called Parent Minute equips parents with advice and insight.

Learn more about these resources on Keys For Kids’ website.

In the coming months, Keys for Kids will expand its reach to Generation Z.

(Graphic courtesy Keys for Kids)

“We hope to initially reach out to about 20,000 teenagers…whether they’re Christian or not,” shares Yoder. “We know that they’re looking for spiritual truth and – again — will they have the tools to be able to find Christ through the noise?”

Through a new devotional called “Unlocked”, Keys for Kids hopes to supply teens with biblical truth and encouragement. Teenagers need to “stretch their thinking muscles,” Yoder explains.

“Our new devotional will help teens understand Christ and [will] also challenge them spiritually.”

In light of reports like this one about the next generation, “Unlocked” will be an especially important resource. But Keys for Kids needs your help to get it out the door. Click here to donate.

Header photo by Hannah Nelson from Pexels.

A move to legalize same-sex marriage throughout the nation has sent churches into confusion and uncertainty. What’s next?

Barna Group Research and the Pew Forum back up that observation that America is moving toward post-Christianity. In fact, in just two years, the percentage of Americans who are categorized as “post-Christian” accelerated from 37% in 2013 to 44% in 2015. The study, published earlier this month, notes that the highest percentages of post-Christian Americans are living in urban areas of the northeast and Pacific Northwest.

For a country founded on principles that acknowledged God and the Bible, it’s not good news. Biblica CEO Carl Moeller notes, “It’s a dramatic shift in the way in which Christianity plays a role in society and culture. Basically one can look to Europe and the empty cathedrals and churches of Europe as a post-Christian culture.”

That begs the question: how did we get here? Moeller reveals, “Our research at Biblica Institute identified one glaring change in people’s Christian commitment, and that is in terms of Bible reading. The decline in Bible reading has been dramatic.”

So you don’t read your Bible every day. Does it really make that big a difference? In Moeller’s opinion, it does. “It really presents a dramatic problem because, when a culture that has been founded on the biblical narrative no longer recognizes the importance of that narrative in its current state, the culture is open to wild changes.” What’s more, he adds, “If present trends continue, a two-thirds majority of America by 2030 will have virtually no knowledge of any Bible stories or biblical reference.”

(Courtesy Biblica)

How did researchers figure out what Post-Christian America look like? In the survey of 60,000 people over 7 years, respondents were asked about several categories. Some of the factors used to gauge categories included “whether individuals identify as atheist, have never made a commitment to Jesus, have not attended church in the last year, or have not read the Bible in the last week,” explains Moeller.

With the rise of mega churches, he says, “The church, as a celebrity-based church, has substituted the word of these celebrity leaders for the Word of God.” He explains that “we’ve created a culture where Christian books have taken on the role of best-sellers and created a momentum of ‘these are great ideas!’ Unfortunately, as the church has done that, it has also walked pretty steadily away from the authority of God’s Word.”

What’s more, the next generation is disappointed with their preparation for their lifelong journey. It’s personal, adds Moeller. “With the assault on our Christian worldview through this post-Christian America, my kids have come back and said, ‘The churches have not given us what we need. They’ve basically given us a watered-down pop psychology of how to live a better life.’”

But is Bible engagement really the answer to problems like same-sex marriage, ISIS and major disaster? It is. Moeller suggests, “What I’m talking about is simply people understanding that God’s Word has something to say to us today–not reading it in little snippets, but reading it deeply, and reading well, and understanding it, and being taught from the Bible.” Every instruction teaches the follower of Christ how to respond to all of the social ills. Simple, yet complex. “God’s Word is transformative. It does truly make a difference in our lives. It saves our souls, and it saves our culture if we’re spending time in it.”

(Photo couresy Biblica)

The problem is how to increase Bible engagement. Biblica has a few Bible reading plans available to help people walk through God’s Word. Another tool is the Books Of The Bible format. Moeller explains, “It actually reflects both historical and literary integrity of the New Testament. Take Paul’s letters, for example. While we still have chapters, and breaks for the natural thought chapters that are there, we’ve taken out the verses.” In the New Testament, for example, the book reads like the letter it was intended to be (Pauline epistles). Moeller reminds us that at its core, the Bible is a story.

When you experience God’s Word in a presentation that honors the original literary form, it can transform the way you read. And, who doesn’t love a good story?