Numbers tell a story — but they do not tell it all.

Welcome to Trends with Truth in churches of Christ, a new podcast with Dale Jenkins and Dr. Michael Jackson, created in partnership with The Jenkins Institute and Heritage Christian University.

In this introductory episode, Dale and Michael explain the heart behind the podcast: using data, surveys, ministry trends, and real conversations to better understand what is happening among churches of Christ. This is not just a podcast about statistics. It is a podcast about people, congregations, ministry, leadership, and mission.

Every number has a name. Every church has a story.

Through years of surveys and ministry conversations, The Jenkins Institute has gathered valuable insights about ministers, elders, congregations, attendance, ministry challenges, preacher pay, time off, church trends, and more. Trends with Truth exists to help church leaders look deeper than assumptions, avoid misinformation, and think carefully about what the data may be revealing.

In future episodes, Dale Jenkins and Dr. Michael Jackson will discuss topics such as why ministers enter ministry, minister compensation, ministry health, attendance trends, Sunday night services, church leadership, congregational life, and the realities facing churches today.

This podcast is for ministers, elders, deacons, ministry leaders, Bible teachers, church members, and anyone who cares about the future and faithfulness of the Lord’s church.

Trends with Truth is available on all major podcast platforms and on YouTube in both audio and video formats.

Chapters

00:00 — Every Number Has a Name

00:33 — Welcome to Trends with Truth

00:56 — Is This the Most Boring Podcast Ever?

01:44 — Why Start a Podcast About Church Statistics?

02:19 — Looking Deeper Than the Numbers

02:43 — Dale Jenkins’ Lifelong Interest in Statistics

04:01 — Dr. Michael Jackson’s Research Background

05:07 — The Jenkins Institute Surveys and Church Data

05:54 — Misreading Statistics and Fighting Misinformation

06:56 — Statistics as a Language

07:27 — Guiding Church Leaders Through the Data

08:06 — Future Topics: Ministry, Pay, Attendance, and More

08:52 — Understanding Where We Are to Better Serve the Future

Keywords

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