Middle Class Attitude Down

"Americans feel stuck in their tracks. A majority of survey respondents say that in the past five years, they either haven't moved forward in life (25%) or have fallen backward (31%). This is the most downbeat assessment of personal progress in nearly a half century of polling by the Pew Research Center and the Gallop organization." -- Report: Inside the Middle Class

Distressed times make for distressed people. As the U.S. economy falters, look for the sentiment of the population in general to move to guarded self-concern. In this state of despair, the church will have a window of ministry opportunity to provide financial counseling, marriage mentoring and career guidance.

Special attention should be paid to congregational disconnect as concerns drive parishioners inward and less willing to be a part of community. Those churches who set up support groups and confidential lines of communication for community use will capture this down time as a spiritual time of growth and connectivity in their community.

To better understand the middle class views of your congregation, this 169 page free report is an excellent composite of their current attitudes.