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.

Connecting the Financial Dots of Divorce

The breakdown of marriage in America costs at least $112 billion a year, owing to costs of health care, criminal justice, welfare programs and lost income-tax revenue, according to a study released today.

"This study documents for the first time that divorce and unwed childbearing — besides being bad for children — are also costing taxpayers a ton of money," says David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values (IAV), one of four sponsors of today's study.
Even a small improvement in marriage rates — for example, a 1 percent reduction in the rate of "fragmented families" — would save more than $1 billion, Mr. Blankenhorn says.

The $112 billion — which is equivalent to the state budget for New York — stems from "increased taxpayer expenditures" for anti-poverty, criminal justice and education programs, and lower levels of taxes paid by people whose "adult productivity has been negatively affected by increased childhood poverty caused by family fragmentation," says Benjamin Scafidi, an economics professor at Georgia College & State University and principal investigator of the report. - Washington Times article

We have long known the "cost" of divorce is high, however, we have typically measured it as an emotional or spiritual cost. The IAV study validates a significant financial cost as well. The inter-related nature of spiritual, social and financial matters is a constant reminder of the intricate work of the Creator. Often labeled as "irrelevant" the teachings of the church have the opportunity to "connect the dots" for an increasingly "practical" society that is more concerned with polls and research than with personal convictions and inspired scripture. Be the bridge.