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Welcome to the On The Rise newsletter, where I feature fascinating, helpful, and sometimes
curious content that caught my attention this week.
Today, the decline in people giving and what to do about it, why nappers have bigger brains, and fish curry ice cream (horrors...I know, but read on...)
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People Are Giving Less |
Giving is shifting to high-net-worth individuals and corporations
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A few decades ago, individual donors gave over 80% of all donations in the US. According to new data from Giving USA, that's dropped to 63% today.
So, what does that mean, you ask?
First, fewer people give. As American culture moves away from the church, charitable giving takes a hit as a general life practice and habit.
Second, it means that an increasingly high percentage of giving is coming from ultra-high-net-worth individuals and corporations.
Clearly, that means changes are for the giving strategy at your church.
On the good news front, stay tuned for new resources to help raise the level of giving at your church this fall. You'll hear about them here!
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Napping Leads to Bigger Brains |
Want to think better and slow aging? Take a nap.
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Having never really given up my toddler habits, I've been a napper most of my life. Over the last few decades, I've unapologetically advocated it as a practice leaders should embrace.
Now I have even more smoking-hot evidence for my crusade.
There's recent evidence that nappers have bigger brains. The brain shrinks as we age, but in nappers, the brain shrinks less rapidly.
Researchers think regular napping can ward off Alzheimer's, and they observe that patients who nap have brains equivalent to people who are 2-6 years younger than their biological age.
They're diving deeper into research to verify the findings, but this adds fuel to my afternoon siesta.
Plus, now you know that ol' Grandad asleep on the couch must be a genius, right?
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Keep Up with A.I. and Faith Trends |
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Have you figured out where Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) fits in YOUR MINISTRY?
Whether the answer is “yes” or “no,” you’re going to want to check out the A.I. & The Church Hub on Gloo.
In the Hub, thousands of pastors are getting the latest news and insights from some of the top minds in the Church ecosystem. You’ll get answers to questions like:
How can the Church responsibly use A.I.?
Can I use A.I. to bring efficiency to my growing list of daily tasks?
Where should I be cautious about A.I.?
What are the moral and ethical implications of A.I.?
With the explosion of A.I., and the conversation about its responsible use just beginning, there is an opportunity for the Church to lead, and to ensure this technology is used ethically to advance human flourishing.
Visit get.gloo.us/aihub to see all of the partners and sign up.
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| Explore the A.I. Hub Here |
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Joe's Weekly Book Recommendation |
Joe Terrell is my content manager, and he's a voracious reader. - CN
Can faith help you survive man-made catastrophes and natural disasters? Find out in Ben Sherwood's gripping book, The Survivor's Club. - JT
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Anyone for Ice Cream?
Fish Curry Ice Cream, that is. |
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I love ice cream (banana boat is my current fave), but I also love the history of things.
This profile of Agnes B. Marshall, 19th-century ice cream entrepreneur and superstar, is fascinating on multiple fronts, including the bizarre flavors that ruled the 19th century.
Her ice creams included fish curry, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, and artichokes. And she helped democratize ice cream so it wasn't just for the rich who could afford frozen storage.
She made more conventional ice cream and made it so popular that she was almost a household name in her day.
Enjoy your much more orthodox flavors this weekend. But now, you know, it wasn't always this delicious.
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Cheering for you,
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Weekend Listening: Jon Gordon |
On the leadership podcast this week, I'm joined by bestselling author and keynote speaker Jon Gordon where we discuss how to get out of your slump, the energy drain of defending something you've built versus attacking into a new future, the power of talking to yourself rather than listening to yourself, and the One Truth.
Listen to my conversation with Jon and subscribe to my podcast here (for free).
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