Positive Numbers for the Churches of Christ

In the September issue of this year, the Gospel Advocate reported some positive figures concerning the churches of Christ. These were first published in a booklet entitled, "Separating Fact from Fiction." The booklet was written by Dr. Flavil Yeakley, a respected pollster among the churches of Christ. Dr. Yeakley reveals that...

• Churches of Christ are ranked 10th among 245 religious groups in America.
• Churches of Christ are in fourth place in the number of congregations.
• We are not losing the majority of our young people (the figure usually quoted is that we are losing 80% of our young people after they leave home). In fact, our drop-out rate is much lower than that of other groups.
• Most other religious groups have experienced far more division than we have, even though other groups have central denominational organizations and creeds to impose conformity.

Negativity is a noose entwined with lies. The devil uses it to choke the life out of churches full of hard-working Christians (Jn. 8:44). God wants believers to be optimistic (Phil. 4:8). So when there's good news, let's share it!