Newsletter

Have you wondered about the decline in church participation in mainline denominations like the ELCA? What will the church look like ten years from now? What are the challenges? What are cultural shifts? As the ELCA, we have been asking these and more questions for a long time. In preparation for this two-part forum, please listen to a short podcast titled “Has Religion Become Obsolete? A Conversation with Christian Smith (Part 1)”.

Dr. Christian Smith, sociologist at the University of Notre Dame and author of “Why Religion Went Obsolete”, discusses what is behind the decline in America’s religious participation based on his research. The forum will be based on the podcast and his book. (You do not have to purchase the book, but there are copies to borrow in the office, so please reach out to 480-967-3543 or info@ulctempe.org if you would like one). Join us for this conversation Sunday, August 10th, after worship at 11 am, and bring your reflections. If you did not get around to listening to the podcast, you are still welcome to attend.

On Part 2 of this forum, we will continue the conversation about why religion has become obsolete in American culture. Dr. Smith explores why traditional religion has lost its cultural relevance for post-Boomer generations. Listen to the podcast “Has Religion Become Obsolete? with Christian Smith (Part 2)” prior to Part 2 of our discussion next Sunday, Aug 17, after worship. Again, you do not have to listen to the podcast in order to attend.