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NEWS & NOTES

FAST FACTS:

$76,782), pastors outscore U.S. adults by eight points and exhibit remarkable strength in financial success. 16

n “Physical, emotional, and men tal health among pastors is lower than the general population (69% vs. 73%) and notably behind prac ticing Christians (79%),” which is particularly disturbing since pas tors’ “wholeness” is connected to their ministries. 12 n According to State of the Bible data collected from U.S. church members, “Only 55% of self-iden tified Christians have attended church in the past six months, in cluding 11% who attend less than monthly, 10% who attend month ly, and 34% who attend weekly.” 13 n According to a Barna Group sur vey, 77% of teens in America state that they want to continue, for the rest of their lives, to learn about Jesus. 14 n Fifty-five percent of U.S. adults express that it depends on the situation when determining whether something is right or wrong, while 44% state that there are “clear and absolute standards” for defining right and wrong. 15 n Even with modest salaries (the national average is around

n Gallup’s Consumption Habits

survey reported that just 54% of 21-and-older Americans drink al cohol, the lowest rate in nearly 90 years. The poll also reported that 53% of Americans view moderate drinking (one to two per day) as harmful to health, over double the 26% who believed so in 2016. 19 households cannot afford a me dian-priced new home ($459,826) today. 20 study, “77% of Gen Z report that choosing a career resistant to au tomation is a ‘top priority.’” 21 ;

n In a KFF/ESPN joint survey of 1,988 NFL players, 50% who played in the 1988 season de

scribed feeling daily pain, nearly twice as many as other men of the same age. However, if present ed with the option to play again, 90% said they would. Compared to other men their age (16%), 55% of the previous NFL players surveyed experienced confusion or memory loss over the past 12 months, which is happening more often or getting worse. 17 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and HopSkipDrive found that near ly one-third of U.S. parents had to miss work as a result of taking their kids to school. Approximate ly 30% declare that they have been prohibited from seeking or secur ing work opportunities, while 11% report losing a job due to school transportation. 18

n Approximately 75% of U.S.

n According to a recent Jobber

n A new poll conducted by The

Compiled and edited by Gary Foster, President of Gary D. Foster Consulting

COMMENTS & QUESTIONS? Phone: 419-238-4082 Email: GaryFoster733@gmail.com Web: GaryDFoster.com

Endnotes 1 Goldhill, O. (2025, August 12). Insecure about their looks, more men than ever are getting plastic surgery. STAT. 2 Freiburger, C. (2025, August 26). Women more than twice as likely to have mental issues after abortion than childbirth: Study. LifeSite. 3 Travers, M. (2025, August 17). I ’m a psychologist who studies couples: People in the happiest relationships talk about 5 things every day-that most neglect. CNBC. 4 Scripps News. (2025, August 31). Six in 10 parents in debt just to sup port their kids, survey finds. 5 Collins, L.M. (2025, August 12). Pew survey reveals marriage trends across sexual orientations. Deseret News. 6 What makes American teens unique? Barna Group. (2025, July 3). 7 5 things you need to know about Gen Z. Barna Group. (2025, September 12). 8 Allen, M. (2025, September 1). 1 big thing – Get some sleep! Axios PM newsletters. 9 Allen, M. (2025, August 23). Delaying adulthood. Axios AM newslet ters. 10 New research: Belief in Jesus rises, fueled by younger adults . Barna Group. (2025, April 7). 11 Holliday, S. (2025, September 9). Barna Group finds “millions of Amer ican Christians deny their sinfulness.”

12 The strengths & struggles of today’s pastors. Barna Group. (2025, June 10). 13 Sullivan, M.P. (2025, September 4). Why church engagement matters for spiritual growth . Lifeway Research. 14 Gen Z and the quiet revival: Why faith is back on the rise. Prophecy News Watch. (2025, September 5). 15 Smith, G.A., Cooperman, A., Alper, B.A., Mohamed, B., Rotolo, C., Tevington, P., Nortey, J., Kallo, A., Diamant, J., & Fahmy, D. (2025, February 26). 21. Religion and views of right and wrong. Pew Research Center. 16 The strengths & struggles of today’s pastors . Barna Group. (2025, June 10). 17 Allen, M. (2025, September 1). NFL retiree poll: Pain but no regrets. Axios AM newsletters. 18 McMurray, J., & Sanders, L. (2025, September 4). Moms’ careers and personal time are hit hard by school drop-off demands, a poll finds. AP News. 19 Saad, L. (2025, August 13). U.S. drinking rate at new low as alcohol concerns surge . Gallup.com. 20 Allen, M. (2025, August 23). Disappearing dining rooms. Axios AM newsletters. 21 Fried, I. (2025, September 9). AI is taking the shine off college. Axios AI+ newsletters.

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