Illinois Baptist
Moving the fence line Jennifer Smith
Table Talk P. 9
in focus Beautiful feet CP special section NATE ADAMS
Broad shoulders that we stand on P. 2
MEREDITH FLYNN
Proverbs 31 Woman A tricky act to follow P. 11
ERIC REED
Our dual citizenship BF&M @ 100
Map Quest
Charting a course to the uttermost. P. 7-8
P. 12
PLUS: LOTTIE MOON SEASON
IB
IllinoisBaptist.org
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
NOVEMBER 1, 2025
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 964
Vol. 119 No. 11
MAKE IT PERSONAL
PRAYER FOR THE UNKNOWN MISSIONARY P. 7-8
religious landscape
The ‘bro’ awakening
Young men surpass women in church attendance USA | Are the winds of revival blowing across the nation? More specifically, is there an awakening of young people here and abroad right now? Pastors citing increased church attendance after the shooting death of Christian political activist Charlie Kirk would say yes. Two national polls just before that event appear to agree that something more longterm is happening—especially among young men. Barna Research Group said 43% of men reported attending church weekly in a new survey, compared to 38% of women. The increase, tracked over five of the past six years, is highest among Millennials (born 19811996) and Gen-Z (born 1997-2012). After the Covid-19 low point, this reverses a 25-year slide. And young men are leading the way. “Across every generation, women are trailing men in weekly church attendance,” Barna researchers wrote in their new survey. The surprising
attendance gap between men and women is bounded by young married men with children under age 18, who have the highest regular attendance (41%), while single mothers had the lowest attendance (24%). Barna blamed an erosion of trust among women caused by church scandals. “When women see repeated examples of moral failure, abuse, or hypocrisy in church leadership, it deepens their disillusionment,” Barna CEO David Kinnaman surmised. Single women “often feel isolated in congregations that cater to nuclear families.” Some may oppose the traditional roles of men and women in conservative denominations, which is where much of the young men’s attendance is growing. ‘Quiet Revival’ On a late summer Sunday at Pirate’s Cove Beach near San Luis Obispo, California, more than 10,000 people were baptized. The place is where the P. 5
IBSA Annual Meeting Nov 4-5 Springfield Follow our coverage at IllinoisBaptist.org
What we’re thankful for P. 10