Scientific Study of Why Churches Grow The Faith Community Today (FACT) project involves the largest national study of congregations ever conducted in the United States. Its most recent study has been summarized in three well-illustrated reports that are free to download. Some of the findings seem obvious:   Theology, clarity of mission, and absence of conflict are each strong predictors of growth.   The presence of younger adults and men are directly related to growth.   Growing churches are characterized by the presence of joy and percussion in worship. Other comparisons were more surprising:   The best locations for growth are newer suburbs, but the second-best place for growth is in the downtown or central city of metropolitan areas.   The more worship services a congregation holds, the more likely it is to have grown.   Multi-racial congregations are more likely to have experienced strong growth.   Churches where support groups are a "key activity" are twice as likely to be growing. To download the above-cited 17-page FACTS on Growth report or several other related reports go to fact.hartsem.edu Cohabitation Becomes Mainstream Around the World An analysis of cohabitation, marriage, and divorce data from 13 countries, including the United States, shows living together has become mainstream, USA Today reported. The National Marriage Project study of a sampling of Western European and Scandinavian nations, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand found 15% to 30% of couples live together, compared with about 10 percent in the United States. A previous study by the same group showed that since 1970, the number of Americans living together has increased from about 500,000 heterosexual couples to more than 5 million. In the United States from 1995 to 2005, the marriage rate declined almost 20%. "Americans have downplayed qualities that are vital for a healthy marriage culture -- commitment and faithfulness," said Jenny Tyree, associate marriage analyst at Focus on the Family Action. "The de-emphasis on these qualities has profoundly and negatively influenced this and successive generations. "If Americans want to strengthen marriage in this country, they need to support it in the home, the church and at the ballot box as the union of one man and one woman who together raise their children." The National Marriage Project report also cites findings from earlier studies showing children of cohabiting couples are more likely to experience emotional problems, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Healing Place Experience The Healing Place Church Experience is an opportunity for churches to visit the Healing Place and experience total access to everything: opportunities to participate in staff meetings, creative meetings, roundtable luncheons with the lead team, ministry specific breakout sessions, and one-on-one time with Lead Pastor Dino Rizzo. The next Healing Place Experience is taking placeSeptember 10-12, 2008. For more information, please contact Marc Cleary at marc.cleary@healingplacechurch.org or at 225.753.2273, ext. 223.