Serving the Christian Market Since 1968

14732 Middle Point Road Van Wert, Ohio 45891 - 419.238.4082

The Foster Letter —

Religious Market Update

The FOSTER Letter is a bi-weekly e-mail religious market intelligence report targeted to Christian market channel and ministry leaders.  Each issue reports on news, trends, events and research that will directly or indirectly impact your audiences and businesses in a convenient summary format  Better informed leaders make better choices!

Researched, Edited & Published by Gary D. Foster

Excerpts from the

April 10, 2010 edition of

The FOSTER Letter—Religious Market Update 

April 10, 2010 

Millennials Studies suggest the Millennial Generation (born in ’81 or later) is less religious than preceding generations, but a closer look suggests they really may not be much different than preceding generations at the same age. They follow past generations: Gen X (birth years 1965-1980), Boomer (1946-1964), Silent (1928-1945) and Greatest (born before 1928). 26% of Millennials say they are unaffiliated in religion They are less inclined to pray, to regularly attend worship services or to participate in other religious practices than are other generations today. But when the Pew Forum looked at survey results from past generations in their respective young-adult stages, the numbers aren't always drastically different. For example, 40% of Millennials say religion is very important in their lives, while 60% of Boomers agree now with that statement; but only 39% thought so back in the late ’70s. Millennials say they participate in daily prayer, while Gen-X respondents have 54% now praying daily vs. just 42% in the late ’90s. (Deseret News 3/12/10) 

Giving Decline Growing The number of churches reporting a decline in giving in ’09 has increased to 38% of churches surveyed vs. 29% a year ago. Only 36% saw giving increase in ’09 vs. 47% in ’08. Megachurches suffered more than a year ago: 47% of churches with 2,000 to 5,000 in weekly worship attendance saw a decrease in their ’09 giving vs. only 23% in ’08. More than ever before, many megachurches are beginning to experience some financial strain and pain because of the economy. (State of the Plate  3/10) 

Positive Online Reputations Matter Among U.S. recruiters and HR professionals surveyed, 85% say that positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions at least to some extent. Nearly half say that a strong online reputation influences their decisions to a great extent. Fewer than 15% of consumers in the U.S. believe information found online would have an impact on their getting a job. In addition to professional sites, recruiters also often search online gaming, virtual worlds, classifieds and auction sites. (Center for Media Research Brief 3/12/10) 

Gospel Spreading Fast According to the 2010 Status of Global Mission report recently issued by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the rate of growth of the Church means that, in just the next 24 hours, there will be 34,000 new Christians in Africa. In just one week, that adds up to 238,000 people—in a month, to more than one million. (ECPA Rush to Press 3/29/10) 

Assist For consumers, time, convenience, control and independence are the new currencies. This need requires B2C brands to turn many of their ‘campaigns’—if not all interactions with their customers—into broader services. In short, it shows a shift from ’broadcasting’ to ‘assisting.’ I can coach you and your team through this strategic brand-building effort. Contact me at 419-238-4082, Gary@garydfoster.com or www.garydfoster.com. (Trend Briefing 4/10) 

Young Boys who receive their first video game system don’t progress as quickly in school as boys who don’t, finds a Denison Univ. study. The average reading and writing scores of young gamers don’t go down, but they don’t continue to improve over time like non-gamers do. Boys who do not have a game system in their home only average 9 gaming minutes a day vs. 40 minutes for those who do. (The Journal Gazette 3/21/10) 

Higher Education 81% of Americans believe people learn more practical skills through life experiences and work after college rather than in college. A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds just 12% believe people learn more inside the classroom. But 71% rate book-learning as more important than street-smarts for success in life. 15% say street-smarts are more important, and 14% are not sure which is better. Still, 60% of all adults believe every American should attend a post-secondary school institution. (Rasmussen Reports 3/14/10) 

Radio captures more consumer time than the Internet, newspapers or magazines, and radio listening is strong among well educated, employed, high-income consumer groups. (MarketingForecast.com 3/12/10) 

Silicon Valley is seeing a talent exodus of foreign-born executives, engineers and scientists because of better opportunities back home, strict U.S. immigration laws and California’s dreary economy and high cost of living. Also, fewer foreign students are coming to the Valley to earn engineering and science degrees, reports the Silicon Valley Index. Foreign-born students earned 16.6% of the total degrees awarded in science and engineering programs from local colleges and universities in ’07 vs. 18.4% in ’03. (USA Today 3/22/10) 

Bargain Book Retailers estimate that their cost of goods (COGs) is as low as 35% with most averaging around 47%-48%. On a $10.00 retail sale, bargain books will yield an approximate gross profit of between $5.20 and $6.50. Front list bookstores with COGs of 58-62% will make $3.80 to $4.20 on the same $10.00 sale. Used bookstores margins are even better with a COGs of between 25-35%, averaging $6.50-$7.50 gross profit on the same $10.00. Bargain books are typically retailed at least 50% off the publisher’s suggested retail. (Publishing Perspective 3/22/10) 

Multi-Generational Family Comeback A new Pew Research Center census data analysis of multi-generational American households shows that, from ’07 to ’08, the number of Americans living in a multi-generational family household grew by 2.6 million. As of ’08, 16.1% of the total U.S. population lived in a family household that contained at least 2 adult generations or a grandparent and at least one other generation. This is a significant trend reversal. In 1940, about 25% of the population lived in one; by 1980, just 12% did. The reversal (an increase of 33%) has taken place among all major demographic groups, and it appears to be the result of a mix of social and economic forces. The percentage of those ages 25-34 living in multi-general families has risen from 11% in ’80 to 20% in ’08. The trend toward older ages for first marriage is a big part of this long-term shift among younger adults; plus, in recent years, the economy appears to have played a significant role. (Pastor’s Weekly Briefing 3/26/10) 

Code of the West Wyoming is the first state to define and adopt values its residents are expected to pursue. Adapted from Jim Owen’s book Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn From the Code of the West, the guidelines are: 1) Live each day with courage; 2) Take pride in your work; 3) Always finish what you start; 4) Do what has to be done; 5) Be tough, but fair; 6) When you make a promise, keep it; 7) Ride for the brand; 8) Talk less and say more; 9) Remember that some things aren't for sale; 10) Know where to draw the line. These are good guidelines for all of us. (WorldNetDaily.com)  

Relevance is what determines whether an ad works or not. Every media fails when it delivers a message no one cares about. Let me help ensure your ads are relevant to your target audience. Contact me at 419-238-4082, Gary@garydfoster.com or www.garydfoster.com. 

Satisfied with Seminary 96% of Protestant pastors who have taken seminary training say they would do it again if they had to. 71% strongly agree they regularly use the things they learned in their seminary classes. 83% strongly agree attending seminary was worth the time and money. (LifeWay Research 3/22/10) 

Fewer Abstainers 6 in 10 American adults drink alcohol. Nearly a quarter are lifetime abstainers, 14% are former drinkers and around 5% are heavy drinkers. Men (67.6%) were more likely to be current drinkers than women (55.3%). Women (30.9%) were more likely to be lifetime abstainers than men (17.7%). (The National Center for Health Statistics 3/15/10) 

Emerging Creative Class U.S. culture is now being driven by an emerging, 60 million strong, “creative class.” This group of folks is very creative, externally focused, open, younger and more risk-taking -- and the majority are multicultural. (Online Spin 3/25/10) 

Details Matter Quirky and cute ads were effective in the 90s because they made corporate America warm and approachable. People still like these ads and may even compliment you on them, but they’re no longer driving traffic. Buying decisions are increasingly based on logic. Give customers a no-loopholes warranty and a story that rings true, and they’ll respond. Let me “logic-test” your ads before you needlessly burn up cash resources. Contact me at 419-238-4082, Gary@garydfoster.com or www.garydfoster.com.  (Monday Morning Memo 5/21/07) 

Charismatic Prevalence 26% of Protestants and 20% of Catholics in the U.S. identify as charismatic or Pentecostal, reports the Barna Group. Those 26 to 44 are most likely to claim the Holy Spirit-filled identity (29%), while Boomers (45 to 63) are least likely to claim such identity (20%). Their number is triple that of evangelicals in the U.S and equal to the number of adults who attend Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal or non-denominational churches. David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, points out that “young charismatics are less likely to adopt their beliefs and practices based on deep, considered theological reflection. The future vitality of this portion of the Christian community will depend in part on connecting young charismatic and Pentecostal believers to better training on theology and doctrine.” (Christian Post 3/30/10) 

Change Every organization’s operating environment will change as dramatically in the next three to five years as it has changed in the past five. We are in a period of historic change, in which the pace and scale of these changes dwarf past experience. (Strategy for Sustainability, Adam Werbach, Harvard Business Press, 2009)  

Ruthlessly Look For What Customers Want Your customers know what they want and what will motivate them to take action. Interview one-on-one, hold group discussions, survey, throw a social, run a contest. Your next biggest successes are in your customer’s needs not yet met. Don’t stop searching until you get a powerful breakthrough. If you can’t find it, you’re not looking hard enough. (Manta.com) 

Transactional or Relational Traditionally, 5 out of 10 customers will be in transactional shopping mode. The other 5 will be in relational shopping mode. Transactional-mode shoppers are looking for information, facts, details and prices. Their focus is the product itself, not the purchase experience. Relational-mode shoppers are looking for a pleasant experience. They want to find the right place, the right person from whom to buy and an expert they can trust. A customer can be a relational shopper in one category and a transactional shopper in another. The labels don’t define the customer; they only describe his momentary mindset. People never really change their mind. They merely make new decisions based on new information. What new information will you deliver in 2008? (Monday Morning Memo 1/14/08) 

Think About It Perceptual blindness sheds much light on why we miss obvious solutions. By focusing on one thing (a problem), we miss something else (a solution). Magicians and politicians have known about this phenomenon for years. (Michael McMillan) 

For information on how to become a subscriber to the entire 3-page Foster Letter---Religious Market Update, E-mail us at: subscribe@garydfoster.com