This is a dramatic change in church demographics.

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with the point.

Next month, the Colson Center is offering a short course entitled The Essential Church

Why Christians in the World Still Need the Church.

It's a timely message, especially given the recent shift in church demographics.

Christianity Today reports that younger women are, for the first time, less likely to go to church than men,

not because more men are now attending church, but because more women are deconstructing their

faith. After church controversies and scandals and shaped by cultural messages, women are increasingly

heading for the exit. In doing so, they reject a faith, and in the words of my colleague,

Glenn Sunshine, has done more

to improve the status of women than any other historical force. The church is meant to enable and

empower men and women to live as image bearers, according to God's design. Simply put, the church

is essential, and our short course, hosted by Dr. Tim Padgett, Peter Lightheart, Colin Hanson, and

Glenn Sunshine,

will help Christians understand why. Go to colsoncenter.org slash August. That's colsoncenter.org slash August to learn more. I'm John Stone Street.