by Alan Langstaff

Odds and Ends are letters of important or interesting topics that do not require a whole article.

ARE MEN RETURNING TO THE CHURCH?

“Men and women’s church attendance trends have crossed over time. In the early 2000s, women were more regular attenders than men by a wide margin. Over the years, however, women’s attendance steadily declined, while men’s remained more stable. In other words, churches are losing women more than they are gaining men, with the exception of 2025 when male attendance spiked upward [in the USA].

As of 2025, 43 percent of men and 36 percent of women report attending church regularly, based on reported weekly attendance. In five of the last six years, men have outpaced women in this key measure of religious engagement, and the 2025 gap is the largest measured.”

(By Barna)

It is even happening in Europe.

“A recent article shared by Justin Brierley described a trend in Norway that is also being seen in Finland and other European nations. Church attendance and membership jumped there by 750 new members. While that would not be anything notable in Texas, it is in almost every European nation.  

While over 60% of the population in Norway are formal members of the state church, only 2% of Norway’s 5.5 million people attend. That’s a stark contrast to the United States, where roughly 25% of Americans attend weekly, a third once a month, and two-thirds show up once a year. In Norway, even what may seem a tiny increase is notable.”

(By John Stonestreet, Timothy Padget – The Christian Post)

It’s also happening in Great Britain.

“Church attendance in Britain is rising thanks to Gen Z, new research commissioned by the Bible Society has suggested.

The research, conducted by YouGov, found that last year around 12% of adults attended church at least once a month, up from just 8% in 2018.

Leading the charge, were men aged 18-24, with over a fifth attending church at least once a month, a staggering increase from just 4% of that demographic in 2018. Women in the same age bracket have also been attending church in larger numbers, going from 4% in 2018 to 12% in 2024.”

(By Christian Today – The Christian Post)

CHARLIE KIRK

Undoubtedly one of the major stories this Fall in the USA has been the assassination of Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA. Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared about a “Revival of Faith.”

“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Newsmax that the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk has ignited a nationwide “revival,” saying faith is the strongest power guiding both individuals and the country…. “We see the importance of faith being elevated as we’ve seen the response to what happened to Charlie Kirk,” Abbott said.

“I’m so proud of our fellow Americans to come out and reveal their faith and show their faith, because I believe faith is the strongest power that exists. And if we’re all guided by our faith, we’re going to be achieving God’s will far better.”

Abbott tied that message to his personal faith. “It’s my faith in God that sets me straight, puts me back on the right path,” he said.”

(By Sandy Fitzgerald, Newsmax)

On March 25, 2011 Kim Clement gave this prophecy:

“Listen to Me. As the beginning of the restoration begins, there shall be a woman that shall rise up. A woman shall be strong in faith, virtuous, beautiful in eyes — and her eyes shall be so beautiful, her eyes shall be round and big. I have crowned her, says the Lord, as I crowned Esther. The people shall receive her, for she shall have the oil of gladness for the pain and the mourning that has taken place. She shall pour out the oil, she shall pour out the oil upon this nation. And God says: healing shall begin, and then it shall flow rapidly.

Schools will be free from potential damage and danger, from shootings and murder. Drug addiction shall be broken. Cartels shall be afraid of a woman — a woman anointed by God, a woman set aside.”

(From Prophecy Investigators)

I myself feel that God is going to use Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, as a modern day Esther.

QUEBEC ALLOWS 3 MEN TO ADOPT A 3 YEAR OLD GIRL

Canada generally speaking is more liberal than it’s neighbor the United States and so is a sign of where culture could be heading.

“Quebec has approved its first adoption by a polyamorous trio — a “throuple” — granting three men legal recognition as parents of a 3-year-old girl, according to Visegrad24. The groundbreaking case follows a Superior Court ruling earlier this year that affirmed children can have more than two legal parents. 

Two men are officially registered as the girl’s parents, while the third is seeking full recognition under Quebec’s revised Civil Code, which now accommodates multiparent families. The adoption, finalized after a full home study and court review, marks a significant shift in Canadian family law, expanding parental rights beyond traditional norms.”

(By Newsmax Wires)

PITT FOR JESUS

“God is moving mightily among the next generation, something that is very evident at the University of Pittsburgh. Recently, nearly 600 students gathered at Mazeroski Field for Pitt for Jesus, an outdoor worship and evangelism event sponsored by Pitt Purpose, a student-led ministry founded by football player Jake Overman.

The presence of God was undeniable. Reports indicate over 65 students surrendered their lives to Christ, 80 were baptized, and many more were set free from “addictions and strongholds, right at the altar.”

(By Christianity Report)

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY REVIVAL

“The Spirit of the Lord is touching the hearts of students on the campus of Ohio State University. In a video posted on X by Pastor Travis Johnson from the National Faith Advisory Board, students can be seen worshiping the Lord with hearts of repentance and faith. “Can you hear the weeping?” Johnson writes. “It’s a sweet sound, especially on a university campus as students bow before Jesus in prayer.”

(By Abby Trivett, MyCharisma)

SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IN CALIFORNIA

“Signs of revival are continuing to break out across America, with one of the most powerful moments this summer taking place at Pirates Cove in Newport Beach, California. Harvest Christian Fellowship, led by Pastor Greg Laurie, hosted its 3rd Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism, where over 2,100 people publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ in a single day.

Laurie, whose story was featured in the hit film Jesus Revolution, called it an extraordinary move of God. “Even during the days of the original Jesus Movement, we never saw anything quite like this,” he said. Over the last three years, Harvest has baptized more than 8,600 people, and in just the last 24 months, over 10,000.

Earlier this summer, Laurie’s Harvest Crusade drew more than 45,000 attendees to Angel Stadium and over 200,000 online, with 6,500 making professions of faith. The revival continues to spark spiritual hunger across all ages, as people respond to the gospel in growing numbers.”

(By ChristianityReport)

WILLOW CREEK TURNS 50

“SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (RNS) – In the summer of 1992, a reporter made a pilgrimage to the Chicago suburbs to get a firsthand look at Willow Creek Community Church, a congregation rumored to be the future of American religion.

What he found was worshippers swaying to a rock band, a humorous skit with a spiritual message, a sermon about how God could make their lives better — a service that bore more than a passing resemblance to an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” which debuted the night before Willow Creek opened in the fall of 1975.

The story in the Chicago Reader by Robert McClory, himself a former priest, ran under the headline “We have seen the future of religion. And it is slick” — and asked, “Is this religion for the 21st century, or just the latest in religious gimmickry? Perhaps it’s a little bit of both.”

In fact, nearly everything McClory saw would be completely unremarkable to many churchgoers today. Willow Creek, which turns 50 this week, became a new model of American religion, which replaced tall steepled churches, stained glass, hymns and robed clergy with pastors in jeans backed by chart-topping bands, video screens and smoke machines, a worship style that has been summed up as a Coldplay concert followed by a TED Talk.”

(By Bob Smietana, MinistryWatch)