Chuch Atttendance Brings Health

What are the deepest beliefs of Americans? According to polls a whopping majority of over 80% of us come from a Christian tradition. About 42% of Americans attend religious/church services weekly. This is far more than those who attend all professional sports in an entire year.

Some 95% of Americans believe in God. In 1985 George Gallup found that 72% stated: "My whole approach to life is based on my religion." We are the most religious western nation by far. This is especially shocking when we realize that the country is divided almost 50/50 in politics. America, for all her weaknesses, is a religious nation. As one wag noted, ”India is the most religious country in the world and Sweden the least. America is a bunch of Indians ruled by Swedes.”

Research shows that 91% of blacks, 93% of Hispanics and 88% of whites report a religious affiliation. Even more startling is the number for attendance: 51% of Blacks, 48% of Hispanics and 43% of Whites attend weekly or more often.

Sixty four percent (64%) of blacks in the national sample were members of religious communities (churches) with 59% of whites and 43% of Hispanics. Participation in religious activities outside weekend services is also high with 47% blacks, 41% whites and 31% Hispanics saying they are in church during the week as well as on Sunday.

(Social Capital http://www.cfsv.org/communitysurvey/results6.html)

In a nation obsessed with racial and cultural diversity the facts about minorities and religious faith have been strangely absent from the dialogue. There is one astounding statistic about African American longevity and church attendance that is rarely if ever mentioned in the debates about faith based organizations and health care. An article by Hummer et al in Demography Journal, 36:273-285 in 1999, Blacks who attend church live much longer than those who do not.

Attendance------------White life expectancy---Black life expectancy

Never-----------------77 Years----------------67 = A 10 year difference
Less than or weekly---80 Years----------------75 = A 5 year difference
Weekly or more-------83 Years----------------80 = A 3 year difference

Whites who attend services more than weekly gain an average of six years in longevity but African Americans who attend services weekly or more gain a whopping 13 years in life expectancy. The difference in longevity is almost eclipsed by church attendance. In fact, attending church more often than weekly raises Blacks life expectancy to that of whites who attend weekly or less.

Who is this guy?

Why should you trust me to train you how to help couples and families? Do I know what I am doing? Thos are good questions.

Karen Judy Mayer and I had our first date 45 years ago on May 6, 2007. We have two children and three grand children. She is still my first wife and the love of my life. Despite many differences we thrive as a couple.

I received an Ed. D. from University of Cincinnati in 1975 on the topic of training lay people to care and counsel one another. Over the years I wrote and published seven books, some of which have sold a half a million copies around the world.

Our team has set up training centers in many countries including Norway, Sweden and Denmark as well as Russia. Our most important insights have come training ordinary lay men and women how to live more exciting and fulfilled lives by learning how to communicate with each other more effectively.

I have trained hundreds of faith based leaders how to set up Helping Centers and many thousands have been blessed as a result. I also set up a Christian in-patient psychiatric hospital and outpatient clinic in Cincinnati. I have seen both lay and professional counselors up close and personal and I know how they can benefit others.

I am a Family Therapist and until I retired from private practice carried an LPCC license.

Training must be fun and practical. It must also be down to earth and easily grasped. I am not Dr. Phil or Dr. Freud so do not expect a lot of psycho-babble. (IT IS NOT BRAIN SURGERY!!)

Come and learn how to make your own family better.