Yesterday, I was driving around running errands and doing a little bit of Christmas shopping and tuned into Jan Markells show, Olive Tree Ministries on Richmond’s AFR 88.1 FM. Anytime I have ever had the chance to catch her show, it is fascinating and highly recommended. This week, I barely caught the name Dr. Pat Fagan, but it was about the benefits of marriage and regular church attendence. If you are not aware of this extensive study, below is the report available for download.

I did catch the main guest she had on the air ,  the writer of a fascinating book I am ordering, called “The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Bible Prophecy” by Dr. Ron Rhodes. listen HERE

The two discuss the end-times in chronological order. They discuss Rapture timing, the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and much more. Where do the appearance of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and the Two Witnesses fit into the plan? Jan and Ron discuss the identity of the Antichrist and his likely heritage. Ron gives his explanation of what happens to Islam to neutralize them. Revelation talks about a lot of believers in the Tribulation so who are these folks if, in fact, the church is Raptured out? Ron also gives his overview of where he sees America as a result of election 2012. Jan closes the final 20 minutes with her insights on election 2012 with clips of what Christian leaders are saying. Find Rhodes book, The End Times in Chronological Order, here.

rsn_cultureofdeath_250Now, back to Dr. Pat Fagan.
This Sunday morning as the Christians who tend church regularly, Americans who do not, take notice. At the very least, your children should go, as Dr. Pat Fagan’s Family Trend Report from last year indicates huge consequences for choosing to attend church regulariy versus those who do not. Dr. Pat Fagan was just honored with Pope Pius XI Award, and Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins states:

“Pat’s extraordinary work, which is devoted to understanding how the biblical model of the family sustains and strengthens culture and society, places him in the highest tier of American social scientists. Congratulations, Dr. Fagan – and keep up your important work,”

Some notable articles on his research

Church kids less likely to divorce or live in poverty

Kids who attend church are far less likely to get divorced later in life, have better skills to overcome poverty and do better in college than kids who did not attend church.

In new study, Dr. Pat Fagan compiles independent findings by more than 100 social scientists who have published their own studies over the last two decades establishing the amazing effect that attending church has on kids’ lives. READ MORE…

162 Reasons to Marry

Marriage is the foundational relationship for all of society. All other relationships in society stem from the father-mother relationship, and these other relationships thrive most if that father-mother relationship is simultaneously a close and a closed husband-wife relationship. Good marriages are the bedrock of strong societies, for they are the foundations of strong families. One can see this strength manifested at the national and state level, as indicated in other works of the authors, such as the Index of Family Belonging and Rejection and its relationship to various outcomes... 162 Reasons to Marry

There is alot more online if you just search his name and his full report is here.

The Annual Report on Family Trends 2011: The Behaviors of the American Family in the Five Major Institutions of Society

REPORT DOWNLOAD3.7mb

The Annual Report on Family Trends brings together in one place the trendline data on family issues. In almost all cases, the data is drawn from original federal government data.Though the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual Statistical Abstract of the United States is a wonderful product, the annual edition does not go back far enough to give the long-term view on most trendlines.

Furthermore the federal data system is rather difficult for the layman (and even for the demographic scholar) to navigate. Through this publication, we hope to remedy this situation andmake available data that are not easily accessible for most laymen.

The Annual Report is designed to inform the reader about the American family in its current state, including its behaviors in thefive major institutions (five major tasks) of society: family, church, school, marketplace, and government.

It is in these institutions that the next generation is born and raised; learns and applies transcendent truths; studies and is taught; where goods and services are produced and traded to meet physical needs; and where society applies physical force when necessary for the common good, the general welfare. We have also included trendline data on health. Even though it is not a basic institution (that is, essential to society’s ability to function), it is a major secondary institution, an emerging significant individual, family and social benefit.  This first edition starts with about one third of the full dataset that we will eventually provide. Completing this task will takeanother two years.

Next year (2012), we will provide an expanded set of trendlines, as well as an update on those provided in this first edition. By 2013, we hope to have a complete range of family-related trendlines. Thereafter, we intend to issue anupdated Report annually.We hope that this contribution from the Marriage and Religion Research Institute of the Family Research Council will be usefulfor all who are interested in the state of the family and how we as a nation conduct our family life.