by George Barna
Only 9 percent of all born-again adults have a biblical worldview—meaning that less than one out of every ten Christians age eighteen or older believes that absolute moral truth exists, believes that such truth is contained in the Bible, and possesses a handful of core beliefs that reflect such truth. Those beliefs include a certainty that the Bible is accurate in its teachings; Jesus lived a sinless life on earth; Satan is real, not symbolic; all believers are responsible for sharing their faith in Christ with others; the only means to salvation is through God’s grace; and God is the all-knowing and all-powerful creator of the universe who still rules it today. The other 91 percent of born-again adults possess a patchwork of theological views and rarely rely upon those perspectives to inform their daily decisions.
Although the typical believer contends that the Bible is accurate in what it teaches, he or she spends less time reading the Bible in a year than watching television, listening to music, reading other books and publications, or conversing about personal hobbies and leisure interests.
When asked what constitutes success in life, few believers define success in spiritual terms. Most describe outcomes related to professional achievement, family solidarity, physical accomplishments, or resource acquisition.
When given the opportunity to state how they want to be known by others, fewer than one out of ten believers mentioned descriptions that reflect their relationship with God.
Regarding Servanthood . . .
In a typical week, only one out of every four believers will allocate some time to serving other people. Most of that time is dedicated to volunteering in church programs that serve congregants; little effort is invested in serving needy people outside the congregation.
Most churched Christians admit to having seen homeless or hurting people in their community or travels during the past year; a very small percentage says they interacted with any of those disadvantaged individuals.
The typical believer would rather give money to an organization to allow it to do good deeds in society than personally assist in alleviating the needs of disadvantaged people.
Regarding Resource Investment . . .
Churched Christians give away an average of about 3 percent of their income in a typical year—and feel pleased at their “sacrificial” generosity.
Fewer than one out of every ten churched Christians donates at least 10 percent of their income to churches and other nonprofit organizations. (More than one-third claim to do so.)
When asked to explain their understanding of biblical stewardship, less than one out of every twenty includes resources such as time, relationships, ideas, or skills in their assessment.
Most believers are unable to identify anything specific they have ever donated money to that they would describe as producing life-changing outcomes.
Regarding Spiritual Friendships . . .
Fewer than one out of every six churched believers has a relationship with another believer through which spiritual accountability is provided.
The most significant influence on the choices of churched believers is neither teachings from the pulpit nor advice gleaned from fellow congregants; it is messages absorbed from the media, the law, and family members.
Regarding Family Faith . . .
A large majority of churched believers rely upon their church, rather than their family, to train their children to become spiritually mature.
In an average month, fewer than one out of every ten churched families worships together outside of a church service; just as few pray together, other than at mealtimes; and the same minimal numbers study the Bible together at home or work together to address the needs of disadvantaged people in their community.
The likelihood of a married couple who are born-again churchgoers getting divorced is the same as couples who are not disciples of Jesus.
Apart from church-based programs, the typical Christian family spends less than three hours per month in endeavors designed to jointly develop or apply their faith.
Most Christian parents do not believe they are doing a good job at facilitating the spiritual development of their children.
The Source of Hope
The point of this exercise is not to bash the local church. Christian churches have an incredible two-thousand-year legacy of pursuing God and faithfully doing His work. An extraordinary repository of life-changing results emanates from the work of churches. It is horrifying to imagine what the world would be like if the local church had not been present to represent Jesus in manifold ways. It is not a perfect group of people or a perfect institution; it is populated by sinners—like you and me—whom God dearly loves, despite our debased nature. And despite its faults and flaws, a spiritually healthy local church will always have a valid and valuable role within God’s Kingdom on earth.
The point here is simply to recognize that if we place all our hope in the local church, it is a misplaced hope. Many well-intentioned pastors promote this perspective by proclaiming, “The local church is the hope of the world.” Like most advertising slogans, this notion is emotionally appealing. The trouble is, the sentiment is not biblical. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the hope of the world. The local church is one mechanism that can be instrumental in bringing us closer to Him and helping us to be more like Him. But, as the research data clearly show, churches are not doing the job. If the local church is the hope of the world, then the world has no hope.
The Local Church
There is nothing inherently wrong with being involved in a local church. But realize that being part of a group that calls itself a “church” does not make you saved, holy, righteous, or godly any more than being in Yankee Stadium makes you a professional baseball player. Participating in church-based activities does not necessarily draw you closer to God or prepare you for a life that satisfies Him or enhances your existence. Being a member of a congregation does not make you spiritually righteous any more than being a member of the Democratic Party makes you a liberal wing nut.
Being in a right relationship with God and His people is what matters. Scripture teaches us that devoting your life to loving God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul is what honors Him. Being part of a local church may facilitate that. Or it might not.
Sadly, many people will label this view “blasphemy.” However, you should realize that the Bible neither describes nor promotes the local church as we know it today. Many centuries ago religious leaders created the prevalent form of “church” that is so widespread in our society to help people be better followers of Christ. But the local church many have come to cherish—the services, offices, programs, buildings, ceremonies—is neither biblical nor unbiblical. It is abiblical—that is, such an organization is not addressed in the Bible.
In fact, if you scour the Bible passages included at the beginning of chapter 3, you will find no allusions to or descriptions of a specific type of religious organization or spiritual form. The Bible does not rigidly define the corporate practices, rituals, or structures that must be embraced in order to have a proper church. It does, however, offer direction regarding the importance and integration of fundamental spiritual disciplines into one’s life. Sometimes we forget that the current forms of religious practice and community were developed hundreds of years ago, long after the Bible was written, in an attempt to help believers live more fulfilling Christian lives. We should keep in mind that what we call “church” is just one interpretation of how to develop and live a faith-centered life. We made it up. It may be healthy or helpful, but it is not sacrosanct.
The Revolution is not about eliminating, dismissing, or disparaging the local church. It is about building relationships, commitments, processes, and tools that enable us to be the God-lovers we were intended to be from the beginning of creation. Revolutionaries realize—sometimes very reluctantly—that the core issue isn’t whether or not one is involved in a local church, but whether or not one is connected to the body of believers in the pursuit of godliness and worship. Consequent
ly, the Revolution involves the remnant of believers who are obsessed with practicing the same seven passions that defined the early Church, in order to be agents of transformation in this world.
You see, it’s not about church. It’s about the Church—that is, the people who actively participate in the intentional advancement of God’s Kingdom in partnership with the Holy Spirit and other believers.
The Revolutionary Response
Our research indicates that Revolutionaries fill all points on the continuum of church involvement. Some are pastors or lay leaders in a church. Some are heavily involved in the activities of a church, even though they do not have a leadership position. Some Revolutionaries are more tangentially involved, irregularly attending but adding value when they do. Other Revolutionaries harbor no ill will toward churches but out of extreme frustration or disillusionment have developed alternative means of growing and serving that are distinct from local church efforts.
The Revolutionary mind-set is simple: Do whatever it takes to get closer to God and to help others to do the same. Obliterate any obstacle that prevents you from honoring God with every breath you take. Be such an outstanding example of the Christian faith that no one will question your heart or lifestyle—except those who see institutional survival as equally or more important than the alleged influence of the institution they defend.
Or, put more succinctly, the Revolution is about recognizing that we are not called to go to church. We are called to be the Church.
Chapter Five
Spiritual Transitions in the Making
CHANGE IS A NATURAL, positive, and irreplaceable part of growth. Leaders often remind us that what got us where we are is not the same stuff that will get us where we want to go, so we must change. Psychologists remind us that repeating the same behaviors merely generates the same outcomes, and therefore precludes rather than produces positive change. In other words, to grow, we must purposefully alter our routines and approaches. And the Bible is equally clear in telling us that God did not send Jesus to die so we might be comfortable and complacent, but so we might die to self, pick up our cross, and follow the way of the Master.
The spiritual Revolution that is gathering momentum and influence in America provides evidence of sweeping changes that are taking place today. Some of the most important trends that are reshaping our society relate to the shift in worldview, lifestyle, and expectations that characterize our two youngest generations: the Baby Busters and the Mosaics. In fact, I believe seven particular trends are leading to the New Church that will facilitate the moral and spiritual revolution that millions of us have been praying for over the past several decades.
What are those seven trends?
Trend #1: The Changing of the Guard
The two generations that contain people in their forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies—the Baby Boomers and the Builders—are slowly and painstakingly losing their grip on power in society. It is the two younger generations of Americans—the Baby Busters and the Mosaics—who inject energy into the economy, social institutions, and even the Church because they understand and embrace constant change and innovation. Over the coming decade, increasing numbers of these younger adults will ascend to positions of power and influence.
As a result of the passing of the torch, Busters (those born from 1965 through 1983) and Mosaics (born from 1984 to 2002) are altering the ways in which people relate to each other, the types of outcomes deemed desirable, the procedures used to achieve meaningful results, the values and beliefs that underlie critical decisions, and the role of technology in our lives. These same transitions are radically affecting how people perceive and practice their faith.
Trend #2: The Rise of a New View of Life
Philosophically, America is now a “postmodern” society. Postmodernism claims there are no moral absolutes—that is, truth is whatever you believe it to be. That kind of thinking suggests that good citizenship requires tolerance of all points of view and behavioral preferences. The postmodern philosophy also proclaims that the most important element in life is your relationships; that the processes you engage in are more significant than the product of those procedures, which is a “means justify the ends” perspective; and that the most appropriate route to influence is through dialogue, not monologue or the imposition of one’s beliefs or approaches upon others.
This shift into a live-and-let-live philosophy affects every dimension of our lives, including the ways in which we understand and practice Christianity. Obviously, some of the central elements of this spreading philosophy—such as its rejection of absolute moral truth—are at odds with being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Other core principles, such as the emphasis on relationships, are consistent with the teachings of the Lord. The threat to the Church lies in the fact that surprisingly few Americans are sufficiently reflective about the implications of this shift to critically assess its pros and cons—and to know when it is important to take a stand against the encroachment of unbiblical principles.
Trend #3: Dismissing the Irrelevant
One of the legacies of the Baby Boomer generation is the unwillingness to put up with irrelevance. Boomers are infamous for demanding excellence in everything they encounter. Entities that fail to live up to the standards of our largest and richest generation are quickly dismissed.
The post-Boomer crowd has mutated that perspective. Excellence is less meaningful to them because it sometimes reflects the slickness of exploitation and manipulation. The pet peeve of the younger generations is irrelevance: they quickly abandon anything that is not wholly germane to their personal passions. They have significantly altered expectations and lifestyles through their demand that things foster shared experience and be “real,” adventuresome, and memorable. They have little patience for anything based on tradition, customs, ease, or social acceptability. If they do not immediately sense the relevance of something, they dismiss it out of hand and move on to the next alternative. Remember, in a culture where the individual is king and there are no absolute moral truths, exercising choice without limitations is a cherished right.
Trend #4: The Impact of Technology
Few of our daily experiences have remained outside the influence of the technologies introduced in the past twenty years. Communications, medicine, information dissemination and storage, education, farming, athletics, music and art—you name it and the chances are high that it has been seriously affected by technology in recent years. And that includes the faith dimension, too.
Among the most overt effects on church life have been applications such as the widespread embrace of large-screen projection systems for worship and teaching events; the use of video technology for multisite ministry; satellite delivery of ministry training; the ubiquity of religious conversation in the media (including the Internet); congregations’ reliance on websites for disseminating ministry information; the use of computers, the Internet, and e-mail for gathering facts that are woven into religious teaching; the enhanced visual design evident in church publications and presentations; and the superior musical experiences provided through the use of downloadable files and performances using “smart” instruments.
The implications of this advanced technology in relation to ministry include the reshaping of the marketplace, the reorientation of community into new forms and relationships, the expectation of finding ministry resources that respond directly to both felt and real needs, a heightened awareness of global faith conditions and opportunities, and the desire to be part of a worldwide Church with localized applications.
Trend #5: Genuine Relationships
Busters and Mosaics place a much higher premium on genuine personal relationships than do their predecessors. They are not necessarily more adept at this process. But they certainly pursue meaningful relationships rather than passing acquaintances, and they are more likely to invest themselves in the messiness of other people’s issues than to pass along superficial advice. They devote a greater share of their time each day
to keeping up those bonds. They are, in the vernacular, “people people.”
As Busters and Mosaics wield their increasing influence in the development of media content, institutional behavioral patterns, the reshaping of societal customs, and accepted notions regarding relational activity, we are becoming a society increasingly focused on personal authenticity rather than excellence in performance. As the years go by, the balance of excellence and authenticity will gradually shift to the latter. In ministry and other areas, we will emphasize personal stories and experience instead of principles and commands. We will show a growing appreciation for leaders who operate within a team context rather than those who exhibit charisma and dynamism as captivating solo practitioners. Organizations that demonstrate inclusiveness will grab our allegiance over those that are perceived to be narrow or judgmental.
Trend #6: Participation in Reality
Americans are known for being hands-on, entrepreneurial people. With the proliferation of technology, the rise of women in positions of marketplace leadership, and the educational emphasis upon the practical rather than the conceptual, people expect to be active and creative participants in developing the reality of their experience. Fewer and fewer people are willing to sit back and endure what the world throws at them; rather, they are seeking the means to exert greater control over their lives. As time goes on, people are paying more attention to the outcomes their efforts generate and are constantly refining their activity to generate more personally satisfying results.
