Have Barna’s Revolutionaries come to your town? By Jim L. Wilson.

Have Barna’s Have Barna’s Revolutionaries Revolutionaries

come to your come to your town?town?

By Jim L. Wilson

Have Barna’s Revolutionaries come to your town?

• The following findings come from an interactive article published in Leadership Network Advance (Issue #22 Mar. 30, 2006)

• The first 459 responses from 10,000 subscribers were tallied.

• Readers’ opinions were split on many of the issues.

• Only a small fraction of comments have been included in this summary.

http://www.pursuantgroup.com/leadnet/advance/mar06s2survey.htm

Majority of Advance readers are pastorsWhen Leadership Network asked: How do you describe yourself?

4%

11%

57%

31%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

viewed as a pastor or ministerin a local church

viewed mostly as a memberor lay leader in a local church

a devout follower of Christ, butnot aligned with a local church

in any way

other

The sum of all categories equals more than 100% because respondents could check more than one category

Included answers such as church staff, multiple roles, denominational or regional ministers, para-church leaders, retired, etc.

Advance readers are divided on whether there is an increase in the attitude that church is "optional"

36%

9%

33%

14%

9%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Strongly Agree

Agree

Not Sure

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Percentage of Responses

Tenet 1 from Barna's Revolution: RELATING TO A LOCAL CHURCH IS OPTIONAL FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRISTWhen asked: In my community, I am seeing an increase in the number of devout followers of Christ who believe that relating to a local church is optional.

Advance readers lean only slightly toward seeing broadened definition of worship

11%

37%

11%

31%

9%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Strongly Agree

Agree

Not Sure

Disagree

Strongly Disagree


Tenet 2 from Barna's Revolution: ATTENDING A WORSHIP SERVICE IS OPTIONAL FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.When asked: In my community, I am seeing an increase in the number of devout followers of Christ who view worship more as a lifestyle to live than a gathering to attend.

4%

14%

40%

33%

9%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Strongly Agree

Agree

Not Sure

Disagree

Strongly Disagree


Less than 3/4 of Advance readers observe a growing rejection of worship services

Tenet 3 from Barna's Revolution : ATTENDING A WORSHIP SERVICE WILL LIKELY BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.When asked: In my community, I am seeing an increase in the number of devout followers of Christ who view attendance at a worship service as detrimental to their walk as a follower of Christ.

Majority of Advance readers agree that churches have lost influence

22%

38%

8%

23%

10%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Strongly Agree

Agree

Not Sure

Disagree

Strongly Disagree


Tenet 4 of Barna's Revolution : LOCAL CHURCHES ARE INEFFECTIVE NOW AND WILL HAVE LESS INFLUENCE IN THE FUTURE.When asked: In my community, local churches appear to have less and less influence on our culture.

Advance readers are split over whether or not churches will be effective in the future

14%

25%

23%

27%

12%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Strongly Agree

Agree

Not Sure

Disagree

Strongly Disagree


Tenet 4 from Barna's Revolution: LOCAL CHURCHES ARE INEFFECTIVE NOW AND WILL HAVE LESS INFLUENCE IN THE FUTURE.

When asked: Local churches are likely to be less effective in the future than they are today.

• My faith is real, relevant and life-changing; but the church -- as of late -- is not. However, I believe community -- the real church -- is more important than ever.

• I am discovering a host of pastor/staff people in local churches who are re-careering and moving from the ''gathered church'' to the ''scattered church'' . . . due to apathy and unwillingness of existing members to change. I think the Revolution is already here!

Some Comments From Readers** Over 200 Advance readers offered comments; these represent only a fraction of readers’ opinions.

• A somewhat independent approach [to church] is surfacing. . . In today’s consumer culture . . . people want community, but on “my” terms.

• With the growth of house churches and cell churches, there is already a growing number of disciples outside of our building-centered institutions.


• Too many churches are run poorly with little or no leadership, a lot of laziness, and hardly any strategy at all for reaching & teaching people. The local church will change into what it needs to be -- it will not, however, go away.

• I am seeing an increase in people who believe their "spirituality" does not need to relate to a church. But I would not, nor would they, define their "spirituality" as Christian.


• If people are discontent with the way church is done then why not begin renewal within the local body. . . . Why not challenge the American Christian to be an instrument of ministry within the local body, instead of encouraging them to quit?

• The church has become more concerned with maintaining its machinery than its God-given birthright to change culture. The church has become irrelevant due to its inward focus and selfishness, and a failure of pastoral leadership to equip the saints . . . I welcome the Revolution -- where do I sign up?


Have Barna’s Revolutionaries come to your town? By Jim L. Wilson.

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