First release of State of the Church study has surprising findings, researchers say

The Barna Group and Gloo have released the first installment of research from its State of the Church initiative. The release, titled “What Christians Really Believe,” explores key trends that influence how Christians live out their faith in daily life.

“Some of the findings from this research are very surprising,” said Brad Hill, chief solutions officer and head of Initiatives for Gloo. “Pastors, be encouraged. Many of those in our churches may have more stability than we think, in areas like faith sharing, belief in prayer and a desire to contribute to the church’s priorities. As leaders engage with this new research and grow in curiosity, Gloo will be serving them with new tools to let them discover the state of their own church and receive practical recommendations on what to do next.”

Among the key findings:

• Although 43 percent of practicing Christians strongly disagree that morality changes with society, a surprising 21 percent strongly agree with the statement.
• Practicing Christians differ from non-practicing Christians on whether God hears prayers.
• Millennial practicing Christians strongly agree (59 percent) that they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, compared to 55 percent of Gen X and 46 percent of boomers.
• Ex-Christians aren’t the only ones deconstructing faith — two of five Christians say they already have undergone the process.
• A majority of Christians (57 percent) want to help the church change its priorities to be what Jesus intended.

READ: Most evangelical Christians feel unequipped to share their faith, survey finds

“The cultural landscape is changing so quickly, and modern ministry leaders need ways to stay current on what’s happening,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. “This first release, focused on understanding what’s on the hearts and minds of Christians, marks a new approach to making research more accessible. When leaders can see clearly, they can lead more faithfully and confidently through every season.”

This initial release will be followed by monthly releases in the State of the Church Initiative and is aimed at helping church leaders better know and understand Christian mindsets.

–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice