State of the church 2020 - Barna- Finding God in Religion

State of the church 2020 – Barna

It’s always interesting to check out surveys on American Christianity. They generally have conflicting results. Sometimes the results of individual questions conflict with each other. Sometimes the answers seem to conflict with what I’d expect to see from a survey of Christians.

But oftentimes, as with this one, there’s just not enough information to draw good conclusions. One of the common issues is the lack of differentiation between people who call themselves Christians and those who not only attend church regularly but also honestly try to live a Christian life patterned after Jesus’ teachings and His example.

Of course, this is going to happen. People self-describe and put themselves into categories. But then, sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough categories. Like when church attendance is counted if it’s only Easter and Christmas. Yes, that’s better than nothing. And yet, when it comes to following Jesus, twice a year church isn’t much of an opportunity to learn about Jesus.

And so, I will end up asking lot’s of questions. Questions where you, the reader, can – and hopefully will – do your own self-examination. Answer the questions. See if changes are needed. Hint – Christianity is a transformative process. Changes are always needed. Growth is always possible. Becoming more Christ-like is always available to us.

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