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Churchless people are all around us: among our closest loved ones, at our workplaces, in our neighborhoods. And more and more, they are becoming the norm: The number of churchless adults in the US has grown by nearly one-third in the past decade. Yet the startling truth is that many of these people claim they are lookingfor a genuine, powerful encounter with God--but they just don't find it in church. What are they (or we) missing? How can we better reach out to them? What can we say or do that would inspire them to want to join a community of faith? Containing groundbreaking new research from the Barna Group, and edited by bestselling authors George Barna (Revolution) and David Kinnaman (You Lost Me), Churchlessreveals the results of a five-year study based on interviews with thousands of churchless men and women. Looking past the surface of church attendance to deeper spiritual realities, Churchlesswill help us understand those who choose not to be part of a church, build trust-based relationships with them, and be empowered to successfully invite them to engage.… (more)
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The research covers the "churched" and the "churchless." Most of the "churchless" at one point was associated with a church; most still maintain some belief in God
And then there are the sobering realities in the research. Proportionally most of the churchless are among the youth (Mosaics / Millennials); many are quite aware of the existence of the church but see no need to be a part of it. Relying on mass media approaches will not be very effective with those not associated with churches; then again, the smallest percentage ever polled would look to begin connecting with a church at its assembly. Service, personal contact, etc., are proving to be more likely entry points for the "churchless."
The problems are daunting; institutional loyalties are quite low and skepticism of institutions are quite high. Our culture's elevation of the individual and individualism has meant a corrosion in community and even the perceived need for community. One may want to condemn younger generations for "selfishness," but what if they look at church, ask, "is this worth my time?", and have no reason to say "yes"? Why should it be surprising in such circumstances, if they can find more productive and encouraging uses of their time, that they would not pursue them?
This book is a good clarion call for Christians to live the Christian faith, give people reasons to believe in Jesus and not reasons to stay away, to strive to be better known for what they are for and less about what they are against, and proclaim Christianity as a the challenging character trial it is supposed to be and not just another entertainment option to consume.