Do Churches Equip Christians to Share Faith?
By Movieguide® Contributor
A new study into the church revealed how effective pastors believe their sermons are and how well congregations are prepared to share their faith with their peers.
Barna’s study found that 95% of pastors believe they are effective at helping Christians grow over time. This is largely from their efforts to grow the faith of those new to the church and help young Christians develop a mature faith.
Disappointingly, however, most pastors feel they struggle to have an impact on those outside of their church. Only 40% of pastors felt good about their efforts to reach out to non-Christians, and even less (37%) believed they were effective at inviting non-Christians to become Christians.
This is concerning as half of all Christians feel a personal responsibility to share their faith with their peers, and yet their spiritual leaders are struggling to do so.
This lack of confidence impacts congregations, as 16% of churches do not offer formal training on sharing the gospel, and only half of the churches in America (48%) offer classes on sharing one’s faith.
Most pastors (74%) believe that their sermons are their main form of teaching on how to share Christianity. However, many nonbelievers are not receptive to sermon-like teachings.
Rather, the best way to approach a faith conversation with a nonbeliever is to listen well and build a meaningful relationship, Barna reports. In the current social climate, even nonbelievers are open to conversations about Jesus, but they need to be met with understanding and empathy in order to feel like the conversation was productive.
Unfortunately, non-Christians only feel like they were heard in a conversation about faith 43% of the time. While lay Christians are partially to blame, churches also need to help equip their congregation for these types of conversations.
Movieguide® previously reported:
According to a recent Barna poll, the majority of adults in the U.S. want to grow spiritually, and are open to this in a way they were not in the past.
The poll of 2,000 adults found that 74 percent of Americans say they “would like to grow spiritually,” while 44 percent say they are “more open to God today” than they were pre-pandemic. Additionally, 77 percent say they believe in God “or a higher power.”
David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna, said the research reveals a “tremendous opportunity for faith leaders.”
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
