Exegeting The Culture:

Preaching for Conversion

The Church is Negative, Judgmental, and Political      

The Church Restricts and Oppresses Women     

The Church is Homophobic     Christians Arrogantly Think All Other Religions

Are Wrong      The Church is Full of Christian Fundamentalists

Who Take the Whole Bible Literally

Dan Kimball – The Like Jesus But Not the Church

Formerly Unchurched Views 353 Persons Interviewed – defined as

persons who for all or larger portion of their lives were not in a church but became active in within the last 2 years.

“Effective” vs. “Comparison” churches: At least 26 conversion per year, and membership/conversion ratio of 20:1 (only 4% of U.S. churches); national norm 85:1.

Surprising Insights From The Unchurched, Tom Rainer, Zondervan, 2001.

Formerly Unchurched

Views

Formerly Unchurched Views

Formerly Unchurched

Views

Formerly Unchurched Views

Percent Rating “Extremely Important”

Formerly Unchurched Views

Formerly Unchurched Views

Formerly Unchurched Views

“If there was a single characteristic that separated the pastors of effective churches from other pastors, it was the issue of accountability in personal evangelism” Rainer, p. 162

The Unchurched Next Door – Thomas Rainer

306 Interviews across wide spectrum

U5 Antagonistic 5%

U4 Resistant 21%

U3 Neutral 36%

U2 Friendly 27%

U1 Very Friendly 11%

Rainer Unchurched Scale

From Unchurched Next Door

Belief among the Unchurchedin the Existence of Heaven

Believe heaven exists 79%

Do not believe heaven exists 13%

Don’t know/other 8%

Do You Believe in the Existence of Hell?

Yes No Don’t Know/Other

U1 96% 4% 0%

U2 82% 6% 12%

U3 70% 21% 9%

U4 51% 41% 8%

U5 20% 67% 13%

All 70% 21% 9%

UnChurched

What Is Your View of the Bible?God’s Word/

Totally Truthful Some Truth Myth Don’t Know

U1 55% 33% 0% 12%U2 43% 41% 2% 14%U3 24% 55% 1% 20%U4 10% 51% 14% 25%U5 0% 40% 33% 27%All 30% 46% 5% 19%

Unchurched – 9 out of 10 U1 & U2’s would attend a Bible study if someone invited them.

Percentage Would Come To

Church If Invited

Very Likely Somewhat Likely Total

U1 56% 45% 97%

U2 46% 51% 97%

U3 23% 63% 86%

U4 17% 45% 62%

U5 0% 20% 20%

More than 8 out of 10 of All Unchurched said they would come if someone invited them.

Percentage Would Come To

Church If Invited

Very Likely Somewhat Likely Total

U1 56% 45% 97%

U2 46% 51% 97%

U3 23% 63% 86%

U4 17% 45% 62%

U5 0% 20% 20%

More than 8 out of 10 of All Unchurched said they would come if someone invited them.

“We talk about a bunch of stuff. But I have never heard them say anything about their church, God, or anything religious. Why is that? If church matters so much to them, why don’t they ever say it?”

What words are used of Christians in our

culture?

What words are used of Christians in our culture?

Judgmental

Generation Age in 2007Percent of generation who are outsiders to Christianity

Size of this segment in the United States

Adults Mosaics & Busters

Ages 18-41 37% 34 million

Older Mosaics & Young Busters*

Ages 16-29 40% 24 million

Boomer Ages 42-60 27% 21 million

Elders Ages 61+ 23% 12 million

The Outsiders - A Growing Part of Our Society

*This book focuses on the sixteen- to twenty-nine-year- old segment, that is, the leading edge of the Mosaic generation and the trailing half

of the Buster cohort.

How Outsiders Perceive Evangelicals and Born-Again Christians

Percent of outsiders, ages 16-29 (N* = 440)

Christianity Evangelical Christians

Born-Again Christians

Know of/Aware of NA 57% 86%

Have a bad impression** 38% 49% 35%

Have a neutral impression**

45% 48% 55%

Have a good impression** 16% 3% 10%

* Sample size **percent of those aware of each group

Favorable Image A lot A lot or some

Teaches same basic idea as other religions 28% 82%

Has good values and principles 26% 76%

Friendly 18% 71%

A faith you respect 16% 55%

Consistently shows love for other people 16% 55%

Offers hope for the future 19% 54%

People you trust 9% 52%

Seems genuine and real 11% 41%

Something that makes sense 9% 41%

Relevant to your life 10% 30%

Survey of outsiders, ages 16-29

Few Young Outsiders See a Difference in Christian Lifestyles

The Priority of Being a Good PersonQuestion: What would you say are the two or three most

important priorities for Christians to pursue in terms of their faith?

Born-again Christians

Lifestyle - doing the right thing, being good, not sinning 37%Discipleship - learning about Christ, learning about the Bible 31%

Evangelism - explaining/ sharing your faith, leading people to Christ

25%

Worship - worshiping God, singing 25%Relationships - loving others, making and keeping friends 23%Service - helping others, helping the poor, serving people 18%Stewardship -giving money, time or resources to others 4%Family faith - discipling your children, shaping family faith 1%other 2%not sure 10%

Young Christians Do Things Their WayBorn-again Busters(23-41)

Born-again older adults (42+)

Percent who believe each is morally acceptable

Cohabitation 59% 33%

Gambling 58% 38%

Sexual thoughts of fantasies about someone 57% 35%

Sex outside of marriage 44% 23%

Using profanity 37% 17%

Getting drunk 35% 13%

Looking at pictures of nudity or explicit sexual behavior 33% 19%

Having an abortion 32% 27%

Having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex 28% 13%

Using drugs not prescribed for you 16% 8%

Allowing the “f-word” on broadcast television 7% 6%

Wide but Not Deep - Americans’ Commitment to

Christianity

A Loving Church?Christian churches accept and love people unconditionally,

regardless of how people look or what they do (pastors, N = 613; adults, N = 1007).

Percent who strongly agree

Pastors 76%

Born-again Christians 47%

Christian churchgoers 41%

Outsiders (all ages) 20%

Mosaics and Busters- More Skeptical That Churches Are Loving Environments

Percent who disagree

Why do you think this is so?

More Advice from the Unchurched

In light of this information:

What are some of the “threats” Christianity faces today?

What are some of the opportunities God is affording us as well?