George Barna

Barna gives some good factual information (as usual), but goes too far to negate the Biblical mandate for a local church. He ignores all the work of the Apostle Paul in establishing local churches and the Bibles clear guidance on church leadership (Pastors, deacons, etc.). I understand and am also of the opinion that we have deviated from our first-century example and have gone too far down the road of institutionalism and building projects, but that does not afford us the right to show more disassemble what God has established. In Barna's Revolution, "churches" would exist as Bible studies or small groups of people that get together every so often for fellowship. While these are good, biblical things, they are not a church. A church will have indiviuals called to be pastors, deacons, overseers, or elders as to execute and lead the functions of the church.

Overall, some good research and statistics, but severely lacking in a Biblical church backbone. show less

Analysis, discussion, and assessment of those in America who do not attend or associate with churches based on recent Barna research.

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 a good number believe in Christianity. As the research shows well most are not very well trained in Christianity, its worldview or ethics, although the same was true for many who associate with show more churches.

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. show less

We live in changing times. What does it all mean? How far have we come? All of these questions ultimately lead to a rather big question: where is it all headed?

Even in seemingly less transitional periods in history, mankind has always sought to know what will happen in the future. While it is foolish to attempt to make grand declarations about the nature of the future, it is possible to get a glimpse of what might be based upon current trends-- and this is what George Barna attempts to do in show more Futurecast: What Today's Trends Mean for Tomorrow's World. He uses the data obtained by Barna studies over the past few years to chart the ideas, attitudes, and behavioral patterns of Americans of all ages, and based upon the trends that exist today, seeks to present a plausible picture of the types of attitudes that will be prevalent over the next few decades.

The book begins with more "secular" themes, describing current trends regarding lifestyle, family, attitudes, values, media, technology, and the like. Most of what is described in this section would be intuitive for a lot of people: expectation of greater use of online and electronic media; growing diversity in lifestyles and choices and the acceptance thereof; weakening commitments to the concept of absolute truth, let alone morality. One sobering statistic: 15% of polled teenagers believe that there is such a thing as absolute truth. That means that 85% have bought in to the relativist/postmodernist view of truth to some extent-- and that will impact the future!

One trend that made sense when I heard it yet with which I was not as familiar was the growing acceptance of mediocrity in work on account of the emphasis on process. In Barna's designation I am on the tail end of the "Busters," and my children are all "Digitals." The "Mosaic" generation in between has been greatly impacted by the emphasis on self-esteem, effort, and process irrespective of accomplished result (as well described in "How To Land Your Kid in Therapy", by Lori Gottlieb, The Atlantic July/August 2011: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/how-to-land-your-kid-in-ther.... For this generation overall, value is placed more on process and collaboration than excellence in the final product. It was interesting to me since I am not that old but still feel the disconnect between the drive for excellence with which I was raised and in which I was cultured versus this new trend-- a microcosm of the daunting challenge of different generations attempting to come to an understanding with each other.

The second half of the book focuses more on the "spiritual" side: religious beliefs, religious practice, and institutional faith. Everything described in this section is consistent with what one would hear in other books by Barna and other books of this genre: a majority profess Christianity while a small minority gets anywhere near to a Biblical worldview (reckoned at less than 5%, and less than .5% of teenagers) and having a faith that really impacts their life; people have stronger belief in God, Jesus, and the Bible than in churches and ecclesiastical institutions; mainline Protestantism is in decline at the expense of evangelicals, especially charismatics, and the drive toward less institutional forms of religiosity and toward more "organic" and "spiritually meaningful" associations and groups. Barna's prejudice toward house churches is present although would likely be missed by people who have not read previous books by him.

The book concludes with chapters describing the projected demographic profile of America in the first half of this century along with a conclusion intended to spur the reader to action: these trends exist today but they are not dictators. The trends can be redirected.

It is a nice, hopeful conclusion, and I share in Barna's view that the best way to see transformation is when people submit to Jesus our Lord and prove willing to accomplish spiritual transformation through their obedience to Christ and the strength which He supplies toward believers.

Barna is Evangelical, and a fan of the house churches, and so the appropriate warnings about faith only and whatnot apply; likewise, he peculiarly emphasizes the idea that all spiritual gifts must be supernatural in nature, an emphasis that does not seem to be all that necessary. Yes, God gives people abilities, but that need not be supernatural-- we all find ourselves to be talented in various ways, and since God has made us, those more "natural" abilities are as much gifts from God as anything "supernatural" which He could bestow. There are also hints at many points in the book exemplifying connections between faithfulness and a certain conservative political affiliation and view of America, which is also not at all necessary.

This book is highly recommended for all who want to have an impact on the future toward the advancement of the glory of our Lord Jesus inasmuch as Barna, in my view, accurately describes much of the current condition of things and where it is likely to be headed. And, faithful to my generation, I will say that the trends "are what they are." They can be lamented and they can be decried; there would be sufficient reason for either or both. But what good will lamenting and decrying them do? Better to understand the situation on the ground so as to develop ways of communicating with people with radically different worldviews to persuade them that their worldview is insufficient and does not make the best sense of all the evidence at our disposal. Working to challenge ideas and to persuade men regarding Jesus the Christ and obedience to Him, consistent with 2 Corinthians 5:11 and 10:5, will be more effective to advance the Kingdom and God's purposes than yelling, screaming, and attempting to dogmatically assert the ideologies of a bygone era. Yet all of this must begin by being informed of the situation-- and for this, Barna's book is quite helpful.

*--book received as part of early review program show less

I have consulted the various survey reports released by The Barna Group over the past few years, so when a friend recommended this book to me, I was initially excited. In the end, I was disappointed with Barna's argument. On the surface, Barna plays much too fast-and-loose with the notion that the local church is no longer a viable entity for supporting a vibrant Christian life. In the end, Barna asserts that such is not, in fact, his position, but throughout most of the book, he apparently show more wants readers to believe this is his position. Perhaps this "bait-and-switch" tactic is a marketing ploy. Perhaps it is simply bad writing. Not being Barna, I can't say. The real problem is this: regardless of how one views the local church, one must come to grips with the reality that an understanding of truth is generated in community. Left to ourselves, we find it too easy to view the world and our place within it in a way that simply confirms our beliefs or causes the fewest headaches. This community doesn't have to be the local church, but some such community is vitally important. Barna's book basically abandons any emphasis on community in order to pursue a Romantic, radically individualized approach to faith. While he asserts that one's faith must be in alignment with God's revelation through the Bible and the life of Christ, he simply fails to acknowledge the necessity of community in initiating and maintaining such alignment. show less