Just how important are key faith practices in modern-day United
States?
The church always has emphasized several key faith practices
– worshiping God, sharing the gospel, living a Christlike life, meeting
needs.
Just how important are key faith practices in modern-day United
States?
The church always has emphasized several key faith practices
– worshiping God, sharing the gospel, living a Christlike life, meeting
needs.
But are church members prioritizing those foundational practices
in their own lives?
A recent Barna Research Group study suggests there still is
plenty of work to do in that area. The study asked persons about the importance
of several foundational faith practices.
Overall, worship ranks as the most important faith practice,
the survey indicates. Indeed, 75 percent of adults surveyed ranks worship as
“very important.” That compares to 94 percent of born again Christians
and 92 percent of persons who attend Christian church regularly who say the
same.
That is the good news. The not-so-good news is that many people
fail to have regular positive worship experiences.
Overall, one-third of church attenders say they always experience
Gods presence or interact with him at church. Another one-third say that
happens often. The remaining one-third claim to have such an experience less
frequently.
Fault lies with both the church – and the worshiper, said
George Barna, founder of the California-based research group that conducted
the recent study.
A church inadvertently may hinder worship in a number of ways,
Barna noted. For instance, a church may fail to eliminate distractions, such
as those that may come in the way late arrivals are seated. A church also may
present a disjointed service, perhaps interrupting the flow with program and
event announcements that could be handled elsewhere.
Also, a church must be sure to make the preaching or teaching
portion of the service an extension of the worship experience – rather
than just a means of instruction, Barna said.
However, failure to experience true worship and the presence
of God also comes from a lack of preparation on the part of the worshiper, Barna
suggested. He noted the recent study discovered only four out of 10 adults claim
always to attend church after having prepared themselves for worship.
Similarly, many persons see worship as just a special weekend
activity – not a daily exercise, Barna noted.
However, worship is not something one can turn on and off at
will, he stressed. “Without giving themselves time to clear their minds
and hearts of their daily distractions and other problems, many people attend
a worship event but never enter a worshipful frame of mind,” Barna noted.
“A large share of churchgoers do not pray, meditate, confess or focus on
God prior to the start of a church worship event.
“One consequence is that they find it difficult to connect
with him spiritually. Having never been taught much about worship, they find
the inability to interact with God on a deeper level frustrating but dont
know what to do about it.”
Of course, an obvious answer is for persons to seize an opportunity
to learn about worship and worship preparation.
Unfortunately, not all persons – and not even all born
again Christians – emphasize learning about their faith.
Overall, 63 percent of adults say learning about their faith
is very important. That compares to 82 percent of born again Christians and
79 percent of persons who attend church regularly who give learning the same
emphasis.
What about other faith practices?
Overall, 59 percent of adults say it is very important
to experience moral and spiritual accountability. That compares to 77 percent
of born again Christians and 72 percent of regular churchgoers who say the same.
A slim majority (54 percent) of adults say serving the
needs of the poor is very important. In turn, 66 percent of born again Christians
and 67 percent of regular churchgoers agree.
Less than half of adults (44 percent) say sharing ones
faith with others is very important. Sixty-nine percent of born again Christians
and 61 percent of regular churchgoers agree.
About four in 10 persons (41 percent) say belonging
to a faith group is very important. This compares to 60 percent of born again
Christians and 61 percent of regular churchgoers.
Meeting with other people of faith is considered very
important by just 39 percent of adults, 59 percent of born again Christians
and 56 percent of regular churchgoers.
Just 39 percent of adults say it is very important to
donate time and money to the church. In turn, 59 percent of born again Christians
and 58 percent of churchgoers say the same.
What does all of that mean for a church already struggling
to counter the effects of modern culture?
For one thing, it means the church must find a way to educate
persons in the practices of faith and their importance.
It also means the church must find a way to tie faith to personal
lifestyle, so that even more Christians will feel a sense of accountability
for the way they live.
It means the church must do what it can to make evangelism
more of a personal priority among its members.
It means the church faces the task of convincing persons that
it is important to belong and be active in a faith group.
And it means the church – which is built on volunteer
gifts and involvement – absolutely must do a better job of teaching total
Christian stewardship.
In other words, it means challenge. Plenty of challenge.
