Rising Spiritual Openness in America

Body

“three out of four (74%) say they want to grow spiritually. Additionally, the same proportion (77%) say they believe in a higher power.” - Barna(link is external)

Discussion

Barna: Pastors Say They Often Preach on Church Unity—Christians Disagree

Body

“pastors and Christians differ in their opinions about the term [unity] as well. For pastors, words like ‘harmony’ (70%), ‘reconciliation’ (52%) and ‘sacrifice’ (41%) come to mind, while Christians tend to say ‘alliance’ (39%) or ‘sameness’ (31%).” - Barna(link is external)

Discussion

Barna: Does a Divided Public Look to Pastors for Guidance?

Body

“When thinking specifically about who can enact change, Americans are most likely to say this is up to individuals (48%) or raise their own hands (46%). … they look to the president of the United States (44%) and politicians (42%).” - Barna(link is external)

Discussion

Global Teens Share Their Perceptions of Jesus, the Bible & Justice

Body

“Most teenagers around the world have a positive perception of him. About half of all teens, across faith groups, describe Jesus as ‘loving’ (49%) and believe he offers hope to (46%) and cares about people (43%).” - Barna(link is external)

Discussion

Barna Research: The Deeply Personal Reasons People Give Financially

Body

“One of the most defining attributes of U.S. adults’ giving, it seems, is that it is local—indeed, nearly half (48%) say this true, while just 17 percent share that their giving is global. They lean toward describing their giving as proactive (47%) and private (42%), but are largely neutral (45%) on whether their giving could be called sacrificial or convenient. ” - Barna(link is external)

Discussion

Has church attendance by Millennials increased?

Body

“Although Millennials (and, emerging behind them, Gen Z) are known for declines in religiosity, data show that, since 2019, the percentage of Millennials reporting weekly church attendance has increased from 21 percent to 39 percent.” - Barna(link is external)

Discussion