Fertile Soil

In the natural world, change—however drastic—is accompanied by opportunity. Even the devastation of a wildfire or volcanic eruption creates the conditions for ecosystems to rebound and flourish. Ecologists tell us of certain trees in the Western United States whose seeds can only germinate in the conditions following a forest fire, or of the soil “reset” that accompanies a landslide or heavy flooding. In nature, change—even change that is threatening or catastrophic for an existing system—is a powerful cultivator of life.

In this sense, for all the seeming loss of ground in evangelistic culture and practice, the Reviving Evangelism data indicate significant hope for the Christian community’s stewardship of the gospel message.

But flourishing in change requires adaptation. If American Christians can respond with agility to today’s challenges while retaining their core distinctiveness and message, the gospel will take root, no matter the culture’s trajectory. But if hard realities are ignored, it’s difficult to imagine evangelistic success in a culture no longer inclined to see faith as compelling or relevant.

In this chapter, we examine standout examples of that hope, and begin to consider how Christians can respond to an invitation to flourish and share faith in a new environment.

Demographics Aren’t Destiny, but Sometimes They Help

Demographic factors are many, but analysts note four of particular weight in this study: current faith, an urban setting, income level and generation. Because these factors change slowly (or not at all) for most individuals and communities, they represent a unique strategic opportunity for gospel-sharing also to evolve slowly.

Religious Non-Christians

The greatest sense of being on a spiritual quest is found among currentlypracticing religious non-Christians—a group consisting primarily of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists—and those who were raised in those faiths but are not currently religious. Two-thirds of respondents connected to a religion other than Christianity indicate some level of spiritual hunger (68%). That’s less than the three-quarters of practicing Christians who say so (77%), but significantly more than the three in 10 lapsed Christians and religiously unaffiliated non-Christians (29%) who say they are on such a quest.

This signal of openness is an opportunity. Getting to know neighbors or co-workers who come from non-Christian religious backgrounds introduces Christians to people different from them but who share a higher-than-average interest in spirituality. As we’ve seen, Millennials are more likely to already have such friendships, compared with older Christians—so Gen X, Boomer and Elder believers may need to step out of their everyday zone of comfort to establish new relationships.

Christian leaders, such as local pastors, might consider building positive relationships with leaders of other religious communities and even joining forces with them to serve shared neighborhoods. Spiritual hunger is contagious, so cultivating an ethos of spiritual questing across faith communities could have a snowball effect to produce opportunities for gospel engagement.

Urban Dwellers

As noted earlier, adults in urban environments tend to exhibit higher levels of spiritual hunger and general openness to evangelistic methods, compared to people in the suburbs, small towns or rural settings. Whatever the reasons for this “urban openness,” it constitutes an opportunity for Christians in high-density and high-diversity communities to consider how to respond with gospel intention. Does your church community reflect the diversity of age, ethnicity and gender in your neighborhood? If not, why not? What can you do differently to connect with people who surround you on a daily basis?

Christians who are not urban dwellers must do some soul-searching, as well. What about city living can kindle spiritual interest? What might be done in your suburb or small town to create similar dynamics?

The data indicate, generally speaking, higher spiritual hunger among ethnic minorities than among white adults. There is some crossover here between ethnicity and urban living—though, obviously, many people of color live in suburbs and rural areas, and many white people live in cities. But it is worth considering how greater ethnic diversity might raise the spiritual temperature of a given community.

People with Low Income

Adults who report an annual household income of less than $50K seem to be more aware of their spiritual hunger than those who earn more, regardless of ethnicity. Certainly they are more likely to agree that they have “unanswered spiritual questions” and that “something feels missing from my life”.

Christianity’s message of hope has always uniquely impacted the poor, and the high level of spiritual openness among lower-income Americans constitutes a real invitation. Amid cultural prejudice against and frequent marginalization of the poor and disadvantaged, Christianity stresses the inestimable value and shared humanity of all persons, and beckons them all to a kingdom where the last will be first—a kingdom that poor people often seem to yearn for more deeply than their richer neighbors.

But sharing good news with the poor is not only good for the poor. As Barna found in research among UK and US adults, published in Christians Who Make a Difference, caring for people in poverty strongly correlates to deeper discipleship engagement. Churchgoers who prioritize care for and action on behalf of poor people also love Jesus, trust the scriptures, seek to honor God with their lives and want to share their faith with others.

Young Adults

Asked to rate their agreement with the statements “I experience a general sense of emptiness” and “I often feel rejected,” younger Americans are more apt than older adults to agree. There are little or no drastic differences between Millennial and older nonChristians when it comes to spiritual hunger and experiences— but on the question of feelings of emptiness and rejection, many young people, in contrast to older adults, clearly sense something is wrong. It is more common for them to admit experiencing some kind of relational struggle or inward discontent.

While it may seem heartless to welcome their inner emptiness, it’s unavoidably true that really, deeply feeling one’s spiritual need can open a door to meaningful conversation and an encounter with Jesus. Hurting, restless people find healing and rest in him—and it helps if they’re looking. Many young adults, simply by virtue of being young, are more likely than older people to be in a “searching season” of life—for identity, for better answers—and therefore more open to change or transformation.

Good Conversation Makes People Hungry for More

Researchers asked people how many conversations about faith they have had in the past year, and discovered something interesting: A higher number of faith conversations correlates with a greater level of openness to exploring faith. Those who report having no conversations about spiritual matters are far more likely to say they would choose none of the possible avenues for faith exploration, while people who have had even a single conversation are more likely to choose another option.

It could be that bringing a spiritual element into secularized spaces is refreshing, giving people language to better name a struggle or experience. To use the example of meditation-turned-mindfulness, a non-Christian who senses there is something more happening when they quiet themselves may be surprised to learn there is a rich Christian tradition of meditation that names their experience in a richer and more holistic way than mere “mindfulness.” They may leave the conversation with a new level of curiosity, respect and openness—and feeling validated in their spiritual experience by a Christian.

On that point, it’s vital for Christians to remember there are two sides to every conversation. Listening to and expressing empathy for non-Christians’ experiences will help to ensure spiritual conversation has a lasting and positive impact.

Headwinds: Challenges For Evangelism

Barna highly values “seeing the whole” picture. A variety of factors has changed the landscape of evangelism, making it more complicated to share faith in Jesus with others. Here are some of the trends that constrain faith-sharing. (On the next page, you’ll find unexpected shifts that empower the possibility of effective evangelism.)

Secular Rising

The increasing secular environment includes more religiously unaffiliated adults, especially among Millennials and Gen Z. Relatedly, we see a “secularizing the sacred” trend, which means religious language and meaning are being yanked from their sacred roots and grafted onto secular pursuits.

Belief in the Self

The vast majority of adults believes you find “truth” by looking inside yourself. In other words, people are shifting from external sources of authority—such as the Bible, the truth claims of Jesus and so on—to internal sources of authority.

Stay in Your Lane

More than four out of five Americans say one shouldn’t criticize the life choices of others. So spiritual conversations—like telling someone they are in desperate, existential need of a Savior—face stiffer-than-ever social pressure not to offend.

Conversion = Extremism

In a lot of ways, attitudes toward Christianity are moving from being perceived as merely irrelevant to being viewed as extremist. For instance, three out of five adults (and 83% of non-Christians) believe trying to convert another person to their own faith is an example of religious extremism.

Bad Religion

Negative perceptions of Christianity are more entrenched in the general population— especially among non-Christians, and even more so among young non-Christians. Whether it’s science vs. faith, a badly articulated position on sexuality or fallout from sex and abuse scandals, non-Christians can take their pick of reasons to write off the faith.

Skepticism of Sincerity

In the post-truth age, people are increasingly skeptical of sincerity and of certainty. Claims of fake news, spin and gloss make it harder to communicate heart to heart. Being earnest— really, really trying to convey a message from our deepest convictions—generates suspicion and, ironically, seems to lack credibility and authenticity.

Outsourcing Evangelism

Increasing numbers of Christians believe it is the responsibility of the local church—not their own job—to do the work of faith-sharing. In other words, the heavy lifting of spiritual conversations is being outsourced.

Conversational Barriers

Evangelicals have the highest self-reported levels of conversational barriers; that is, they struggle to have natural and normal conversations with people who are very different from themselves. Christians who are committed to sharing the good news of Jesus ought to be good at these kinds of conversations.

Not-So-Great Commission?

One of Barna’s most surprising findings of recent years is the fact that 51% of Christian churchgoers say they have never heard of the concept of the Great Commission, reflecting a huge gap in awareness of one of the fundamental callings of every Christian: to make disciples.

Additional reading on these trends can be found in Spiritual Conversations in the Digital Age, produced in partnership with Lutheran Hour Ministries; Translating the Great Commission, conducted in conjunction with Seed Company; and Good Faith: Being a Christian When Society Thinks You’re Irrelevant and Extreme by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons.