A new book published by Barna Group aims to help Christians who think they are too busy to make disciples or who don’t know where to start.
Written in partnership with The Navigators, the book, titled Growing Together: A Three-Part Guide to Following Jesus and Bringing Friends Along the Wayreveals that two in five Christians (39%) are not engaged in discipleship.
“More than half of Christians believe that their faith is entirely private. But according to Barna’s research, spirituality loves company – and going alone means missing out on greater fulfillment in faith and friendship,” a description of the report reads.
“Jesus modeled a powerfully different approach, one in which Christianity is practiced and deepened in community. In today’s society this may seem like a difficult task, but you are not alone in this journey.
The guide examines three areas of discipleship: “How Discipleship Can Transform Your Life,” “What Everyday Discipleship Can Look Like,” and “Why You’re More Ready Than You Think to Make Disciples.” »
Barna Group also analyzed data from two surveys for the guide. The first survey of 2,930 adults living in the United States was conducted between June 1 and July 4, 2020 and had a margin of error of +/-1.5 percentage points. The other survey, based on responses from 2,511 self-identified Christian adults, was conducted between December 22, 2020 and January 18, 2021 and had a margin of error of +/-1.8 percentage points.
Barna developed the research results into a article published on its website last week. Among the many findings included in the report, Barna revealed that a third of Christians (33%) are classified as disciple-makers, meaning they “actively help someone else grow in the faith while drawing closer to Christ themselves alongside the person they guide.” .”
In his research, Barna found that 7 percent of Christians said a lack of time deterred them and made them unable to become disciples.
“It’s no secret that our lives are often busy and distracted. So, lack of time and competing daily priorities may seem like obvious obstacles to developing a community of disciples. However, (most) Christians do not view lack of time as a huge obstacle to their discipleship,” according to Barna.
The Barna Group’s research also found that while some Christians appear to value their time to the point of not finding time to engage in discipleship, Christians who take time for discipleship “often want the time invested in discipleship is seen as a meaningful addition. »
Barna Group added that one in three Christians interested in discipleship are concerned about “how to keep things engaging in the long term” (33%) or how to prioritize discipleship over time. light of all the other things going on in their lives (33%). 32%).
While training others through community is a biblical command of Jesus found in Matthew 28:19The Barna Group study found that those who struggle most to make time for Christian community are those who engage in discipleship by receiving and giving discipleship in their relationships, because their pace of life is considered very busy.
“They actively prioritize this spiritual exchange in their busy schedules, which isn’t easy but, as research has shown us, produces deep rewards», adds the Barna group. “These disciples and disciple-makers are more likely than other Christians to experience the difficulty of prioritizing spiritual growth and friendship in their busy lives – but that doesn’t stop them.”
“This is a key lesson in realizing the call of daily discipleship: those who experience a community of discipleship have or will make the time. Or maybe even reimagine or divide that time! Barna’s findings suggest that the deciding factor is not who has hours in the day, but who is willing to creatively engage with the hours they have to grow in their faith and become skilled or equipped to help others grow as well.
Nicole Alcindor is a journalist for The Christian Post.
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