Some sobering research from the Francis Shaeffer Institute

Research Conducted between 1996 and 2001:
· Eighty-three percent (83%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said their people were content in their Christian faith.
· Eighty-one percent (81%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said they had no regular or effective discipleship program or effort to mentor their people at their church.
· Eighty-one percent (81%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said there was no primary teaching from the pulpit to challenge or deepen their people’s Christian formation (spiritual growth and biblical application) at their church.
· Seventy-eight percent (78%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said they either are or will focus on new trends or ideas to try fix something they feel is not working right. Seventy percent (70%) stated this is where their primary time is spent, whereas only 22% of those sought answers for their church problems from God’s Word, good theological sources, or going to more trained and experienced pastors for advice.
· Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that more than 70% of their congregation members do not assess their spiritual journey or have a means to effectively examine their spiritual lives, such as a mentor or pastor to talk with.
· Sixty-eight percent (68%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that more than 68% of their congregational members are not in an accountability or small group.
· Sixty-seven percent (67%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said there is no significant effort from the leadership to be devoted, as a church, to spiritual growth. Most think this is to be from the pulpit only and/or in the privacy of the member’s home.
· Sixty-two percent (62%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said there was little to no effort in teaching spiritual maturity or Christian formation from the small groups, such as doctrine, prayer, and/or essentials of growing in Christ.
· Sixty-one percent (61%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that their duty as leaders was first to pursue their faith, or else placed it as a significant factor.
Research Conducted between 2002 and 2007:
· Sixty-percent (60%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that more than 60% of their congregational members do not have an accurate view of biblical truths.
· Sixty-percent (60%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that more than 60% of their congregational members do not have an accurate view of their personal spiritual growth. They believe they are growing, but put little to no effort into their growth. Thus, their feelings are in contradiction to fact as perceived by the pastors.
· Fifty-six percent (56%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that more than 60% of their congregational members consider themselves as conservative Christians but do not practice that in how they talk, behave, or vote in elections.
· Fifty-four percent (54%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said there was a little to no effort put into teaching spiritual maturity or Christian formation in the adult Sunday school classes or small groups.
· Fifty-three percent (53%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that more than 60% of their congregation members do not have a daily devotional life nor are devoted to growing their spiritual lives.
· Forty-three percent (43%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said they are now or will be focusing on new trends that are not Bible-based, seeking to try something new because they are dissatisfied with what has been done before.
· Forty-one percent (41%) of the church leaders and pastors surveyed said that spiritual growth was a prime factor in their leadership selection and training.