About half of the U.S. adult population is able to identify something in their spiritual life they would be willing to change, according to a new national survey by The Barna Group, of Ventura, Calif. Eight out of every nine adults (87percent) is able to identify an activity that they say brings them the greatest degree of spiritual satisfaction or fulfillment.

The most common effort was attending church services and events, which 23 percent named as the most fulfilling spiritual activity in their life. Half as many (12 percent) indicated that spending time with their family produces the greatest sense of spiritual satisfaction, while the same proportion (12 percent) mentioned any of a variety of creative and leisure endeavors.

Although most adults (62 percent) consider themselves to be “deeply spiritual,” nearly half of the public (46 percent) is satisfied enough with their spiritual condition that they have no aspects of their spirituality that they would like to change. Among the half of adults who would like to enhance their spiritual make-up, the desired transformations varied greatly.

The most commonly noted shift was the desire to be more heavily involved in a church. That was named by 12 percent of all adults – almost all of them already active in a church or religious center. The next most prominent transition, suggested by 7 percent, was a desire to be more devoted to spiritual things, ranging from the stated need for more time to devote to spiritual matters to developing a deeper or stronger faith in God.

Beyond that, 5 percent said they would like to figure out how to be a better person, and another 5 percent mentioned more knowledge or reading of the Bible as their top priority for spiritual change. Having a better prayer life was offered by 4 percent, while 3 percent gave each of a trio of alternatives: doing God's will or being more Christ-like, being closer to God, and having a more dynamic faith experience with their family.

Church size affected the responses generated. Adults attending churches of 100 or fewer people were the least likely to identify church participation or prayer as their most certain means to spiritual fulfillment, and they were more likely than others to suggest that creative and leisure endeavors (such as creative arts, sports, nature, and hobbies) were their greatest source of spiritual fulfillment. People who attend churches of 500 or more adults were more than 50 percent more likely to mention prayer as their source of fulfillment than were adults who attend smaller congregations.

Also, adults under 40 were much more likely than older adults to say they desire more involvement in or connection to a church.