Researcher and author, George Barna, has published new research this week indicating a serious disparity in the way church leaders view their congregants' faith and the actual state of that faith, according to the parishioners themselves.

At first glance, the research seems to show that church leaders are overly optimistic that their church members put faith in God first in their life. According to Barna's study, on average, pastors contend that 70 percent of the adults in their church consider their personal faith in God to transcend all other priorities. As many as one out of every six pastors (16 percent) contends that 90 percent or more of the adults in their church hold their relationship with God as their top life priority.

However, church members didn't rank their own faith as high. When asked to identify their top priority in life, only one out of every four churchgoers (23 percent) placed their faith in God at the top of the list.

Barna attributes this dichotomy to poor assessment. I couldn't agree more. By measuring church members with only attendance numbers and salvation pledge cards, church leaders are missing criteria that would genuinely reflect devotion to God, according to Barna. Church involvement alone is not a predictor of faith growth or faith as a priority.

Here are some other indicators Barna suggests pastors use to gain more insight into the spiritual fruit of their church members: stewardship, evangelism, lifestyle, service outside the church, and reaction to visitors.

The irony is that these are the issues that normally shock us when Barna reports findings that show Christians acting less than Christian in each of these areas. They are also issues that most churches shy away from assessing, much less mandating and keeping parishioners accountable for.

Barna says the average congregant gives only 2-3 percent, not a 10 percent tithe. How could this giver then report his faith in God is his No. 1 priority? Money talks.

On evangelism, Barna reports that only 1 in 8 churches assess how many of their congregants are sharing their faith with non-believers. Even if it's only visitor Sunday, how many people actually invited someone to church?

About lifestyle, here is what Barna says: "The fact that the lifestyle of most churched adults is essentially indistinguishable from that of unchurched people is not a concern for most churches." Not a concern?!

Maybe if leaders had to report how many divorces, how many lies, how many thefts, adulterous affairs, how much overeating at potlucks, in addition to attendance and salvation records, priorities would change—for both leaders and congregants.

In addition leaders should report on the fruit harvest from their congregation. How many poor people were served? How many prisoners visited? How many orphans and widows received care? How much love was shown and how many seeds were sewn?

Otherwise salvation seems to have lost its power to change lives. How could something so impotent be a No. 1 priority for anyone?

As a nod to that power, which comes from God, Barna suggests church leaders pay less attention to who or how many people show up to worship on any given weekend, and instead pay attention to how many people experienced God's presence in the worship service. I'm not sure how you really measure that.

God is invisible and faith is the substance of things unseen. This may be all the more reason we should be paying attention to the results of faith. We should be looking for the hand of God in people's lives. Sitting in church once a week is not a big deal. Changing your life, changing others' lives—that's the Kingdom of God.

What are your ideas for assessing people's faith and growing disciples?

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