Ten Surprises About the Unchurched

I just read an interesting article written by Dr. Thom Rainer in 2003. He and his research team spent 3 years studying the unchurched. His team covered all 50 states and Canada listening to the unchurched.

Here’s a link to the article: http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/missions/articles/102704.html

Here are 10 of the surprises Rainer’s research team uncovered about the unchurched.

Surprise No. 1--Most of the unchurched prefer to attend church on Sunday morning if they attend.

Surprise No. 2--Most of the unchurched feel guilty about not attending church.

Surprise No. 3--Ninety-six percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if they are invited.

Surprise No. 4--Very few of the unchurched had someone share with them how to become a Christian. And Christians have not been particularly influential in their lives.

Surprise No. 5--Most of the unchurched have a positive view of pastors, ministers and the church.

Surprise No. 6--Many of the unchurched have a church background.

Surprise No. 7--Some types of "cold calls" are effective; many are not.
Quote from article:

The bottom line of cold-call evangelism seems to be to make the most of every
opportunity God gives you. Pray for such opportunities. But showing up at
someone's home without an invitation was one of the biggest turnoffs articulated
by the unchurched.

Surprise No. 8--The unchurched would like to develop a real and sincere relationship with a Christian.

Surprise No. 9--The attitudes of the unchurched are not correlated to where they live, their ethnic or racial background, or their gender. The unchurched are not a monolithic group.

Surprise No. 10--Many of the unchurched are far more concerned about the spiritual well-being of their children than themselves.