Revolution, George Barna’s newest book, describes what he believes will be the most massive reshaping of the nation’s faith community in more than a century. “These are people who are less interested in attending church than in being the church,” he explains. He found that while some people leave the local church and fall away from God altogether, there is a much larger segment of Americans who are currently leaving churches precisely because they want more of God in their life but cannot get what they need from a local church. Instead of going to church, they have chosen to be the Church, as it’s detailed in the Book of Acts. At present the local church is the primary form of faith experience and expression for about 66% of the nation’s adults. Barna projects by ‘25 the local church will lose roughly half of its current “market share” and that alternative forms of faith experience and expression will pick up the slack. (Barna Update 10/10/05)
http://garydfoster.com