According to Associated Baptist Press, researcher and author George Barna doesn't try to make seminar participants feel good about what most churches are accomplishing across the nation ... in fact, he does just the opposite. "I want to shatter their illusions that everything is fine and the church is healthy ... I don't think that's true at all," he said, citing years of extensive research, as reported by Associated Baptist Press.

"One of the things we've missed is the incredible significance of a life devoted to discipleship," he said while on a 15-month, 54-city seminar tour. According to Barna, studies indicate that the differences between Christians and non-Christians are minimal, because Christians act so much like non-Christians. What this boils down to, he said, is a discipleship issue.

Churches ought to be doing something deeper that helps people understand what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century. "Effective discipleship can be measured," he said, "by examining members' involvement in such areas as worship, evangelism, stewardship, service and personal witness to the world."

Source: Associated Baptist Press