Here is a book that will benefit each church leader. It deals with a subject that has been somewhat difficult to define, the unchurched member. Barna defines an unchurched person as one who has not attended church for the past six months, except maybe for funerals and weddings.

This book is packed with good research sufficient for practical insights on how to reach the unchurched. Why do people not go to church and where are they found? Answering those questions will be a clue in how to seek and reach out to unchurched. You use the answers to those questions to build strategy to reclaim them to the church.

Barna has surveyed and drawn conclusions from churches that are experiencing success in reaching the unchurched. The book contains helpful information regarding evangelism. Barna says the unchurched have given the church the “once over” and have not liked what they have seen. What did they see and how can we remedy that situation where we do not repel but attract those people? How can we promote and advocate a religion that has meaning in a world of pluralism, relativism, and secularism? Many unchurched see church people living just like them and ask “why should I get involved with something that doesn’t really make any difference?”

Barna discusses what he has learned from examining why churches are not successful in reaching the unchurched and in chapter 9, which is worth the price of the book alone. He deals with twelve misconceptions about the unchurched and how to reach them. You will be surprised at his conclusions as he works through the list.

To develop his studies and conclusions, his research was directed to adults via telephone surveys from 48 states. In addition, he did a random sampling of 601 pastors from Protestant churches. To those two audiences he added a survey from 610 teenagers.

Grow Your Church contains helpful insights about the whys and hows of reaching the unchurched. I commend it to you if you are interested in this important topic.

 -Charles Dunahoo

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