For those who never attend church, the study revealed this group is least likely to pursue purpose and meaning in life or to think about the afterlife:– 19 percent strongly disagree that there is more to life than the physical world and society;– 33 percent strongly disagree that there is an ultimate purpose and plan for every person’s life;– 63 percent strongly disagree that they think often about what I must do to experience peace in the afterlife;– 50 percent never wonder how they can find more meaning and purpose in their life;– 68 percent never wonder if they were to die today, do they know that they would go to heaven.

via Ed Stetzer – New Research Just Released: How Americans Perceive and Pursue Spiritual Realities.

I came across this article on Ed Stetzer’s blog via the EFCA Facebook page.  On one hand it provides some, “Well, of course,” kind of information.  On the other hand, it provides some that might cause us to rethink evangelism.

For example, according to the study (you can download a .pdf or .ppt here) 49% of those with a college degree never wonder about going to heaven when they die.  That seems unsurprising for two reasons.  First, a certain percentage of those Americans are converted Christians, so they shouldn’t wonder.  Second, American education is so thoroughly humanist and anti-supernatural, you’re not going to find many Universities that seriously engage with such an issue.  Back in the ’90s Purdue required us to take a course called Great Questions or something like that.  It was billed as a look at how different groups had struggled with the great questions of life throughout history.  While creation, judgment, heaven & hell were discussed, it wasn’t serious.  It was more from a, ‘Look at what those unenlightened people used to think.’

The study does, however, provide some food for thought in terms of evangelism.  Fully 68% of the unchurched respondents never wonder if they will go to heaven when they die!  So, two-thirds of our mission field aren’t even concerned with the afterlife. At the same time, the article mentions Ed Stetzer’s Lost and Found.  In that book, he reported that 89% of unchurched young adults would be willing to listen to some explain their view of Christianity.

That would seem to indicate folks are willing to listen, but we can’t assume they believe in a heaven. Also, we can’t assume they believe they aren’t going there.  Perhaps 68% believe in Heaven and assume they are going.  As we share the gospel, then, we should make sure to communicate the reality of heaven and judgment.  If they don’t believe in Heaven, or don’t know about judgment, it shouldn’t surprise us that they don’t accept the gospel.

Thoughts?