Christians Unclear About Spiritual Maturity

The results of a new study released this week by the Barna Group reveal that many churchgoers and church leaders find it difficult to define the concept of spiritual maturity.

The research, which was based on 1005 telephone interviews conducted in August of 2008, shows that a large number of church members, and clergy as well, either don't know what spiritual maturity is, or they simply don't know how to define it. Those who took part in the survey were asked such open-ended questions as, "How does your church define a healthy, spiritually mature follower of Jesus?," and "What is your personal definition of what it means to be a healthy, spiritually mature follower of Jesus?"

Barna discovered that:

• Most Christians equate spiritual maturity with following rules, with 81 percent agreeing that spiritual health means "trying hard to follow the rules described in the Bible."
• Most churchgoers are not clear about what their church expects in terms of spiritual maturity. Half of respondents said either they were not sure or were unable to venture a guess regarding how their church defines spiritual maturity. Those who did have an answer gave such responses as having a relationship with Jesus, practicing disciplines such as prayer and Bible study, living according to the Bible, being obedient, being involved in the church, or having concern for others.
• Most Christians are also not clear about their personal views on spiritual maturity. Thirty percent of born-again Christians simply said that having a relationship with Jesus was a sign of spiritual maturity.
• While nearly nine out of ten pastors said that a lack of spiritual maturity is one of the largest problems facing the nation, less than five out of ten pastors believe that spiritual immaturity is a problem in their church.
• Less than 50 percent of churches have a written statement expressing the outcomes they are looking for in spiritually mature people.
• Pastors are surprisingly vague when asked to share the biblical references they use to gauge spiritual maturity in their members. One-third simply said "the whole Bible," while 17 percent said "the gospels," 15 percent said "the New Testament" and 10 percent said "Paul's letters."

For the complete report, visit Barna Research at www.barna.org.