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The Epidemic of Bible Illiteracy in Our Churches

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When was the last time you read a book? For almost 1 in 4 of us, it was more than a year ago, according to Pew Research. That's three times the number who didn't read a book in 1978. In America, we have a literacy problem. But more concerning to me, we have a biblical literacy problem. Americans, including churchgoers, aren't reading much of any book, including the Good Book.

The Sad Statistics

Christians claim to believe the Bible is God's Word. We claim it's God's divinely inspired, inerrant message to us. Yet despite this, we aren't reading it. A recent LifeWay Research study found only 45 percent of those who regularly attend church read the Bible more than once a week. Over 40 percent of the people attending read their Bible occasionally, maybe once or twice a month. Almost 1 in 5 churchgoers say they never read the Bible—essentially the same number who read it every day.

Small groups are key to combating and changing the epidemic of biblical illiteracy.

Because we don't read God's Word, it follows that we don't know it. To understand the effects, we can look to statistics of another Western country: the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Bible Society surveyed British children and found many could not identify common Bible stories. When given a list of stories, almost 1 in 3 didn't choose the Nativity as part of the Bible and over half (59 percent) didn't know that Jonah being swallowed by the great fish is in the Bible. British parents didn't do much better. Around 30 percent of parents don't know Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, or the Good Samaritan are in the Bible. To make matters worse, 27 percent think Superman is or might be a biblical story. More than 1 in 3 believes the same about Harry Potter. And more than half (54 percent) believe The Hunger Games is or might be a story from the Bible. But it's more than simply not knowing stories from Scripture. Our lack of biblical literacy has led to a lack of biblical doctrine. LifeWay Research found that while 67 percent of Americans believe heaven is a real place, 45 percent believe there are many ways to get there—including 1 in 5 evangelical Christians. More than half of evangelicals (59 percent) believe the Holy Spirit is a force and not a personal being—in contrast to the orthodox biblical teaching of the Trinity being three Persons in one God. As a whole, Americans, including many Christians, hold unbiblical views on hell, sin, salvation, Jesus, humanity, and the Bible itself. There is little excuse for anyone living in Western Civilization, particularly Christians, to not know or read the Bible. Nine out of ten American homes have at least one Bible. The average American—Christian or not—owns at least three Bibles. And technology has put Bibles at our fingertips wherever we are—you can download the Bible for free on your smartphone. In contrast, most Christians desire to become more mature followers of Christ. LifeWay Research found 90 percent of churchgoers "desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do." Almost 60 percent agree with the statement, "Throughout the day, I find myself thinking about biblical truths." It's striking that while most of us desire to please Jesus, few of us take the time to check the Bible to find out if we are actually doing it. Clearly, there's a disconnect.

How to Combat this Negative Trend

So how do we get people to pull the Bible off their bookshelves and put it into their lives? The research we've done indicates that several factors lead to a higher likelihood of someone engaging the Bible. In this case, we mean they will allow God, through his Word, to lead and change their life. Here are the eight predictors of biblical engagement:

Confessing sins and wrongdoings to God and asking for forgiveness
Following Jesus Christ for years
Being willing to obey God, no matter the cost
Praying for the spiritual status of unbelievers
Reading a book about increasing spiritual growth
Being discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian
Memorizing Bible verses
Attending a small group focused on Bible study

Notice the last factor: Small groups are key to combating and changing the epidemic of biblical illiteracy. Our research shows that as Christians increase their participation in small groups, their Bible engagement scores go up. As part of the research for Transformational Groups, which I coauthored with Eric Geiger, we surveyed regular group attenders and non-group attenders about their daily spiritual lives—specifically the time they spend outside of church and church-related activities. We found that group attenders were much more likely than non-group members to read their Bible regularly—67 percent compared to only 27 percent. Being involved in a small group made it more than twice as likely a Christian would be regularly reading God's Word. On top of that, we found involvement in small groups made Christians more likely to pray for others and confess sins to God—both of which are predictors of biblical engagement. It's no wonder we concluded quite simply: groups matter.

For growth to occur in the church, people groups must continuously grow and multiply.

As we wrote in the book, "God has supernaturally ordained community to sanctify his people to grow in Christ. A call to discipleship and spiritual maturity is a call to biblical community." It doesn't matter what you call small groups within your church community—life groups, Sunday school, discipleship classes, Bible study fellowships—the importance of them remains the same. It's impossible to make disciples apart from community. Groups might not be the only place transformation happens, but I'm convinced they're the primary place. Most pastors agree groups are important to the life of their church, but there's a disconnect between the stated importance and the reality of what's happening in most churches. Our research found 92 percent of Protestant pastors believe their people are making significant progress in their spiritual development, but more than half (56 percent) admit they don't regularly assess their personal growth. In addition, less than half (42 percent) say their churches have a "well-defined" approach to group ministry. Without a clear plan for small groups, your congregation is missing out on God's tool for transformation and growth.

Transformational Groups

So what types of small groups do you need in place at your church? While a wide variety of group settings can work, there are particular aspects that lead to life change. Here are four important facets of small groups: 1. Connect: Small groups connect people in relationships. According to William Hendricks in Exit Interviews, one common reason given by people who leave churches is a failure to connect in relationship. In addition, LifeWay Research found 1 in 5 young adults who left church said they did not feel connected to the people at their church. Small groups must provide a comfortable environment for people to connect. 2. Reproduce: In human growth, multiplication allows a cell to become multiple cells, which allows change and growth to occur. Similarly, for growth to occur in the church, people groups must continuously grow and multiply. Small groups must multiply and reproduce so more and more people can experience one. 3. Assimilate: Small groups assimilate members to ministry through service. As people in small groups grow in relationship together, they will readily serve alongside others and integrate into ministry opportunities. Whether the small group serves together or helps group members find ways to serve on their own, small groups should launch people into ministry in and outside the church. 4. Transform: Small groups allow individuals to experience faster and deeper personal transformation through authentic community. With a focus on Bible study and applying God's truth to life, small groups help group members experience real life change. For seekers, small groups provide a safe setting to ask questions in a community of people who also wrestle and struggle. They also provide a safe place for Christians to wrestle with faith issues and apply God's Word. Small groups with these four characteristics connect people in genuine relationships in an environment where the Bible is taught, discussed, valued, and practiced. Having people in a large church gathering is great, but having them also involved in an intimate group setting is better. We must move people beyond merely sitting in rows in pews to sitting in circles in groups. It's there that people mature in their faith as they respect, appreciate, and hear those in community alongside them. Biblical illiteracy is best combated in those small group circles—whether they meet on Sunday morning in a church classroom or Tuesday night in a living room. Through groups, people are inspired to read the Bible more, not necessarily because it's an expected duty, but because they know the joy that comes from connecting personally with God through his Word. Groups matter—especially when it comes to how well we read, know, and live the Bible.

Recent Articles

Six Ways to Relate Wisely

Pastor, if you stay in ministry for any length of time, you learn this fast: You can preach a strong sermon on Sunday and still blow up your week on Monday because of one tense conversation.Every day you’re planting seeds in relationships. Some are seeds of peace. Some are seeds of conflict. Over time, those seeds grow into a tone in your home, your staff meetings, your board, your volunteer teams, and your whole church culture.James says it plainly: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17 NIV).So what does it look like to plant peace when you’re dealing with someone who frustrates you, misunderstands you, or knows exactly how to get under your skin?James gives a kind of “wisdom test” for relationships. Not book smarts. Real-life wisdom. The kind that shows up when you’re tired, stressed, and tempted to react.Here are six marks of wise relationships, with one simple practice for each.1) If I’m wise, I won’t compromise my integrity.James says, “Wisdom . . . is pure” (James 3:17 NIV).That word “pure” is about integrity: clean, dependable, not twisted. And it matters because every relationship runs on trust. When trust breaks, everything gets harder, including communication, teamwork, friendship, and even forgiveness.Wise leadership doesn’t manipulate people. It doesn’t shade the truth. It doesn’t tell a story one way to one person and another way to someone else.Scripture says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely” (Proverbs 10:9 NIV).Integrity makes you safe to be around.Try this: Before you speak, ask: Is this true? Is this the whole truth? Is this the kind version of the truth?2) If I’m wise, I won’t antagonize your anger.James says wisdom is “peace-loving” (James 3:17 NIV).Wise people aren’t always looking for a fight. They don’t turn every disagreement into a contest. They work at peace because they know how expensive anger is.Proverbs puts it bluntly: “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling” (Proverbs 20:3 NLT).A lot of conflict isn’t caused by big issues. It’s caused by predictable triggers. The Bible calls it foolish when you know what makes someone angry and you use it anyway.Three common anger-starters to watch for:Comparing: “Why can’t you be like . . . ?”Condemning: “It’s all your fault . . . you always . . . you never . . .”Contradicting: This often looks like correcting every little detail and cutting people off mid-story.Try this: When you feel yourself loading the verbal gun, pause and ask: Am I trying to win, or am I trying to heal?3) If I’m wise, I won’t minimize your feelings.James says wisdom is “considerate” (James 3:17 NIV).Considerate doesn’t mean you agree with every feeling. It means you treat the person as human.One of the quickest ways to damage a relationship is to dismiss emotion:“You shouldn’t feel that way.”“That’s irrational.”“It’s not a big deal.”Proverbs says, “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4 NLT).Wise pastors don’t argue people out of pain. They don’t sermonize in the moment. They listen.Try this:Say, “That makes sense. Tell me more.” (Even if you don’t fully understand yet.)4) If I’m wise, I won’t criticize your suggestions.James uses a word often translated “submissive” (James 3:17 NIV), but the idea is closer to: reasonable, open to discussion, teachable.Wise leaders can learn from anybody. They aren’t instantly defensive. They don’t shut down feedback just because it stings.Scripture says: “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others” (Proverbs 12:15 NLT).Criticism is part of ministry life. You’ll hear it in the form of staff opinions, volunteer frustrations, family feedback, and congregational expectations.A simple way to handle it:If it’s true, learn from it.If it’s untrue, let it go.Either way, remember God is the final judge of your life.Try this:When someone offers a suggestion, say, “Help me understand what you’re seeing.”5) If I’m wise, I won’t emphasize your mistakes.James says wisdom is “full of mercy” (James 3:17 NIV).Mercy is giving people what they need, not what they deserve.Wise people don’t pounce on every failure. They don’t keep score. They don’t keep a file drawer of past mistakes to pull out during the next argument.Proverbs says: “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends” (Proverbs 17:9 NIV).Ministry gives you plenty of opportunities to practice mercy: miscommunication, volunteer dropouts, emotional blowups, clumsy decisions, and imperfect sermons.Mercy doesn’t mean “no standards.” It means you correct without humiliating.Try this:If you need to address a mistake, name the issue without naming the person as “the problem.”6) If I’m wise, I won’t disguise my weaknesses.James says wisdom is “impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV).The opposite of sincerity is hypocrisy, or wearing a mask.Wise people don’t have to look perfect. They don’t pretend they have it all together. They don’t act holy in public and brittle at home.And here’s the irony: Pretending to be strong doesn’t make you trustworthy; it makes you distant.Proverbs says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NIV).This doesn’t mean you confess everything to everyone. It does mean you stop performing. You lead like a real person who is still growing.Try this:In a safe relationship, practice one honest sentence: “Here’s where I’m struggling right now.”A simple next step: Take the wisdom test this week.James isn’t describing wisdom to impress you. He’s describing it to help you become more like Jesus.Pick one relationship that has been tense lately, at home, on staff, with a volunteer, or with someone who drains you.Then ask:“Where am I being unwise?”“Which of these six marks of wise relationships do I need to practice this week?”When you plant seeds of peace, you don’t just avoid conflict.You reap something better: a harvest of goodness.

5 Reasons Church Covenants Work

Commitments are the secret sauce of spiritual growth. Think back to the key times of growth in your own spiritual journey, and you'll likely be pointing to times of commitment. For example:The moment you gave your life to Christ.The day you decided to get baptized.The season when you began reading your Bible regularly.If you want to see your congregation grow closer to Jesus, you need to help them make commitments to the purposes of God. At Saddleback, we’ve done that through a series of covenants where people commit to church membership, maturity, ministry, and missions. Spiritual Growth Begins with CommitmentSpiritual growth isn’t automatic. You can grow old without growing up. Growth is a product of commitment. Without commitments, we live in perpetual immaturity. Think about the growth that comes after you accept your first job, or when you get married. You grow up, too, when you have children. No one is ever “ready” for marriage or children. You get ready after you’ve made those commitments. The same is true in our relationship with God. That’s why, during my years pastoring Saddleback, we didn’t work toward spiritual commitments. We worked from spiritual commitments. That means we started with whatever commitments people had already made. Here’s what that can look like:When a person makes a commitment to Christ, we lead them toward baptism. Then it’s time for the membership class. In CLASS 101, new members sign a covenant where they commit to:Protect the unity of the church.Share the responsibility of the church.Serve the ministry of the church.Support the testimony of the church. Then those commitments lead to the commitments in the discipleship, ministry, and missions covenants. Why Covenants WorkThe most important part of a wedding ceremony isn’t the moment the bride walks down the aisle. It’s not when the pastor says the groom may kiss the bride. The most important part is when the man and woman exchange vows and make commitments to one another before witnesses. The same is true for church covenants. At Saddleback, our membership, maturity, ministry, and missions covenants are the most important parts of our CLASS system.Here’s why those covenants are so important. 1. We become what we’re committed to.Our lives are a sum of the commitments we make. Sit down with someone and ask them what they’re committed to today, and you’ll know the contours of the rest of their lives (assuming those commitments don’t change). Commitments establish a person’s character. That means the key to leading people to grow spiritually is helping them commit to the disciplines that help Christians grow—such as commitments to worship, build meaningful relationships, read the Bible, pray, serve, and share the Good News. 2. Commitments define churches. Your church isn’t defined by its programs or the building it meets in or the pastor’s preaching. What really defines a church is the commitments the people in it make together.A motto Saddleback has lived out for decades has been, “A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission grows a great church.” During my years as pastor there, that commitment shaped every decision we made.3. People want to be committed to something that brings significance. I always told people in our membership class at Saddleback that they couldn’t do anything more important with their lives than join the church, grow in maturity, get involved in ministry, and begin fulfilling their mission in the world. Those investments would outlast anything else they might do in life. People want to give their lives to something important. They long for their lives to count. Intuitively, they know nothing else fits the bill—not their careers, not their hobbies, and not even their families. As a pastor, you have an opportunity to show people a commitment worth giving their lives to. 4. If you don’t ask, others will.Everyone seems to ask for commitments these days. Travel sports leagues want families to commit. Employers are pushing for more commitment. If you’re not asking the people in your church to make commitments, their schedules will get packed with everything else. As a pastor, part of your job is to guide people toward making the right commitments—ones that help them live out God’s purposes for their lives.5. Covenants clarify vision and values.When your church’s members sign on to your church covenant, they know your vision and values. The covenant reinforces the mission and values that drive your church—and ensures that new members understand them and will work toward them in the future.To learn more about how your church can use covenants to drive spiritual growth, check out the CLASS materials.

Learn From Failure

Every pastor makes mistakes; every pastor has defeats. Mistakes are a part of life. Sadly, so is sin. Not even a pastor can escape Romans 3:23: “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (CEV). None of us are perfect. The difference between successful and unsuccessful leaders isn’t that the successful people don’t fail. The difference is that successful leaders learn from their failures. I heard a story years ago about a young man who asked an executive, “What is the secret of success?” “The secret of success is the right decisions,” the executive responded.  “How do you make the right decisions?” “By experience.” “How do you get experience?” “By making mistakes.” I always told my staff at Saddleback to call failure an education. We did more things that didn’t work than did. That means I had a highly educated staff! But the important part was we weren’t afraid to admit our mistakes and learn from them. The road to success is paved with failure. But what’s critical is this: We need to learn from those failures. You can read a good example of learning from failures in Joshua 7. After the Israelites’ great victory at Jericho, they came to the little town of Ai.   The Israelites had just taken on the greatest, most fortified city in the land—and had a resounding military victory. Then they got a little cocky and presumed upon God’s grace. Joshua sent only about 3,000 troops into the town to capture it—and his soldiers were defeated.  But take note of how Joshua responded. He threw himself onto the ground and prayed, and God told him he needed to take care of a problem in the community. A man named Achan had taken some spoils of war when God had clearly told them not to; the entire camp was suffering because of Achan’s sin.  God told Joshua to act, and that’s exactly what he did. Joshua could have defended Achan and refused to confront his sin. Instead, he admitted that Israel had sin in the camp.  He allowed himself to be corrected by his defeat—and that’s a mark of a great leader.  Pastor, be big enough to admit your error. The real mark of leadership is the willingness to say to your people in your church, “I was wrong. I made a mistake.” But do you know what’s better than learning from your mistakes? Learning from the mistakes of others. It’s wise to learn from experience, but it’s wiser to learn from the experiences of others. We don’t have time to make all the mistakes ourselves. Of course, that means learning from people you know. When you see people failing, talk with them. Ask questions about what they’ve learned—and be alert to what they may still have to learn.  And do these things too: Read biographies. Be teachable. Pray for insight. Always be on the lookout for people who have failed and recovered.  Whatever you do, be corrected by your defeats and learn from the mistakes of others so you won’t have to make all of the mistakes yourself.

How to Find Joy in Your Relationships

Relationships are at the heart of every ministry. Whether those relationships are with your family, your congregation, or your community, you’ll be miserable in life and ministry if your relationships aren’t healthy. God wants us to enjoy the people in our lives. In the book of Philippians, Paul models four principles to help us find joy in our relationships. Be grateful for the good in people. “I thank my God for all the memories I have of you” (Philippians 1:3 GW). Paul focused on the good memories instead of the bad ones. And if you recall in Acts 16, you’ll remember the bad memories Paul could have focused on while he was in Philippi, but didn’t. He was arrested, whipped, humiliated, and thrown in prison. While in prison, there was an earthquake. Then the Roman officials in the town asked him to leave. Paul had a rough time in Philippi, but he chose to focus on what he was grateful for. To follow Paul’s example, we don’t need to deny the hurts in our lives. Neither do we need to excuse the weaknesses of others. Instead, focus on the good and emphasize the strengths of other people. Practice positive praying. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” (Philippians 1:4 NIV). Praying positively for people will change both your attitude and the other person’s. People may resist our advice, spurn our appeals, reject our suggestions, and not accept our help, but they are powerless against our prayers. In Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV), Paul models four specific ways we can pray positively for others. Pray they will grow in love. “Your love may abound.” (This phrase means to overflow, like a tidal wave.) Pray they make wise choices. “Discern what is best.” Pray they will do the right thing. “Be pure and blameless.” Pray they will live for God’s glory. “The fruit of righteousness.” Most of us are good at praying for people in crisis, but let’s commit to praying specifically and regularly for people who may struggle in these four areas. Doing so will transform our relationships with them. Be patient with people’s progress. “God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 CEV). Paul looked at people’s future, not just their past. He looked at their potential and was patient with their progress. Mankind is a great starter but a bad finisher. Man leaves unfinished symphonies, unfinished buildings, unfinished books, and unfinished projects. Man doesn’t always finish what he starts, but God always finishes what he starts. We should model God’s patience with people’s progress. To enjoy people, we must give them room to grow and develop, just as God does with us. Love people from the heart. “God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8 NLT). Loving people begins with understanding why they act the way they do. You can’t love people you don’t understand. If you care, you’ll be aware. You get understanding by asking questions and then listening to the responses. Understanding people helps you love them better, but it still doesn’t get you to the love Paul described in Philippians 1:8. Paul said he loved the church of Philippi “with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus” (NLT). Only Jesus—working through you—can love people like that. God’s love isn’t something you can force. It’s a gift that you get as you let the Holy Spirit work through you. “God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us” (Romans 5:5 GNT). Life is too short to not enjoy the people in your life. If you don’t learn to enjoy those who God has placed in your life, you will be miserable. That’s why you need to learn how to respond to them the way Jesus did.

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