In a recent sermon Melvin Tinker quotes the following statistics for the single most decisive factor in people becoming Christians in Britain today.
- The influence of a particular church over a period of time -27.8%
- The influence of other members of one’s own family- 25.8%
- The influence of a Christian friend or friends- 19.9%
- A specific evangelistic event or activity-13.2%
I’m not sure what happens the other 13.3%! The figures seem to reflect what others are saying that reaching our post-modern generation with the gospel is a long process, where people are influenced not only by the gospel message but by the integrity of Christian living. It perhaps also backs up another statistic I have heard that from a person first hears the gospel until they become a Christian is on average 4 years.
I also found statistic 4 interesting with regard to the huge claims that some are making for the Alpha course. Might it not be making the impact that some claim- assuming it is incorporated in this fourth figure.
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