So that’s why ACCESS Ministries wants to get into schools

This pie chart was posted on a Southern Nazarene University webpage titled ‘When Americans become Christian - Evangelism statistics: At what age is outreach most effective? How old are people when they get saved?’

More figures from the International Bible Society and the Barna Research Group:

Another survey -- by the International Bible Society -- indicated that 83% of all Christians make their commitment to Jesus between the ages of 4 and 14, that is, when they are children or early youth. The Barna Research Group surveys demonstrate that American children ages 5 to 13 have a 32% probability of accepting Christ, but youth or teens aged 14 to 18 have only a 4% probability of doing so. Adults age 19 and over have just a 6% probability of becoming Christians.

And here’s the disturbing bit:

This data illustrates the importance of influencing children to consider making a decision to follow Christ.

Because the 4-14 period slice of the pie is so large, many have started referring to the "4-14 Window." Many people serving as career cross-cultural missionaries have testified that they first felt God calling them to missionary service during that 4-14 age period.

The data may be America-centric, but it wouldn’t surprise me if evangelical Christians everywhere, including Australia, agree with its implications: to grow the body of Christ, you’ve got to get ‘em while they’re still young and haven’t developed their critical thinking skills.

It’s rank opportunism, pure and simple.




HT: PZ Myers




6.2.12