1. IN AMERICA TODAY… Most Americans say they are Christians, but a majority are not born-again. 180 to 190 million people in the U.S. are not born again. If those people were a nation, it would be the fourth largest nation in the world.

2. IN AMERICA TODAY… There are 324,000 Protestant & 20,000 Roman Catholic congregations in the U.S. One-half of all churches in America do not add one new member through “conversion” growth per year.

3. IN AMERICA TODAY… About 1/3 of the adult population are unchurched – 95 to 100 million people. The unchurched are those who have not attended a Christian church service in the last six months, other than special events. If the unchurched were a nation, it would be the eleventh largest nation in the world.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNCHURCHED The unchurched are more likely than the norm of the population: To be male. To have experienced a divorce. To have more education. To have a larger income.

5. WHY PEOPLE HAVE DROPPED OUT OF CHURCH They disliked the hypocritical behavior of church people. They disliked the strict and inflexible beliefs of the church. The church was not compelling. 21% give each response.

6. REASONS WHY PEOPLE DO NOT ATTEND A CHURCH Too busy to do so. The church has nothing of interest to offer them. Their religious beliefs are different from those who attend church. They do not believe in organized religion or in the need to worship at a church.

7. THE STATE OF THE CHURCH North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing. It is estimated that 53,000 people in the United States leave churches every week and never come back.

8. ACCORDING TO BARNA RESEARCH… Of the 425,000 churches in America: 85% have reached a plateau or are declining. 15% are growing because of transfer growth. 5% are growing because of conversion growth.

9. The State of the Church in America… Each year, around 3,750 churches close their doors. Each year, 1,300 new churches are started. In the past fifty years, U.S. churches have failed to gain an additional 2 percent of the American population.

10. IN WISCONSIN… 41 Christian churches/churches of Christ in WI & UP 24 churches are under 100 70% of the population are unchurched.

11. IN WISCONSIN… “The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is the planting of new churches.” Dr. Peter Wagner, Fuller Seminary