Cindy+&+Diana+-+Summary

“Faith, shared values, compassionate and empathetic dialogue, visionary leadership, healthy families - these are the components of restoration that must be harnessed for the common good. We have the capacity will we use it?” ~ Barna (p. 27)

 Barna (2009) divided the United States religious groups into seven tribes after doing a nationwide survey of Americans views on their religious beliefs. They are the Casual Christians, Captive Christians, American Jews, Mormons, Pantheists, Muslims, and Skeptics. He separated them by their shared values of faith, family and worldview. Barna then related what he discovered about their values and how each tribe sees itself and it’s influence in America. He feels that if America does not unite with their values and moral basis it will self destruct. This book sets out to establish consistency in our religious differences and similarities so we have a foundation to stand on. The majority of Americans classify themselves as Christians. Barna (2009) separated the Christians as Casual, Captive, Jews and Mormons. A worldview aspect that we all agree on is that family values and family life is important. Marriage is sacred and held in high regard. The Casuals, Captives and Mormons see themselves as very religious. The Jews do not see their faith as their strength, but their culture that holds them together. These four tribes actively participate in prayer and discuss morality on a weekly basis. The stress levels vary among these groups and their concern for the moral condition of the United States is on average eighty-six percent. The other tribes discussed by Barna (2009) have similar stress levels, levels of debt. Their top priority is family. They also discuss morality just as frequently as Christians. They are more likely to recycle than Christians. They do not agree that the Bible is accurate in the principles it teaches. Their concern for the moral condition of the United States on average is sixty-six percent.

“There is such a thing as goodness: pursue it. The postmodern mood is unfriendly to all universal absolutes. Yet the apostle says there is such thing as truth: fight for it. And there is such a thing as life: lay hold of it. May God enable us to make an unabashed commitment...to what it true, what is good and what is real.” ~ Stott (dust jacket) Stott (2007) contributes to our understanding how we should be influencing the world through our service in the church. He states to be part of a living church we must be “committed to the church, to the mission of the church and to the reform and renewal of the church .” He goes into detail on how we can accomplish these essential aspects of the church, namely the learning church, the caring church, the worshiping church and the evangelizing church. (p.19-21) This is what Stott says is Gods view of how the church should work. The learning church is always looking to the Bible for guidance. It takes the message from the Bible and makes it part of its life continuously, in the church, in families, in the schools and reading the Bible to develop its personal relationship with God. The caring church considers fellowship as a key to sharing in each others lives as Christians. It is generous in giving financially and supporting Christians in the community and church. Love is a key component in the caring church. Worship consists of singing, helping and prayer. Worship expresses our feeling, be they joyful or sorrowful, it is traditional and non-traditional. There is a balance between the highs and lows of worshiping. In the Bible it talks about the balance of life, Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8. “ To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven: time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. This is the balance that Stott was referring to. This leads into the next section which is evangelism. We take all that we have just read and take it to the world. Becoming salt and light to the world. Our relationship with God makes a difference in how we manage and present ourselves to others. How we react and teach in our behavior and attitude.

The Evangelical Manifesto was a document written to enlighten people about the purpose of evangelism. It gives detailed description about why Christians, especially Evangelical Christians, feel compelled to evangelize. There are seven foundational truths that the Evangelical Church base their beliefs on and these beliefs are all connected to the Bible.


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Link to:
 * Introduction
 * Connection
 * Conclusion