George Barna, Revolution (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 2005)

“The key to understanding Revolutionaries is not what church they attend,or even if they attend. Instead, it’s their complete dedication to beingthoroughly Christian by viewing every moment of life through a spiritual lensand making every decision in light of biblical principles. These areindividuals who are determined to glorify God every day through every thought,word and deed in their lives.” 8

 

Chapter2: THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE

 

?Humanbeings become what they believe.? 11

?returningto a first century lifestyle ?? 12

?already well over 20 million strong, ? what we call Revolutionaries?. ? 13

?Theyare seeking a faith experience that is more robust and awe inspiring, aspiritual journey that prioritizes transformation? something worthy of theCreator whom their faith reflects.? 14

?Youeither stand for Jesus or you stand for all that He died to repudiate.? 15

 

Chapter3: WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT?

 

Seven passions ofRevolutionaries (22-25)

1.   Intimate worship

2.   Faith-basedconversations

3.   Intentionalspiritual growth

4.   Servanthood

5.   Resource investment

6.   Spiritualfriendships

7.   Family faith

 

?alifestyle that provides irrefutable evidence of your complete devotion to Jesus? refuse to make excuses for their failings ?? 25 ?life is part of a spiritualwar between God and Satan ?? 26

 

Chapter4: HOW IS THELOCAL CHURCH DOING?

 

?Butthe local church many have come to cherish?the services, offices, programs,buildings, ceremonies?is neither biblical nor unbiblical. It is abiblical?thatis, such an organization is not addressed in the Bible? 37

 

?It?sabout the Church?that is, the people who actively participate in theintentional advancement of God?s Kingdom in partnership with the Holy Spiritand other believers.? 38

 

Chapter5: SPIRITUAL TRANSITIONS IN THE MAKING

 

Seven Trends (42-47)

1.   Shift of influencefrom busters (born 1965-83) to mosaics (1984-2002).

2.   Rise ofpostmodernism: truth is whatever you believe it to be; the most important thingin life is one?s relationships.

3.   Immediate dismissalof the (seeming) irrelevant.

4.   Belonging to aglobal community through technology.

5.   Emphasis upon?personal stories and experience instead of principles and commands.? 46

6.   preference forinterpersonal communication over participation at events.

7.   openness tounderstanding oneself through ?sacrifice and surrender? 47.

How Americans Experience and Express Their Faith (49)
Primary means of spiritual experience and expression

 

Local Church

Alternative Faith-Based Community

Family

Media, Arts, Culture

2000

70%

5%

5%

20%

2025

30-35%

30-35%

5%

30-35%

 

Chapter6: GOD IS ACTIVE TODAY

 

Mini-movements: home schooling,simple church, biblical worldview groups, market-place ministries, spiritualdiscipline networks, Christian creative arts guilds? 54 These have remainundetected by social science because of ?

1.   Their smallnumbers, fewer than three million

2.   Theirdisorganization, poorly led, lacking strategy

3.   Journalists?expectation that Christianity flows through churches.

 

?Itis that single-mindedness of intent and the intensity of their focus on Godthat enables the Lord to build them into Revolutionaries.? 55

 

ConditionsFavoring Mini-movements(57-8)

1.   ?people who arepredisposed to focusing on their faith in God.?

2.   ?an individual?sprimary source of relationships.?

3.   ? intimacy ?facilitates a sense of exhilaration??

4.   ?clear groupgoals.?

5.   ?a very narrowfocus ??

 

?Millionsof peole who are growing as Christians and passionate about their faith havecome to recognize that the local church is not?and need not be?the epicenter oftheir spiritual adventure.? 58

 

Chapter7: A NEW WAY OF DOING CHURCH

 

Reasonsfor a shift away from local churches (62-3)

1.   ?? their desire tohave customized experiences.?

2.   ?? preference forpractical faith experiences??

 

Fourmacro-models of church today (64-5)

1.   Congregation

2.   House church

3.   Family faith

4.   Cyberchurch

 

??some extensions of the congregational model, such as the ?emergent? or?postmodern? congregations, really are not new models but simply minorrefinements of the reigning model.?

 

?Thefragmented nature of the new approach to spirituality ? will become theadvantage that facilitates a deeper commitment to spiritual focus by millionsof young people.? 67

 

Chapter8: JESUS THE REVOLUTIONARY

 

?Jesusignored customs, expectations, and even laws in order to be all that Godintended.? 72

 

Chapter9: AMERICAN CHRISTIANS AS REVOLUTIONAIRES

 

?InAmerica, we tend to study passages of Scripture and draw general lifestyleprinciples. We interpret God?s words to us through a particular analyticframework, one that is typically based on a synthesis of biblical teaching,cultural values, and familial training.? 79

 

Revolutionaries?weapons (80-4):

?thedaily demonstration of courageous faith?

?promote peace: prayer, love, blessing??

?determinedto obey His commands?

?choicesand actions honor God?

?ignoringall of the usual goals in favor of being godly.?

?persevere?

 

Chapter10: HOW THE REVOLUTION SHAPES THE REVOLUTIONARY

 

1.   Re-aligningpersonal identity: a slave of Jesus Christ.

 

?Humanbehavior is a series of complex negotiations among our self-image, character,values, sense of purpose, and cultural parameters.? 86

 

?Ourresearch indicates that churchgoers are more likely to see themselves asAmericans, consumers, professionals, parents, and unique individuals than [as]zealous disciples of Jesus Christ.? 88

2.   Clarifying corebeliefs: God, origins, salvation, truth, spiritual beings.

3.   Part of acommunity: ?the relational nature of God ? connectional character of ministries?89

4.   New forms ofbehavior. ?Sometimes these people are seen as narrow-minded or uninterestingbecause of their laser-like focus on Revolutionary ideals.? 91

5.   A new person.

 

Chapter11: THE MARKS OF A REVOLUTIONARY

 

ApostlePaul?s guidance in seven areas of life

·        Spiritualpractices: prayer & worship, making the gospel heard, use of supernaturalabilities.

·        Personalfaith: ?Available to do whatever it takes to grow your faith stronger.? 95

·        Perspectiveon life: ?accept the fact that life on earth is all about life after earth ?live accordingly? 96

·        Attitude:?connected to the omnipotent and omniscient God of the universe ? sole purposeis to obey God, based on the clear directives He has provided? 96

·        Character:integrity, humility, empathy.

·        Relationships:?excessive love for God and people? ?aggressively look for opportunitiesto bless people.? 98

·        Behavior:?cooperation with the Holy Spirit who lives within us.? ?Working hard,producing good deeds, and avoiding debt? 99

 

Chapter12: WHY THE REVOLUTION MATTERS

 

Fourmajor revolutions: Protestant (defined faith and authority), Civil Rights(self-image), Feminist (women?s roles), Faith (social institutions).

 

?theemerging Revolution is truly a grassroots explosion of commitment to God thatwill refine the Church and result in a natural and widespread immersion inoutreach.? 103

 

?Expectchildren to be taken more seriously as spiritual beings.? 105

 

?atruly international network of relationships? 106

 

?TheUnited States will see a reduction in the number of churches, as presentlyconfigured?. Church attendance will decline?. Churches? already limitedpolitical and cultural influence will diminish even further at the same timethat Christians will exert greater influence through ore disparate mechanisms.Fewer church programs will be sustained in favor of more communal experiencesamong Christians.?

?Adeclining number of professional clergy will receive a livable salary fromtheir churches. Denominations will go through cutbacks, and executives will berelieved of their duties?.? 107-8

?Theywill restore dignity to the family as the cornerstone of a free, democratic,and healthy society.? 108

?Christian? schools ? will be challenged to be more overtly and pragmatically Christianin their endeavors.? 108-9