According to 2004 statistics from the Barna Group, nearly half of all Americans who profess faith in Christ do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%). Additionally, two out of three people who claim to be born-again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday. One out of eight Christians (13%) became believers between the ages of 18 and 21, while less than one in four believers (23%) embraced Christ after turning 21.
Of the Christians who accepted Christ before their teenage years, half were led to Him by their parents, with another one in five guided by friends or relatives. Comparatively few responded to a minister's prompting (7%), and only one in eight mentioned a special event as the turning point in their journey. About half of those who referred to events identified a church service. Just 1% attributed their experience to media evangelism or other circumstances of conversion.
Among those who accepted Christ between the ages of 13 and 21, one in five attributed their decision to a friend who shared the Gospel with them, while a similar proportion credited their parents. Additionally, one-fifth remembered a specific event that triggered their commitment. Among those who decided for Christ as teenagers, 16% named a relative other than their parent as the primary influence. Only one in ten Christians who accepted Christ during the ages of 13 to 21 identified ministers as influencers.
Adults who accepted Christ as their Savior generally responded to different stimuli than younger individuals. The most common catalyst was a friend (19%), followed by experiences through mass media (14%), a live event (14%), or a relative (13%). Ministers led one out of every ten adult converts to Christ, while parents of adults were identified as the evangelistic influence by one in twelve (8%).[1]
In our meditations over the last few days, we have learned that the work of sharing the Gospel of Christ is something in which all of God's people should be involved. As we consider sharing the message of Christ’s salvation, the most critical steps are: 1) Begin praying for the individuals who are on your heart, 2) Get some training on what to say and which Scriptures to use, 3) Ask God for His heart of concern for your friend, son, daughter, or relative. The chances are low that bringing them to church to listen to the pastor will lead them to Christ. Most adults come to Christ because a friend shares the gospel with them. The most joyful aspect of a believer's life is leading another to Christ. The person you lead to Christ will be eternally grateful that you cared enough to pray and consider how to reach out to them. Over the next few days, we will think through how to present the Gospel and questions you can use to bring up eternal life through Christ.
Father, please help us reach out to our loved ones and friends with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Amen! Keith Thomas
For further instruction, a good YouTube video teaching would be 4. A Disciple’s Main Purpose.