Faith Trends
There are many studies on evangelism—approaches, methods, effectiveness, etc.—but few touch on how adults become Christians and what happens afterward.
Between 2019 and 2021, Wycliff College conducted research, exploring the patterns within different demographic segments, detailing why people become Christians and what changed in their lives after becoming a Christian.
The authors of the study stated they:
wanted to better understand what helped our respondents to become Christians, recognizing that this was likely to involve circumstances, people, churches, ministries, and other influences. When asked about life events that might have triggered their journey toward becoming Christian, one third said there were none that they could identify. However, the other two thirds could point to specific catalysts, with equal distribution between positive events (getting married, the birth of a child, or something else) and negative (the death of a loved one, personal health issues, the loss of a job, mental health issues, addiction, or something else).
Why This Matters
The primary purpose for this research was to identify patterns and offer insights for organizations and individuals so they can become more effective at evangelism.
Respondents were asked what life was like before they became a Christian.
- 47% had a sense that something was missing
- 30% said they were wondering about the meaning of life
- 28% said they were struggling with personal issues
- 27% said they were curious about God and Christianity
- 15% said they had a sense of shame about their past
- 11% said they were suffering with a sense of guilt
While these may be expected responses, the study also discovered that 20% of respondents described their lives before Christ as contented, and 8% said their previous lives were fulfilled.
Understanding the groups that do not feel like something is missing will be especially important in evangelism efforts moving forward.
Next Step
To read Finding Faith in Canada Today: A Study on How Canadians Become Christians, click here.