"The Shape of Faith to Come:  Spiritual Formation and the Future of Discipleship"

How does our faith shape up today?

Various studies suggest Christians in North America are not qualitatively different in their character and practices than non-believers.  While some churches are growing numerically, many wonder to what impact.  Can we determine if our churches are producing Christians who look, think, and act like true followers of Jesus Christ?

In "The Shape of Faith to Come", research expert Brad J. Waggoner and his team measure the beliefs and actions of twenty-five hundred active Protestant churchgoers from across the country against seven key standards of biblical spiritual formation:

• Learning the Truth


• Obeying God and Denying Self


• Sharing Faith


• Serving God and Others


• Exercising Biblical Faith


• Building Solid Relationships


• Seeking God

The far-from-predictable findings reveal the current state and potential forecast of spiritual formation in the United States.  Adding encouragement to his insights, Waggoner calls all Christians to spiritual maturity and challenges church leaders to intentionally take up the mantle of making true disciples.