Temple Baptist Life

While researching on the internet I have come across some interesting statistics.

• 18 % of adults believe the Loch Ness Monster will one day be discovered.
• 18 % of adults believe Bigfoot will be discovered.
• 25 % of adults believe in UFO’s visit us from other worlds.
• 20 % believe that Aliens live with us on earth now disguised as humans.
• 28 % believe they can communicate with the dead.
• 8 % of Americans believe Elvis is still alive

I am not sure how valid these polls were and understand how the wording of questions can affect results. However these results seamed to ring true with my perception of our society as a whole. The one study that I was mainly interested in was conducted by the Barna Group. Their survey showed the likelihood of accepting Christ as your savior and was broken down by age group.

• Ages 5-13 yr. have a 32% probability of accepting Christ.
• Ages 14-18 yr have a 4% probability of accepting Christ.
• Ages 19 and above have a 6% probability of accepting Christ.

It seams so odd that after hearing the word of the bible and personal testimonies that a 30 year old, non believer is more likely to think Elvis is alive and not Christ? At Temple Baptist Church we have a variety of programs for all ages. We design outreach for young ,old and in between. I know that’s what God wants. The bible teaches us to reach out to all people.
I am so glad that our church supports the youth in so many ways. Son Shine Inn, TLC Christian School, VBS and Legacy youth group are all generously supported by Temple Baptist Church. This poll only backs up what our church already knew, the importance of investing in the young people of Salida. The study also revealed the importance of the testimony. Family and peer testimony have a great deal of impact to a non believer accepting Christ.

A few other poll results really surprised me. Only 20 % of Americans believe in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, while 43 % believe in creationism. What? Why is it then that public schools loudly proclaim evolution when science and public opinion do not support it? Why as Christians have we allowed this to happen? Isn’t it time to let our voices be heard?
Another oddity was a poll about holidays celebrated in the United States. Overwhelmingly, 71% thought Christmas was the most important national holiday, and surprisingly to me, 65% of Americans surveyed wanted to see more emphasis on the birth of Christ rather than the commercialism of the holiday.

These two polls really give me hope. The world tells us that we should keep our faith to ourselves. The world says that we should live and let live and not let our beliefs affect society. The world would have us believe that we are fighting an impossible battle. I know better. Our savior tells us that with God all things are possible. Be an encourager to those around you today. Don’t be afraid to let Gods truths reign in your life and those around you.