In their book unChristian, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons present research done for the Barna Group dealing with the attitudes of young adult "outsiders" toward Christians. They report that "young outsiders have lost much of their respect for the Christian faith," with 38% of those interviewed claiming to have a "bad impression of present-day Christianity." Further, outsiders view Christian witnesses in a manner similar to their understanding of Mormon canvassers. They sense that Christians do not really care about them but rather are interested only in their conversion. One young woman commented: "Christians want you to pay attention to their message about Jesus, yet somehow I don't think Jesus would be happy about being turned into a gimmick."
The book is full of sobering data revealing the loss of influence the Christian church is experiencing with rising generations of Americans. The purpose of the book, though, is not to depress Christians, but to alert us to the reality that somehow we are not effectively communicating the beauty of the gospel as clearly as we need to. Gabe Lyons concludes, "It comes down to this: we must become Christlike again." To be a Christian, he says, means being God's agent of common grace in the world. "No strategy, tactics, or clever marketing campaign could ever clear away the smokescreen that surrounds Christianity in today's culture. The perceptions of outsiders will change only when Christians strive to represent the heart of God in every relationship and situation."
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