An October 2006 study conducted by The Barna Research Group among a random sample of 1,004 adults provides the following unique insights. Roughly one-third of Americans say they’ve engaged in some type of sexually inappropriate behavior in the last month, including looking at online pornography, viewing sexually explicit magazines or movies, or having an intimate sexual encounter outside of marriage. This might not sound like an extremely high percentage—especially when compared to some studies of dubious validity that have grossly exaggerated America’s “skin” problem—but our data means that more than 70 million Americans engage in sexually permissive behaviors each month. Among people in their 20s and 30s, half have done so. Unfortunately, Christians behave no differently. Sexual permissiveness within the Christian community is virtually identical to behavior outside it: Thirty percent of born-again Christians admit to at least one of the above activities in the past 30 days, compared with 35 percent of other Americans. In statistical and practical terms, this means that people in churches look and act no differently than outsiders.
Attitudes are also changing in substantial ways, especially among young adults, who are significantly more likely than older adults to view as acceptable such things as sexual fantasies, cohabitation, sex before marriage, pornography, oral sex, and same-sex encounters. Again these attitudes are also prevalent among young Christians. A majority of born-again Christians under the age of 40 believes that cohabitation and sexual fantasizing are morally acceptable; one-quarter says there’s nothing wrong with a sexual relationship between people of the same sex. Younger Christians are twice as likely as born-again Boomers to say that these activities are morally neutral. For example, 59 percent of born-again young adults believe that cohabitation is morally acceptable compared to 33 percent of born-again older adults.

What can you do as a church leader?

1) Be objective. Don’t deny the nature of the problem within your community and your church. Not everyone struggles at all times with sexual issues. But we reap what we sow, and our culture, families, and churches will face even more fragmentation and crises.

2) Be EQUIPPING. Because society foists sex upon people at younger ages, be sure to equip parents and young people. The innocence of childhood should be protected, but not at the expense of leaving our children defenseless. Your ministry should be intentional, prayerful, and clear about the nature of sexuality.

3) Be proactive. Beyond merely talking about God’s boundaries for sexuality, church leaders must cultivate transparent, accountable, and softhearted relationships. Admit faults. Get help. Your power to positively impact others depends on it.

DAVID KINNAMAN is president and strategic leader of The Barna Group. You can learn more about the company’s research at www.barna.org.