In 2017, Barna reported on two large segments of U.S. adults who were disaffiliated from the Church—the “spiritual but not religious” and those who “love Jesus but not the Church.” This groundbreaking study highlighted how the twin cultural trends of deinstitutionalization and individualism moved spiritual practice away from the public rituals of institutional Christianity to the private experience of God within.

Spiritually Open, a new study by Barna Group, takes a fresh look at a similar cohort: those who consider themselves open to the spiritual dimension of life—including practicing Christians and those who are unaffiliated with faith or a church—and whose spirituality takes on a variety of forms. Here, we’ll summarize what faith leaders need to know about teens ’ and adults’ perceptions of Jesus versus his Church. Understanding these differences and looking for clues on how the Church may be able to overcome its reputational challenges is the focus of this field guide.