Page 55 - Finding Jesus with Good News report A5 WEB

What has helped them to keep following Jesus?

Finally, we asked what had helped people in the early days of following Jesus, and
then which one or two things had been most important.

Which one or two things have been most helpful since you
came to faith?
Reading the Bible alone 30%
Praying alone 26%
Worship 23%
Reading the Bible with others 23%
Getting baptised 19%
Experiences of God 17%
Praying with other people 15%
Being part of a wider church community 15%
Sermons 14%
Being part of a small group 13%
One particular Christian friend 11%
Talking to other Christians 11%
A church leader 9%
Serving practically 6%
Doing a course about faith 5%
Online resources 4%
Social media posts 3%

Whilst being challenging, the spiritual practices of Bible reading and prayer
are hugely important for new believers. For both, 60% said they had been
important and at least a quarter of respondents said they were one of the
most important factors. Typically, people learn those in a community, which
is also reflected in these results.
Connection to God through worship was similarly important for 61% overall
and most important for a quarter of people. Overall, half reported ongoing
experiences of God, with 17% seeing them as crucial in the early days of faith.
Baptism came up frequently as an important factor. Overall, 58% said it was
important and one fifth identified it as one of the two most helpful things
in their journey. It was made clear by the participants that getting baptised
was a powerful declaration to others and to themselves, that this was a

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