One change discovered related to Bible reading, which climbed to 44% of adults reading from the Bible during the past week (other than while at church), up from 37% in 1994 and 36% in 1999. Bible reading jumped most noticeably among Protestants (up from 47% in 1994 to 59% in 2004) and residents of the west coast states (California, Oregon, and Washington – rising from 29% a decade ago to 44% today).

Another shift was in participation in small groups that meet during the week for the purpose of prayer, Bible study or spiritual fellowship, excluding Sunday school or other church classes. In 1994, just 12% of adults engaged in such a meeting during the previous week; currently, 20% of adults do so. The biggest increase was evident among men (a 100% leap, to 22% of all men); people 58 or older (more than double, from 14% to 29%); Protestants (increasing from 17% to 28%); and residents of the West (up from 11% to 26%).

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One interesting facet related to the behaviors growing in popularity, according to Barna, was their non-church nature. “Notice that the growth activities – Bible reading, prayer, small groups – are those that do not take place at a church. The church-oriented endeavors – attending services, volunteering in church programs, Sunday school participation – showed no movement. This may be an early warning sign that we are entering a new era of spiritual experience – one that is more tribal or individualized than congregational in nature.”