Barna: Young believers seek other vocabulary

Young adults and teens prefer the term “sharing faith” over “evangelism,” according to recent research by Barna.

Changes like this occur in language over time — including references to faith — often because younger generations move away from some parts of vocabulary used by their parents and grandparents, according to Barna.

Young adults and teens also expressed discomfort with the words “convert” and “winning souls.”

Few respondents of any age had negative attitudes toward the terms “missionary” and “missionary work.”

However, missionaries interviewed by Barna said they must use caution with these terms in countries where sharing the gospel is viewed negatively or outlawed.