Step 1: Understand

What does it mean to be Bible-centered and how does it relate to a thriving church? Join David Kinnaman, President of Barna Group, as he explains this integral dimension.

Discover the Data

In Barna’s research of thriving churches, the Bible-Centeredness dimension measures how well a church is helping congregants understand and live out biblical teachings. This isn’t simply about quoting scripture on Sundays, but about equipping people to return to the Bible regularly, build their lives on it and let it shape their faith in tangible ways. Across the three key categories of a thriving church—nurturing, sending and leading—this dimension falls into the nurturing category.