People who read are a dying breed.
Fact is, if you read much of anything, you are in a distinct minority in America....just because you read.
One in four Americans didn't read even one book last year. More than 50% of today's teens never read for pleasure.
According to a 2012 study by the National Endowment for the Arts, the number of Americans reading fiction has fallen to 44%--down from 50% only four years ago. Just a decade ago, about a third of us were “light readers” (between one and five books a year). That number shrank to 23% by 2012. More disturbing yet, the Pew Research Center suggests nearly 25% of Americans didn't read any books last year (whether print, digital or audio), a number that has tripled since 1978.
The two largest circulating magazines in the United States are AARP--The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. The number three slot, formerly occupied by Better Homes and Gardens, now belongs to Game Informer—the fastest growing magazine in America. Ironically, it is a magazine that encourages readers to stop reading and play video games!
What does all this mean to followers of Christ?
After all, we have a message we want to get out there.
First, there is no need to panic.
But there IS a need to change. Evolve. Strategize.
In Isaiah 55:11, God promises, “My Word will not return to me void.”
Digital platforms...mobile delivery...YouTube...and yes—traditional paper and ink books--are ALL going to be needed. Because that's where people are going...and that's where God's Word needs to be.
Thankfully, the destiny-changing gospel message is equally true whether conveyed in a papyrus, paperback, pdf, podcast...or erson!
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