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Perhaps the most important reason to produce a new
translation is to reach today's generation of 18- to
34-year-olds, a generation that is leaving the church
in record numbers. According to research, four out
of ten people leave the church after high school, and
another eight million twenty-somethings will likely
leave the church by the time they turn 30. (barna.org)
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The Generation
X & Millennial's
Fact Sheet by Zondervan.
Part of the reason for this mass exodus is that today's
generation thinks differently than previous generation.
For example, they're more likely to relate to stories
and personal experiences than to traditional expressions
of propositional truth. For them, authentic religion
is a much about HOW they live as WHAT they
believe.
While older forms of English may not present a problem
for some readers, they can present barriers to understanding
and fully engaging the Bible for today's generation
because they've grown up using more contemporary English.
In addition, the TNIV
translators were mindful of what they were working
on: Today's New International Version. It is intended
for English-speaking readers no matter where they live.
 English usage keeps changing–between 1993 and 2003,
Merriam-Webster made 100,000 changes and added more
than 10,000 words and phrases to its collegiate dictionary.
Thirty years have passed since the NIV was released.
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A 2004 Harris Interactive Poll showed that 59%
of 18-34 year-olds (churched or un-churched) said
the Bible was relevant to their lives, yet more
than half (53%) said they never read the Bible
or read it less than once a year. Clearly there
is a need to reach this audience.
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There are 32 million “spiritually-intrigued” 18-34
year-olds open to Christianity.
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There are 8 million twenty-somethings on the
verge of disengaging from the church.
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Barna Research Group found that 40% of churched
children stop attending church as adults.
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77% of 18-34 year-olds prefer the text of the
TNIV; 72% of 18-34 year-olds find the TNIV text
easier to understand.
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According to JET Market Research, 85% of 18-34-year-olds
surveyed said they would like a copy of the full
TNIV when it is released in 2005.
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