Global SALT Index Partnership Brief

Arnie Cole
10 hours ago
2 min read

Measuring What Actually Forms Disciples — Together

Why This Matters

Across the global Church, we report unprecedented access to Christianity—Scripture availability, digital reach, training resources, and evangelistic activity. Yet few efforts measure whether these inputs are producing durable spiritual formation, obedience, and reproducible discipleship at the population level.

The SALT Index (Scripture Absorption and Life Transformation) was developed to address that gap by measuring outcomes, not outputs.

The 2025 U.S. General Population study revealed a clear pattern: belief remains widespread, but formation and multiplication outcomes are thin. Global leaders have asked an urgent question:

Is this pattern uniquely American—or a warning signal for the global Church?

The Global SALT Index initiative exists to answer that question with rigor, humility, and shared learning.

What Is the SALT Index?

The SALT Index is a research instrument, not a program.It measures spiritual formation outcomes across five domains:

Belief & Discernment – core Christian convictions
Practices & Discipleship – lived faith behaviors
Scripture Engagement – frequency and absorption
Life Transformation – internal and observable change
Community & Multiplication – mentoring and disciple-making

It is designed for population-level baselines, longitudinal tracking, and cross-cultural comparison.

What Makes This Different

Most widely cited studies measure:

Religious identity
Beliefs or attitudes
Church participation

The SALT Index measures:

Scripture absorption (days/week)
Observable life change
Actual discipling behavior

In short: it tests whether Christian activity is producing formed and reproducing disciples, not just exposure or affiliation.

What Partnership Looks Like

Partners participate by leading or supporting a national or regional SALT Index study using a shared global protocol.

Each partner:

Owns their country-level data and report
Contributes to a global comparative dataset
Retains freedom to add contextual (local) questions
Commits to a shared core module for comparability

This is not a ranking exercise.It is a shared diagnostic for learning and stewardship.

What Partners Receive

A validated survey instrument and translation framework
Sampling, weighting, and quality-control specifications
Data tables and visualization templates
A national formation baseline report
Inclusion in a global synthesis (optional)
Access to cross-national learning and comparison

What This Enables

For churches, networks, and funders, SALT data helps answer:

Where is formation strong—and where is it thin?
Is Scripture engagement reaching transformational levels?
Are disciples actually reproducing?
Are funding and strategy aligned with outcomes?

For global leaders, it enables:

Early detection of formation erosion
Evidence-based discipleship strategy
Outcome-aligned funding decisions

Who This Is For

National church networks
Global mission agencies
Lausanne-related initiatives
Foundations and major donors
Research institutions serving the Church

Invitation

We are inviting a limited number of global partners to participate in Phase One replication studies (2026–2027). Participation is collaborative, transparent, and non-competitive.

If we do not measure formation, we cannot steward it.