Nearly three quarters of Christians say the Bible challenges them to live in a way that runs counter to today's culture, a survey commissioned by Bible Society has revealed - but they still struggle to apply that challenge to their daily lives, the organisation warns.

The report, 'Taking the Pulse; Is the Bible alive and well in the Church today?', was undertaken by research company ComRes on behalf of Bible Society and other Christian organisations to give a snapshot of the way the Bible is used by the Church.

More than 3,660 churchgoers and church leaders in England and Wales were quizzed as part of the study. Five focus groups were also interviewed in depth, in one of the most extensive research projects of its kind which will be extended to Scotland later this year.

Figures show that almost all churchgoers and leaders believe the Bible is relevant and the majority of churchgoers feel it should shape their lives "a great deal".

The Bible challenged 91 per cent of church leaders and three-quarters of churchgoers to live differently, and most people felt "encouraged" when they read it.

A third of churchgoers said they read the Bible daily, and a quarter read it several times a week. Half said they were "fairly confident" in their knowledge of the Bible.

However, when it came to living out its message, the focus group studies found that churchgoers "want to learn how to apply the Bible to their daily lives".

Just over one in three churchgoers (39 per cent) said what they read in the Bible affected a decision they had made in the last week, and many think the church needs to provide more help in connecting biblical teaching to day-to-day life.