Few people will argue that church attendance in many churches in America is declining. Our own research indicates that the majority of churches in our country are not growing.
Most of us have our own ideas why attendance is declining. Many have suggested that our nation is shifting away from its Christian roots, and thus the churches are declining as a smaller proportion of our country are believers in Christ.
I certainly will not argue with that premise. Certainly attendance declines are related to massive cultural shifts in our nation. But I would also suggest that one reason for declines has a greater impact than others.
The Frequency Issue
Stated simply, the number one reason for the decline in church attendance is that members attend with less frequency than they did just a few years ago. Allow me to explain.
If the frequency of attendance changes, then attendance will respond accordingly. For example, if 200 members attend every week the average attendance is, obviously, 200. But if one-half of those members miss only one out of four weeks, the attendance drops to 175.
Did you catch that? No members left the church. Everyone is still relatively active in the church. But attendance declined over 12 percent because half the members changed their attendance behavior slightly.
This phenomenon can take place rather quickly in an individual church. And leaders in the church are often left scratching their heads because the behavioral change is so slight, almost imperceptible. We really don’t notice when someone who attends four times a month begins to attend only three times a month. Nor do we typically catch it when the twice-a-month attendee becomes a once-a-month attendee.
Five Possible Approaches to the Problem
Of course, the heart of the problem is not declining numbers but waning commitment. As I addressed in my book, I Am a Church Member, church membership is becoming less and less meaningful in many churches. As membership becomes less meaningful, commitment naturally wanes.
While I don’t want to suggest there is a magic bullet to this problem, I do want to offer some approaches to address it. These five have proven to be the most helpful in hundreds of churches:
- Raise the expectations of membership. You may be surprised how many church members don’t really think it’s that important to be an active part of the church. No one has ever told them differently.
- Require an entry class for membership. By doing so, the church makes a statement that membership is meaningful. The class should also be used to state the expectations of what a committed member looks like.
- Encourage ministry involvement. Many members become less frequent attendees because they have no ministry roles in the church. They do not feel like they are an integral part of the church.
- Offer more options for worship times. Our culture is now a 24/7 population. Some members have to work during the times of worship services. If possible, give them options. One businessman recently told me that he changed congregations to a church that offered a Saturday worship time because his job required him to catch a plane on Sunday morning.
- Monitor attendance of each member. This approach is often difficult, especially for worship attendance. That is why the traditional Sunday school approach of calling absentees was so effective. Perhaps churches can incorporate that approach in all groups. Members are less likely to be absent if they know someone misses them.
When Church Membership Becomes Meaningful
People want to be a part of something that makes a difference. They desire to be involved in something bigger than themselves.
Unfortunately, in many churches membership has become less and less meaningful. Until we get our churches back to the committed membership the Apostle Paul mandates in 1 Corinthians 12, we will continue to see declining attendance. But when membership becomes truly meaningful, our churches will become an unstoppable force for the Kingdom and glory of God.
Posted on August 19, 2013
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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280 Comments
To the older generation of smaller churches: I am 25 year old guy who might have some insight into why teens/young adults leave churches.
I grew up in a strong, dedicated Christian family from birth. I was always taught truth, the importance of keeping God’s commandments and church attendance. In one year I have grown 50x more in my journey then the previous 13 years of being a Christian… long way to go but let me tell you about why I stayed in church and am where I am not.
It sure as everything isn’t “commitment” in th sense the church has made it out to be. The only thing that really kept me in church was I am terrified of getting into trouble so I made sure that no matter the sin I struggled with or how the fact I NEVER read my Bible or prayed outside of church related activities I made sure that I went to church, because apparently, how much you do in the church building shows how good of a Christian you are. I grew up OBSERVING others. You want young people to buy into what you’re saying? We watch. You know what I saw? 2 extremely dedicated parents who felt like they always had to do everything, heaven forbid miss a service… church has become a chore for their older, tired bodies. Our church is struggling badly, even tho I would put up the love of our church family against anyones, its badly sick, if not dying. The 30 who are left are overworked because heaven forbid we stop doing one thing less. Heaven forbid we change something or drop something so we can focus on a few things to make sure we excel in. What is the solutions? “People need to be more committed. Be in your place and do your job. Be here to support your pastor and the long time adult S S teacher (not be here for Jesus). If you don’t come to the scheduled social gathering we have that may cost money, you’re cheating yourself out of a blessing.” Instead of everyone looking to help out someone who is struggling and missing church we look around and say “Guys we need to make sure we’re where we need to be.” My dad is frustrated, my mom (of years of volunteering with children’s ministry) sadly says “I guess I’m not committed enough” when I talk to her later because apparently participation is what makes a better Christian.
Well I followed suit. As a 22 year old I felt like I had to take the Awana commander job and fil in for people whowere out, do ggame time then quickly run out for council time. I do music Sunday morning. I held a weekly youth meeting. I was a diligent worker for Christ. AND I WAS MISERABLE. Why? Because I didn’t see a Christian faith lived out past Sunday in many people’s lives. Focuswas on hard work inside the church with little focus outside of church. You did your job at church (even if you ddidn’t want to which I saw alot) then you go about your daily lives thru the week. I had sin in my life I thought I couldn’t break. I tried doing more to make up f or it and make God love me more, something I felt was taught in the 3 churches growing up. I knew reading my Bible and praying was key. The problem is I viewed my relationship as a math problem. If I do this + don’t sin = close relationship. That’s because I saw the church that way. You just “did it because you were supposed to”. It doesn’t matter if you wanted to or not. It has become discouraging to my family. We don’t need to be more committed TO THE CHURCH. I have started doing less but I am now walking with Christ daily and not just on Sunday. I have so far to go! Yet I finally understand things now. I believe the old school people in smaller churches MAY be becoming the new Pharisees if they aren’t careful. Tradition is becoming doctrine. “Commit and do better” is the theme. Remember, the 12 Apostles had SO many problems yet Christ lovingly brought them along. Maybe your kids simply aren’t coming because they dont want that difficult life you put the family thru because you forced them to attend church yet didn’t show during the week how vital Jesus was to your every day life. Again, by the grace of God I stayed in church and am where I am now was only because His grace but I was too afraid of God’s judgment on me if I wasn’t “committed” to all the rules the church makes you feel you have to follow!
That is crazy! Church attendance is irrelevant. The supposed “pastors” (megalomaniacs) aren’t called by God but introduce fleshly methods of worshiping God such as deplorable “contemporary worship” (being a slob for God).
Too many churches promote an unBiblical form of worship and those are down right scary. Gone are the days of the simplicity of preaching the gospel.
With all due respect to the author, i disagree with the frequency being the number one reason of church decline. Obviously, you have not ever experienced nor been the brunt of what goes on in these churches. I’m curious to know what your positional standing is and if you feel that expressing the true reasons might jeopardize your entitle ship, rank or income, might get you bumped…now on these premises, would you like to discuss the truth about what is going on? If this is not the case, then i would imagine your blind to the painful ostrazicing goings on that these leaders in no way seem to be affected by and scatter the sheep to work out their emotional train-wreck alone, leaving them to feel doubt, discouragement, isolated and disfellowshipped… too many to list here but church for me is no longer a safe refuge away from a hostile and evil world…it looks and acts just like the world…where is the ark, away from the raging waters? shame on you leaders and minions who don’t want to see what is happening simply bc you don’t desire to get your hands dirty or to come to the fullness of the truth…and i know money and status play a huge role in whatever rank or title or duty or position one holds. As a women, the worst kind of cultish acts that are going on can be related to “high school”…there are many to list but no time or space but i believe this one will drive home my point…Little cliques, popular status, titles and unqualified persons leading clubs such as connect groups are causing great falling away! People see this at work, school, playgrounds, organizations, it’s everywhere…why is it happening in the church? I cringe when I heard a story of how one Pastor’s wife was pouring out favoritism onto the body…why is it that Pastors and their wives act in such a way? I’ve sat in these groups, witnessed the attitudes of these women and how they flaunt themselves and come off all uppity…this is killing the fellowship of women…I will go on to say that as a divorced, single parent, struggling women with no education, i was made to feel as such an outcast and it wasn’t all in my head, it was real folks…and then when i began to express and voice my concerns and beliefs i was chastised out loud in front of 20+ women in open hand holding praryer…I rode with a friend who invited me, so i had no power or control of my situation so after this prayer, while we were all being dismissed, i had to take it, stand there and wait for my ride to say her good-byes, feeling the tension in the air you could cut it with at knife, and no one approached me with any care or concern bc their views and opinions differed from mine…these are the cult like practices going on in the church i was a member of, baptized in and in loving commune with few but not many, till i realized this is a dead church if this kind of crap is happening…then later, the women who invited me to this “connect-group” which is described as love reaching out in community, popped off saying…”well, do you think you’ll be coming back after that”….Really? These people were Baptist and I’ve been in a few of these churches and they are all the same…Baptist are the meanest, most hateful fraud Christians I have ever had the pleasure of meeting….after this experience, when someone invites me to a group setting like this, where all they do is sit around and eat and gossip and when they do finally get to discussing anything Jesus related, then accuse you of putting Jesus in a box? what does that even mean? I’ve never heard it before and still cannot understand what that has anything to do with what we were reading, only puts this aggressive person popping off with these comments, more in control…i would venture to say she was the pasotrs wife’s pet…enough said on this one experience, but Dear Thom, there are many…go visit a womens group, in fact visit several…and you will see the going’s on…put away you stats and go where it is Live!!
These are great ideas however, I have found that most churches that I have attended do not want to address problems. They just want to relate to the status quo and when it is too late, they still do not change. Most importantly is that the leadership will call you names, state that you are wolf in sheep’s clothing, or claim they are being led by the Holy Spirit regardless of what is happening. They really do not love people but want control and will have you either ostracized or tell you not to return if you mention any problem areas.
If we stop and discern the real problem,the church will operate as it should.Prayer should be the first priority.Second,the house of the Lord should be honored in every aspect of attending or serving.Our culture entering it should not be tolerated.The church has compromised how God should be honored by allowing behaviors and worldly fashion being implemented into the gospel.Pastors have gone weak with this passive approach.The church will never be what it was intended to be if it doesn’t orchestrate its own behavior according to the word of God.
My church is in Africa, i have been struggling with what to do to have members attend service on time. I do want you help me with ways to have them eager enough to attend on time and also be frequent in services.
Truly, I don’t want Church or to be a Member of an Organization, what I want is a real relationship with Jesus Christ. Point me in that direction and I will know that the Church has my best interest in mind. Today it is so rare that the Name of Jesus Christ is even mentioned.
The problem with the american church is Apostasy. Those religious leaders are censoring the word of God, and preaching only on what is convenient to them. They never preach on end times prophecies, sin, hell or the devil. They are more concerned about pleasing people than pleasing God. And when that happens the Spirit of God departs from that church. Consequently, there is no manifestation of God in that church, no miracles. And since people don’t see any difference between the secular world and the church, they also leave. Preachers need to preach from Genesis to Revelation, or, there will be judgement. The word says that judgement starts at the house of God.
The problem with the american church is APOSTASY. They are censoring the word of God and preaching only on what is convenient to them. They never preach on end times prophecy, sin, hell or the devil. They act like we are already in heaven, but the bible tells us we are in a spiritual warfare. They worry more about pleasing people than pleasing God. And when that happens the Spirit of God will depart from that church. Therefore, there is no manifestation of God in that church, no miracles. And since people don’t see any difference between the secular world and the church, they also leave. Preachers need to preach the word from Genesis to Revelation, or, there will be judgement. The Word says that judgement starts at the house of God.
I attended an Evang. church service whereby the pastor publicly announced, as he looked about the 18 people in attendance, that there are those in attendance who do not believe as “we” do. I was appalled. He made it clear that they, I was one, wasn’t welcome. We’ve never gone back. The pastor had his clique of men friends and that’s what it’s about. A church should welcome all and serve as an anchor in the community.