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
The biggest reason for membership decline is the homosexuality thing. We are conforming to our own rules to our satisfaction to worship God instead of the the way god wants us to worship him. The Bible says that a union of marriage is to be between a woman an a man. Be fruitful and multiply. Can’t do that with two persons of the same sex. Yes, we are all Gods children but, some of his children have a sickness instilled in their brain that makes them display this unnatural an disgusting behavior. I have left the church as many as others have because of this issue. So get rid of the open gay an lesbian pastors, get marriage back to persons of the opposite sex. The devil has a big influence on this issue, we need to run him off. then I will return to the church
I think this post is spot-on. I have definitely seen this in my church where I have been a member for 25 years. One of my observations is that we ask people to commit to leadership, but we give them ways to not be consistent in attendance. For instance, most Sunday morning classes have more than one teacher (sometimes several) so the class is covered when a teacher can’t be there. While there are some benefits to this, it also gives more freedom to be conveniently gone.
Thanks Kelly.
Wow, what a great discussion. As several have stated, I believe the main reason for this falling away in attendance is relational. Not only the relationship to each other in the congregation but to God as the head of the church. When I was a kid, we believed that to be close to God you needed to be in church (among many other things of course). Over a period of time this teaching has come under fire. People have been told you don’t have to be a part of a church to be in God’s family. We have also seen the decline of the family and to combat this have told people that family should come first. This is true, of course, but that has come to mean if junior wants to go to the zoo during church time Sunday, well family first, we’ll see you next week.
Terry Reed
Small Church Tools
Regarding point #5, I began doing this at my church two years ago and it has been very eye-opening. We are a small 125 member church. I created a spreadsheet with every single person in the church on it, as well as a slot for visitors, and I began tracking attendance. If a visitor comes three times I put them in the spreadsheet. It has been helpful to me to learn exactly who attends at what time so I am not relying on guesswork. The sheet has helped me see who attends the most, and therefore who might be good candidates for leadership and other positions.
The southern baptist convention voted Jesus as secondary to the
bible maybe if we put Christ first attendance might improve.
j
We all come from different backgrounds and personal reasons why and how often we attend church. I attend daily Mass Monday thru Saturday at my local parish. I attend services at my wife’s evangelical church on Sunday. At Mass we have the liturgy of the word followed by the liturgy of the Eucharist where I receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. As I know this to be true; it instills in me a very strong wanting to desire to receive this precious sacrament that draws me to the church and to the Mass like a magnet. On Sundays I am also fed with the words of God. As a Catholic convert, I look at it as my Sunday attendance with my wife at her evangelical church as my Sunday School attendance minus the Eucharist. I’m grounded in my faith and know the theological differences that permit me to be fed there. That is how I am motivated to attend church regularly including during the week. It may sound confusing to some but I hope it helps others be motivated to attend church on a regular basis.
A post above leaves me feeling as though I should offer one last comment in this thread.
Steve said, among other comments: “I do not, however, give equal credence to the other portions of the Bible”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (KJV)
All means all. Honestly, I don’t care who you Blog for, how many books you have written or which side of the bread you prefer to butter; No man is free to pick and choose which portions of the scriptures are relevant or whether they pertain to God’s ultimate plan for mankind. Either the Bible in its entirety is God’s word or it is not. Either ALL scripture is relevant, or no scripture is relevant.
Much time, ink and pixels are wasted on discussing the symptoms made apparent throughout the Body of Christ, while precious little time or effort is focused on the sickness. We have speakers and coaches running all over the country telling us how to treat the symptoms. Rarely is there a man standing center stage, full of holy discontent and Holy Spirit boldness, identifying the illness for what it is, pointing to Christ as the cure and then investing time in a local body to facilitate favorable change for God’s glory.
The stories of someone leaving in anger, the heartache and broken promises, people fighting over scraps of control or prestige; these are mere symptoms of the real illness. The illness is that Christ is not the head of the local churches or sometimes even entire denominations that are experiencing decline. I weep for the Church as a whole when I hear of divisions over Calvinism vs. Arminianism vs. Wesleyan. My heart breaks over the stories people tell about their leaving a local church family over the foolishness that happens within our churches. It’s sin and it grieves the heart of God.
The cure is simple friends. Honestly, it is. Put Christ first and leave Him as the head of the local assembly. It’s that easy. Pray together, exhort and encourage each other. Confront the sin running rampant in the church, but do it in love. Seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. Preach about Jesus overcoming sin, death and the grave for me and you. Make disciples who make disciples for the glory of God. Grow in Christ, share your faith, and for crying out loud; express some Christ like love to one another. If the church would just focus there, all of the other issues would melt away. We won’t be perfect or trouble free, but we will be well on our way the where God wants us.
I’m sorry to have yelled, but this is the number one burden God has placed on my heart and it burns in me like a raging inferno.
Brother Jonathon, AMEN and AMEN! God has taken of His time to provide the Church with all of the guidance we need to avoid conflict, if we are obedient to His Word; and has given us all of the guidance we need to resolve conflict, once again, if we are obedient to His Word. Though I identify as a Southern Baptist and have attended SBC Churches most of my life; I have also attended Church of Christ, Lutheran, Methodist, Independent Baptist and, on occasion, Presbyterian. I do not hold with any of the Doctrines of Man (i.e. Calvinism, Armenianism, or any other ism). I believe that the Holy Bible, opened to us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, says it all. In the current environment we find our nation, if the Church, regardless of denomination, does not pull together in harmony, the forces of Satan, which are growing more bold every day, will rip the Church apart, leaving only a small remnant to greet Christ upon His return. I firmly believe that denominationalism is Satan’s way of weakening the Body of Jesus Christ on Earth and is the basis of separation within communities. As you point out, all we need to is be obedient to Christ’s Word – Loving the Lord Our God with all of our being and Loving Our Neighbor as ourselves. This will put an end to jealousy / covetousness (the original sin of Lucifer) and bring forth a strong and healthy Body of Christ. Christians are running out of time to pull the lost into the Ark of Safety. The day of judgment will be bitter for both the sheep and the goats. For the goats, due to facing eternal damnation; and for the sheep, due to seeing those with whom we should have shared the Gospel of Christ standing with the goats. This vision, to me, is the most horrible I can imagine.
God Bless you in your walk with Jesus Christ!
This is genuinely comical. Here, one of the leading spokespersons for Baptist – a presumed researcher, too – notes what he calls “the number one reason for the decline in church attendance.” I thought I had heard or read all of the misguided explanations for church decline by those who refuse to face the harsh truth that people are leaving the church because of rigid and narrow theology…because of closed-minded leaders and congregations full of those who reject truth in favor of myths…the misguided ambitions among leaders in the church…and, a host of other reasons I could not list here.
But not the reason given here by Tom Rainer.
Tom’s explanation here may be the most comical and misguided yet. I’m really surprised and thought at first he was just grabbing his reader’s attention with the title and his explanation for the decline he was soon refute too as a joke.
But, as you have discovered, he isn’t joking.
I quote him here again: “The number one reason for the decline in church attendance is that members attend with less frequency…”
Really? That’s the best you’ve got?
I almost fell out of my chair when I read that. Genuinely hysterical.
I never ceased to be amazed at the refusal by those who claim to hold the Truth at facing the truth about themselves at one-and-the-same time?
How do you do that?
Thanks for commenting Steve. I welcome those who disagree with me.
By the way, was your dad T. L. McSwain who served as pastor of Hurtsbourne Baptist in Louisville? If so, he was my first pastor when I entered seminary. Good man.
Yes, T.L., as everyone knew him, was my dad. It’s been nearly twenty years since he passed and infinitely sooner than I or anyone else was prepared to let him go. He was indeed a good man and a grand role model. I follow you frequently, too, Mr. Rainer. I find your explanation for the widespread departure, not just from Baptist churches, but as one who coaches and counsels churches representing virtually every communion in the US, Catholic, Evangelical, and Protestant notwithstanding, I know, as you know, the church is trouble. Serious trouble. Explanations for the decline, as in your explanation here, are, on the one hand, accurate in substance, sorely missing, on the other hand, to accurately reflect the gravity of the situation. Every major denomination in America is experiencing decline, some steep decline. The reasons? There are many. I have written about many of them for the Huffington Post, hardly the publication I’m certain many of your readers follow. But then, I could be wrong. I’m wrong about many things. What I think I accurately understand, however, are many of the reasons why people are leaving in such alarming numbers. Somewhere along the way, in my blogging for HuffPo, I got labeled “the voice for the spiritual but not religious.” Many people have concluded that must mean I, too, have left the church and, as a consequence, rank myself among the fastest growing group in America commonly known as the “nones,” most of whom were once ranked among the religiously affiliated. Those who have concluded such simply do not know me. I love the church. I am more deeply committed to Christ today than at any other time in my life. Admittedly, I do not share the same fundamentalist theology of many of those persons with whom I once shared ministry, but that in no way diminishes my loyalty to Christ or my love for the church. I would only ask that, in the future, when you write about the seriousness of what’s happening in American Christianity that your words and your assessment reflect a more serious tone and a more serious assessment of what is a most serious concern. Please forgive me if this comes across in any way as arrogant or judgmental. I mean no disrespect whatsoever. I am, however, weary of disregard by many leaders in the church with what is fundamentally wrong with the church across all communions and, as a consequence, is leaving scores of people, most of whom have not nor would ever consider abandoning their faith, with no other option but to leave the church of their upbringing.
Thanks so much. I hope you are comfortable calling me “Thom,” especially since I took the liberty to call you by your first name.
There is no doubt that I constantly need correction in my life and ministry. I consider it a gift when someone points out weaknesses and errors in my writings in particular, and in my life in general.
My family was at Hurtsborne Baptist for only a year, because I had the opportunity to become pastor of a small church in southern Indiana. It was during that year my own dad was diagnosed with cancer and died within two months. I will ever be grateful to your father for his calls and concern. I can tell you two were close, and that you still miss him to this day. I can understand why you do.
Steve,
Your comments seem harsh to me, and do not appear to be offered in the spirit of artful leadership, professional coaching or for the nurturing and care of a soul as your website indicates is your purpose.
Everyone knows that the decline in the church in North America is because we are fat, lazy and rich. We don’t preach Christ crucified, resurrected and seated at the right hand of the Father. There is also very little focus on righteous living or discipleship. Everything else you mentioned is a symptom of what I just mentioned, not the cause.
As a participant on this blog for several months now, I have found that there is a healthy trend established by Thom Rainer. That trend is content and titles that provoke thought and elicit feedback from the visitors. Often, Thom leaves further dialogue and the exchange of ideas to the users of the Blog, which invariably leads to shared solutions and encouragement for everyone.
Let’s build each other up in love and keep our eye on the prize.
Thank you Jonathan for your comment. If I have come across judgmentally, I apologize. For pointing out the shallowness of this explanation for the widespread departure from the church, I do not. The explanation given by Thom Rainer for the decline of the church is simply shallow, disrespectful of the pain that many have experienced in making the decision to leave, and simply not an accurate portrayal of the seriousness of the issue. If you’d like to know more about what I feel in this regard, I would direct you to the many things about which I have written already and need not try to repeat here. If you are a reader of the Huffington Post, go there, SEARCH Steve McSwain and you’ll likely find, either much with which you agree or very much with which to disagree. Thank you for your comments. God’s speed my friend in your walk with Christ.
Brother Steve,
I can understand your disagreement with the article, but I cannot understand your “the harsh truth that people are leaving the church because of rigid and narrow theology…because of closed-minded leaders and congregations full of those who reject truth in favor of myths” statement. Do you believe that the basis of Christianity, the Word of God/Holy Bible is a myth? I pray, for your sake, that this is not your belief. If this is your belief, I ask, what would you put forth as the foundation of Christianity? I look forward to your clarification.
God Bless you!
For me, David, and thank you for your comment, but for me, the basis of Christianity is neither the Bible nor any particular church or doctrine. The basis is Jesus himself and what little we could ever know about him as recorded in the four Gospels. I do not, however, give equal credence to the other portions of the Bible, while I do hold all portions in deep respect and seek to understand through my study of scripture what people at various junctures of Biblical history understood about God and how God is related to this world. Thank you again and I wish you God’s speed as you seek to follow Christ in your own life.
I also am a former Baptist who was asked to leave over narrow and rigid issues. I wanted to start small groups in homes and not use SBC materials. It was one of the most devastating events of my life. I too am in pain about the things I see that cause people to leave churches and denominations because oi what I would call narrowness of mind and heart but not always theology. Violation of the unwritten rules of being a Baptist is what troubles many.
After the tragic death of Rick and Kay Warren’s son there were many calls by bloggers and writers for churches to be sensitive to emotionally distressed persons. I agree completely. Then some articles appeared by SBC Men of Importance that suggested members who asked too many questions and concerns of the Pastor be told to leave and find another church. It is that kind of merciless and defensive stance that drives many of us away. I have seen it also in response to this article.
But take heart, Dr. I have found a different stance in many new churches that are loving, open, welcoming and growing. They provide love, hope, truth and healing to hurting members of society.
Thank you for your comment Gary. I am so sorry for your pain, but I celebrate your joy in your new church.
the sbc has voted Jesus as secondary to the bible.i thought in my 80 years that Jesus was primary to
christianity . maybe if we restored him to first place thing might change.
j
c
Church..”means called out”.
As a member of a small church or a large church, membership in Christianity is on a decline even as it grows. Their are so many people that say they are christians that don”t follow the teachings. The new Church has no rules or consequences everything is okay. You can now hold office positions as a lovers of the same sex. There is now many ways to get into heaven taught by our new leaders. There are Bishops and Deacons that have been divorced still holding positions.(1 Tim. 3:2,12) Ministers caught in varieties of scandals leading Gods missions. These are some reasons why the church has a decline in members. When the church is just as worldly as the the people of the world where is the safe haven? To get the church back GODs chosen has to be above reproach. Leaders set the example for the flock as shepherds. Keep the laws of GOD in effect at his house the church then you will see an over flow of true christians. Notes—– 1Tim. 3:2,12– Ezek. 3:17,18,21– Luke 17:3,4–Matt: 18:6– 2Thess. 3:6– 1Cor.5:9-11 6:9-11 2Thess. 3:6,11 Titus 3:10,11…
I’m just saying. The Church must keep it Gospel.
jesus did say the way to the father is to me
he is also god the son in the trinity… that’s another thing….
no one believes in the trinity no more
Funny, you’ve mentioned lovers of the same sex and divorce. Absolutely nothing about social justice which was at the core of almost everything Jesus taught. Universal health care. Fairer pay for the poorest workers amongst us. Compassionate treatment of refugees, asylum seekers and other marginalised people. Reducing the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. That’s why the young are leaving the churches in droves. Because preachers (some) are pre-occupied on the issues which require no personal sacrifice and ignore those which do. Social justice requires a redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor. That’s when ‘Christian’ men and women cross their arms and frown. Because it means they might actually lose something material themselves. And that’s not part of their plan.
Brett, I think that it is not the rich who in fear of are being taken from but the people that worked hard all of their lives to be able to just have their home to live in, and not starve in their retirement. I believe they are afraid of losing this type of small amount of security because someone wants to take from them and give to those who were never willing to really work for it. You know the free ride.