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
I just read this blog for the first time. I am a Christian, but again stopped attending church. I find single males are not accepted as readily as females. For some reason single men are viewed as potential threats.
Also, I find that so many church attenders put on a “Stepford Wife” face; they act like they have it all together and lead perfect lives in Christ. So if I were to be real and admit that I have a struggle, they act like I am less of a Christian. This is common.
The churches are all about the lead pastor. If I remember scripture correctly, we are to meet and a person is to give the message, then after the message is given the others are to discuss the message. In churches today if somebody disagrees, then that person is viewed as a trouble maker.
I like to corporately sing (worship) to Jesus. I like an inspiring message. I like to learn about the Old Testament as I’ve spent the vast majority of my time in the New.
But why go to church if the negatives so outweigh the positives. I hurt when I am treated as if I have churchian leprosy.
By default, I believe that church attendance is not necessary for salvation. Belief and faith in Christ is it for salvation, but to grow and minister effectively to others, as we are called to do, having a church home is unfortunately essential.
This is my quagmire. I am curious what response I will get. I thank you all in advance.
Brother Bob, It pains me to hear that you have had a less than uplifting Church experience which has caused you to decide to terminate your association. I agree with you that many congregations in the United States are not very welcoming and that, in many cases, it can be a struggle to fit in. As one who has moved over thirty times in his life and had to face the challenge of gaining acceptance in many congregations, one must face this challenge from the standpoint of attendance as “obedience to God.” You are upset with the apparent hypocrisy you have faced in Church and the less than welcoming atmosphere; however, this begs the question of: “Why am I attending Church?” If I only attend Church based on what I obtain from the experience, then I am failing to put Jesus first in my Christian relationship. We can always find tares (i.e. hypocrites) among the wheat (i.e. true Christians); however, the challenge is to not allow ourselves to become fixated on the tares, but to do all we can to become one of the wheat. I know that American Culture and to a great extent, the American Church, have embraced a “me” mentality; however, Christ never commanded us to be focused on “me,” but to focus first on our relationship with God, in obedience, and then to Love Our Neighbor As Ourselves. To quote a passage from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.
I pray you will see the wisdom in this word. God Bless!
Fear not, Bob. Jesus commanded us to pray in private, not publicly (Matthew 6 – Do not be ljke the hypocrites who pray in the public houses of worship. When you pray, go into your room and close the door. And pray to your father in Heaven who is unseen in these words…which is what we now know as the
Lord’s Prayer). Those ‘Stepford wives’ were the people He was talking about!
Pray in private, my friend, as God (through Jesus) directed.
Now wait for those with vested interests in institutionalised religion to start firing!
I don’t disagree on this. But would like to add that many of the younger generation has fallen away from God. I myself have 3 children that have completely fallen away at this point because of reason of their own. I heard many young people say things like, its’ boring, there’s nothing there for them, they don’t have time, Sundays are for sleeping in and many other excuses. I have had this conversation with many different pastors. It seems the world promotes many fun things to do besides going to church. Of course it is a spiritual battle in a society that doesn’t hold value on morals and respect to the older generation. A live now and gain what you can attitude. It is sad and it is a sign to us of the moral decay of this world. Salvation doesn’t get their attention, going to hell doesn’t wake them up either. I wish that my generation was much more tougher on discipline concerning the true commitment to the Lord and the body of believers. The solution may start with having a full commitment to teaching the youth and getting them involved with activities directly with the body, the church. I’ve seen a lack of this even within my own church, even though they are very committed to the youth. Bring them up in the way………in force it above all other activities outside the church.
Thom..Thanks for a great article The responses are wonderful. But..i didnt see any reference to spiritual training and understanding as motivation for attending church. I feel do not feel that GOD is present in our church….
#1 reason for me not attending church. Hope you can comment on this item…Thanks
Richard –
I would hope that numbers 1, 2, and 3 would be filled with biblical and spiritual training.
Dr. R would yo run a regular column on churches that are actually discipline members? It seems that the lists are enumerations of top ten problems and I want to see some successes. By the way, by discipleship I mean equipping in practical application of biblical truth not just more biblical overviews of thing the Minister learned in seminary.