A new study by the Barna organization shows that church attendance among self-identified Christians has declined by nine percentage points since 1991. Not that that's news to anyone. Everybody who does attend church understands that fewer and fewer people are attending larger and larger congregations. So while many local congregations are growing in size, overall church attendance is declining—even among Christians.
Still, it begs the question: Why don't more Christians attend church?
Over the same two decades that Barna studied, two standard answers emerged in our thinking. People don't attend church because—
1. The music is outdated and not in keeping with current styles, and
2. The preaching is dull and not relevant to daily life.
It's time to admit that those answers are not correct. Contemporary music is now the dominant model in the North American church, and life-issue sermons ("How to Have a Happy Marriage," "Six Tips for Reducing Stress") salted with video clips are standard fare in the pulpit. The church couldn't possibly be more contemporary, yet attendance is still falling.
The real reason Christians don't attend church is that they find the whole thing irrelevant to their lives—not their ordinary lives but their spiritual life and well being. They find no power in church, not authentic connection to God, no life change. As long as church is a pleasant hour of adult contemporary music followed by an uplifting talk, it will never compete with soccer practice or a trip to the mall as a weekend activity for families.
Church has to offer something more. It must provide a real connection to God every time people walk through the door. They must come with the realistic expectation that they will experience the Holy Spirit, hear God speak, and experience life transformation or see it in someone else.
In the next post, I'll offer five things church leaders can do to help that happen.
Why do you think Christians don't attend church?
–Lawrence W. Wilson is senior pastor at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church in Fishers, Indiana.
WESLEYAN LIFE
7 comments:
Church isn't like it was whe I was a child. The church and the school were the center of social networking. When we pastored there was always a push for not just Sundays, but to develop face to face friendships. Today in Christian families intimate communication has given way to the electronic media, on line social networks, but not face to face relationships. Cell phones and computers evelope a lot of time. In a cafe the other day I observed 5 people sitting around a table watching there cellphones not speaking to one another, they were adults. We don't take time to care for one another, so why should we go to church, nobody wants to know us and we want out privacy. The church has lost its ability to care and consequently people have forgotten how to care. People don't come because they don't feel loved.
I think many peopel are looking to be thrilled and awed. For many the days of discipline and committment may have gone bye -bye a long time ago. A church should provide (remember Home League)Worship,Education, Fellowship ,Service.
Getting to know people and loving them where they are is so important today. Most people can tell if you care. I think that (without commentary)these areas are of great importance.
USA former C.O.
I think we need to realise that the old days were never the way they were. By that I mean that we tend to look back on days gone bye, and think that things were much better, that people went to church for this reason or that. We make all sorts of wonderful, ultruistic assumptions about the actions of people in the past, not remembering the actual reality.
In the past, people would go to church to make social, political, and career contacts. It was fairly common for people to attend church in their masses and have no actual belief in a real God. The only reason for going to church was to be seen doing the right thing. Meeting the right political people, be seen mixing with the right social class, make career contacts to improve ones career. And this wasn't just parishoners. A brief study of history (particularly the mainstream churches in England and Europe, America, and Australia) reveals the number of priests who were complete Athiests, but preached the right words in sermons every sunday. Particularly as back then, many sermons were pre-prepared, and all you had to do was deliver them, or just add a couple of illustrations to them (I still remember the sermon books my dad used to use for his sermons every sunday). Today, people use the electronic media for the same end. They get career contacts, political connections etc through electronic media etc. I would suggest that the number of people who attend church because they actually believe in God has probably risen over the years (and I would suggest very markedly) although it would be almost impossible to prove this.
Much of the social support and networking that was the sole domain of the church (like Home League) is now done by Government agencies, or other charities - which may not have a religious base - acknowledging the multi-cultural, multi-faith societies we really allways lived in.
(continued next post)
What qualities did my wife and I look for in a church after we left the Army after several years ?
A church that had friendly people and that had something going for it. We found something positive and upbeat. A church that is growing and has a few events for extra fellowship and provided ways to serve . We were tired of the lack of proper music and now found what is contemporary and uplifting. Now we are blessed by a good preacher/ teacher. Our new church is not too small but not too big.We do not have to be badgered on Sunday by low income people that expect us to jump at their every whim because we are there just for them and we are no longer puppets. We do not feel abused or used anymore.
I was in contact with session mates that have retired from active officership. They told me that they have already found a church in another denomination that they feel comfortable at. They shared that they are tired of the Army.
What a difference in the freedom and attitude we see in the people where we now attend so we may worship Jesus together and let the Holy Spirit do His work !
USA former
Dear USA Former,
I absolutely agree with you that people often times idealise the past and think that back in the days of yore everything was just wonderful and that our ancestors did whatever it was they did from totally unselfish spirit-filled pure motives, etc. etc. This seems to be true about politics and national histories as well as religion.
Right now in America we've got a whole slew of right wing media demogogues and politicians convincing a largely white middle class of baby boomers and seniors (who've always had it at least reasonably comfy--with only a few bumps here and there until very recently--thanks to government policies from the 1930s on)that they've gotten what they have largely through their own hard working efforts and that "someone" (code for "lazy know how to work the system minorities")is trying to take it all away from them via government sponsored "socialism".
It is of course a lot of baloney being perpetrated by a right wing media controlled patrician class (and the corporations they represent and run) who quite frankly don't want to pay their fair share of taxes. This is being accomplished by promoting idealistic images of life in America before FDR. I get globs and globs of this material everyday via the internet thanks to several daffy relatives who though they couldn't survive without their social security checks or medicare are terribly worried about "socialism". Go figure.
The fact that so many of these right wing politicians could be voted in is to me proof that many people don't know anything about history (or want to know anything about history) and prefer to hang on to phoney images that make them feel better about themselves and provide them with scapegoats who are largely powerless and easy to pick on. But I digress.....
In many ways (thanks to the screwy religious right) people engage in the same mental gymnastics when it comes to chuch (and TSA!) history. (I need one more posting to finish...)
continuing......I'm always slightly amused when Salvationists for instance think that there was no human side to Army history, that everything was spiritually charged, that that's the only reason why the Army grew by leaps and bounds in western countries in its early years, that the Army is now growing by leaps and bounds in Africa and the sub-continent of Asia because everyone there is so spiritual and that somehow its eventual institutionalistion was a bad thing! (The truth is that NOTHING survives without institutionalisation! Remember the "Jesus People"?)
The fact is that William Booth (who was himself a big factor in pushing for the institutionalisation of the Army) was a genius in his day and age. In a world where there were few options for working class people he created an Army with ranks and flags and street parades and music in the idiom of the day, and color in the middle of otherwise drab existencies BUT mainly he created OPPORTUNITY and SECURITY where there was none!
The training colleges were filled to capacity with young people. They could've gone to work in a drab factory in their little town for the rest of their lives (where they might also get their fingers accidentally sliced off) or they could hear the "call" and spend a year in training in a big exciting city (quite an allure back then for a 17 year old!) where they would then be sent out to God only knows where with the authority and respect of a conferred upon rank! Whatever deprivations they might endure weren't really much worse than what anyone in their day and age and social class might endure and yet they always had before them the possibility of working themselves up in the ranks where they'd have it better. Notice also that the training colleges were always filled with more women than men because they had even less options in their lives than did men! (People always feel better about "sacrificing"--and being applauded for it--when in the long run they're actually bettering their lot in life!)
And don't forget that Bramwell Booth (who was also an administrative genius) became the young people's General in a day and age when there were few options for the children of working class people to belong to groups that would provide them with a myriad of social activities and interactions thus ensuring a steady stream of cadets for the training colleges!
Oh well, I guess what I'm getting at in my own way is pretty much what USA Former is getting at--demographics, technologies and social milieus have changed over the years. It's a mixed bag and always has been as to why people attend church and/or join religious organizations. In some ways it may actually be better today than in yesteryears(though only God knows the heart of any individual) because increasingly the only reason to join and attend church for many people is because they really want to!
It's no longer a matter of a way of gaining security and opportunity so much, at least in first world countries (the bottom of Abraham Maslow's Pyramid with a few of the higher needs thrown in to boot) but hopefully more so for what what it should be--meeting the higher needs of absolution and participation in the mystery of faith.
Btw, USA Former and your retired officer friends---as someone who himself joined and attended a few other denominations in my life due to change of circumstances, etc. please remember that you're where you're at because at this point in your life you just happen to need to be there. If you think that whatever you experienced negatively in the Army doesn't go on everywhere else are you ever in for a big shock somewhere down along the road!
I think there's a great line in the showtune "Springtime for Hitler in Germany!" that sums it up best. "it ain't no mystery if it's politics or history (one can easily throw religion in here too!)the thing you've got to know is, EVERYTHING is Show Biz!"
Daryl Lach
USA Central
Daryl,
I would have to agree with what you are stating because I have seen and lived much of the same of what you share. Yes, I am aware that anywhere that people attend that there are problems. Daryl , I am so pleased to have choices and control of our own lives and yet we still serve the Lord ! It is a big world out there. I gleaned a lot from some good people. I think that the Army is great in many ways. I just like other variety and again , other choices. I still am an evangelical and I believe in holiness but not the way the old black doctrine book explained.
The Army has grown for various reasons. Some good. Some because of social services. I saw too many rice Christians over the years. My greatest surprise of giving and love was from Advisory Board Memebers in my appointments. I saw godly, caring , loving people through those that helped us help others.
Booth responded to the times. We should respond to our times. I am speaking of methods and culture without compromising our Christian lives. I am not a legalist but we do need to set a good example for others.
I would think sometimes on a Sunday morning when my wife and I would have to do about everything but take up the offering. I felt like it was "Our Show" and people were there for a good time but not the spiritual food. That is sad.
Blessings,
USA former
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