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"You're not going to find the perfect church experience."
--Traci Rhoades
Historians teach that the Christian church began almost 2,000 years ago. The Greek word "ekklēsia," translated as "church" in the New Testament, simply means "assembly" or "gathering." The early Christians, mostly Jewish, borrowed the term "ekklēsia" from the popular Greek translation of the Old Testament, which referred to Israel's sacred assemblies.
In the New Testament, the Book of Acts shows that attending church or gathering for worship and fellowship originated from the early Christian communities, which, after Jesus' death, met in small groups to share meals, teachings, and prayer. And without dedicated buildings.
In The Sabbath Complete: And the Ascendency of First Day Worship, Terrance D. O'Hare says the importance of church attendance in Christian theology is delineated in Hebrews 10:25, "Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back is drawing near."
Many have either not read Hebrews 10:25 or no longer subscribe to its teaching. In developed countries, and long before the pandemic five years ago, an increasing number of households simply stopped attending.
A global look
"About four in ten adults in the average country surveyed say they attend religious services at least weekly. But this figure varies widely in different parts of the world," the Pew Research Center reports.
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with predominantly Christian or Muslim populations, such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Uganda, tend to have the world's highest levels of regular worship attendance.
Pew describes Europe as being on the other end of the spectrum.
In Asia and the Pacific, weekly attendance is highest in Indonesia and lowest in Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and China.
Gallup survey averages from 2021 through 2023 show that 30 percent of U.S. adults attend every or almost every week, and 44 percent of Protestants/Christians participate at the same frequency.
A 2023-2024 Pew Religious Landscape study of the U.S. with more sub-group detail has Protestants at 40 percent weekly or more often, Evangelicals at 50 percent, Mainline at 23 percent, and Historically Black at 33 percent.
Pew reports in that same Landscape study that Christianity in the U.S. has slowed its decline and may have leveled off.
As for shifts in organized religion, the number of Protestants who self-identify as "nondenominational" has doubled since 2007, from 9 to 18 percent in Pew's most recent study.
" ... studying religion is more prudent than trying to predict its future."
Pew says that in future years, we may see further declines in the religiousness of the American public for these reasons:
- Young adults are far less religious than older adults.
- No recent birth cohort has become more religious as it has aged.
- Compared with older adults, fewer younger adults with a highly religious upbringing are still highly religious.
The lesson here is that studying religion is more prudent than trying to predict its future.
Why go to church
Have you ever asked someone why they attend church?
A Gallup Poll taken before Easter in 2018 revealed that sermon content could be the most important factor in how soon worshippers return. Seventy-six percent of respondents noted sermons or talks that either teach about Scripture or help people connect religion to their lives as a major factor "spurring their attendance."
Among families, spiritual programs geared toward children and youth are a main draw for 64 percent of worshippers. Community outreach, volunteer opportunities, and dynamic religious leaders are also important to the majority, at 59 and 54 percent, respectively.
A great choir, praise band, or other spiritual music was last on the list, with 38 percent saying it was important.
Who attends
People of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds go to church, some more frequently than others. Who are most likely to be regular attendees? Older, educated households, those in their mid-50s and up who have college degrees.
According to a Household Pulse Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and released in 2024, education, age, and children are the three factors driving attendance. Among those with a bachelor's degree who are parents, about 30% are weekly attendees—that's three times higher than those who do
not have children.
People with a college degree are likelier to attend than those with a high school diploma. Older more likely than younger households. Those with children participate with a higher frequency than those who don't.
Professor Ryan Burge says the magic combination is clearly having a good education and being a parent—both make someone much more likely to attend church.
Faith in daily life
Gallup concludes that the primary motivation for those attending worship services is learning more about the tenets of their faith and connecting that faith to their lives. That is, taking core biblical principles and learning to apply them to everyday circumstances.
Pew says those same sermon qualities are important to about half of U.S. adults who have looked for a new church or parish at some point, most commonly because they've moved. They want a new house of worship where they like the preacher and the tone set by church leadership.
"Fully 83 percent of Americans who have looked for a new place of worship say the quality of preaching played an important role in their choice of a congregation. Nearly as many say it was important to feel welcomed by clergy and lay leaders," Pew reported.
The style of worship service and location also factored in the decision, as 85 percent attended services at a church being considered.
As for the next generation, "The fact remains that 80 percent of young adults say growing closer to or learning about God are the two most important reasons to attend church," according to the Barna Group.
Laura Vanderkam offers sensible advice: "Treat the young as adults."
Where to begin
One way to define a worship service experience for regular attendees and visitors is any activity before, during, and after the service, whether on or off the property or online.
That menu could include prayer, Bible reading, announcements, social media, signage, music, AV, invitations to worship, and follow-up. The appearance of the building and grounds should also be considered, as the exterior is the congregation's most visible representation.
How often do churches evaluate the corporate worship service experience? Like other concerns, most seem satisfied with their current situation.
Churches frequently continue to do what works—well past when it no longer works. Without feedback, they don't always realize when a program stops working. Loyalty enables churches and ministries to decline, as their members don't always abandon them overnight. It also allows churches to repair themselves if they desire to do so.
Three of the most significant changes within a faith community are the lead pastor's departure, the move to a new location, and a name change.
In any of those situations, we recall Dr. William Bridges' counsel that it's not the change that gets us; it's the transition.
How to improve
A common mistake in rethinking any component of a church ministry (or anything with a public interface) is localizing the improvement, not connecting the effort to the church as a whole. The net effect can potentially lower the church's performance as a whole. Isolated improvements can actually make matters worse, as Boudwijn Bertsch from the Netherlands has shown in his studies.
For example, attracting families with infants (who are significantly more likely to be in church than those who are raising older kids) without a clean, safe, and supervised nursery can be a problem. Launching an initiative for community engagement without enough advance notice and training can be self-defeating.
"While no church can do everything,
every church can do something ..."
Corporate worship is indispensable within the body life of a church, but it does not stand alone. A community of faith cannot be divided into independent parts without losing its strengths. Any significant improvement or change in corporate worship will likely spill over into other areas, such as small groups, youth and children's ministries, ushers, and greeters.
It's helpful to create an improvement checklist and review it periodically. Ask how the church can do better; some will be reluctant to speak. Members who leave seldom say why. Visitor comments provide a different but much-needed perspective. Letting them know their opinions are important is a wise thing to do.
Know your strengths and lean into them. Avoid comparing your church to others. Although some decisions are irreversible, be prepared to modify changes that may need adjustment. Use a trial period if appropriate.
To maintain credibility, and certainly as a courtesy, leadership should explain changes, why, and potential benefits.
While no church can do everything, every church can do something to make a difference in someone's life.
Attending in propria persona
Here is a quote from a previous Strategist Post that bears repeating:
"Virtual services, webcasting, and online Bible studies are certainly better than no religious participation. However, none is likely a fully adequate replacement for the in-person meetings and community," wrote Harvard professor Tyler J. VanderWeele, who studies these interactions.
Digital worship, like remote work and schooling, lessens the magnitude of a communal experience. Of course, health, job schedules, and caregiving are legitimate reasons for online worship. That format helps avoid social isolation, which may be harmful.
Alternatively, in-person worship is a layer deeper than virtual worship; let's call it presence, which is what ministry is meant to be.
Online and electronic giving are acts of worship and reliable sources of income. Still, in-person per capita giving is twice that of those who worship remotely, according to a 2023 study by the Hartford Institute of Religion Research.
A church home
While focusing on faith's vital benefits, we sometimes forget that religion offers additional support. "There is a mounting body of empirical evidence suggesting that people who are active in their faith tend to be the recipients of several important physical and mental health benefits," says Byron Johnson, professor of social sciences at Baylor University.
Jeff Haanen, founder of the Denver Institute for Faith and Works, writes about the potential gains from frequent in-person worship attendance:
"Sociologists say church involvement is associated with many benefits for children and adults. Kids who go to church have higher academic achievement, better relationships with parents, and more participation in extracurricular activities.
"Churchgoers are in better health and live longer."
And they're the most generous with their charitable contributions to religious and secular causes.
Breaking bread
Potluck dinners could be the beginning of much-needed fellowship and support for people from all walks of life. There are numerous unchurched, and loneliness is a global health concern. The right response is to be inviting, welcoming, and caring.
To paraphrase Russel Ackoff, "A church is as good as the product of its interactions."
Even if those new to a faith community don't fully understand what it's about, they'll know kindness when encountered, which is "the early church" way of improving a worship service experience.
Strategist.com
© Bredholt & Co.
