With churches largely mapping out their local mission around what they identify to be an "unchurched" population, a research firm set out to paint a clearer picture of who unchurched Americans really are.
“There’s a whole industry seeking to help clergy reach the unchurched, with seminars, books, videos, training centers, and consultants,” Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, noted. “However, many people don’t really have a basic notion even of just what it means to be ‘unchurched.’ There’s often an assumption that people either do attend worship services, or they don’t."
"But what we find in this study is that up to one out of every five Americans is attending worship services at least occasionally during the year, even though they are not regularly involved. That has huge implications for local congregations who are trying to attract new people," Sellers added.
Traditionally, people who attend worship service at least once a month and on a regular basis have been considered "churched" while those who don't attend frequently enough have often been labeled "unchurched," according to the Phoenix-based research firm.
A new study, released Monday by Ellison Research, broke down the American population into a more detailed picture of religious service attendance.
Results showed that only 63 percent of "churched" Americans actually attend worship services once a week or more; 12 percent of the "churched" attend three times a month; 16 percent attend twice a month; and 9 percent go to service once a month.
Among "unchurched" Americans, not all stay away from worship services, the research firm reports. Findings revealed that 18 percent of the "unchurched" say they visit services occasionally, just not regularly. Also, 22 percent of the "unchurched" attend on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter.
Only 60 percent of the "unchurched" do not attend worship services at all, the Ellison study found.
The study showed what attendance at religious services actually looks like: 11 percent attend more than once a week; 22 percent attend once a week; 14 percent two to three times a month; 5 percent attend once a month; 9 percent attend occasionally, but not on a regular basis; and 10 percent attend only on religious holidays.
Overall, 29 percent of Americans never attend worship services.
The study further linked worship attendance to several factors, including family history of attendance and parental religious involvement.
Those least likely to attend service regularly are Americans who are not born again and whose parents did not attend service.
With both parents attending religious services at least occasionally, there is a 62 percent chance that their children are now regularly attending services as an adult.
Also, if an adult attended worship services regularly at some point before the age of 18, there is a 55 percent chance that person is currently attending once a month or more. The odds decrease to 21 percent for a person who never attended prior to age 18.
With millions of Americans likely to attend services, the Ellison Research head wonders if churches are paying attention to the newcomers.
"We estimate that up to 43 million adults who do not regularly attend worship services will visit a church or place of worship at some point during the year, to say nothing of children and teens who visit with their family or on their own," Sellers said. "Are those congregations and clergy members ready for them?”
The study was conducted on a sample of 1,007 adults.
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Comments
believer, you're welcome and same to you!
wb, thanks for that info and be blessed as you serve Him, believer
Believer, I don't know where your son is, but here's some house church sites. I'm sure I could find more via google. (I can not vouch for any of them):
http://dallashousechurch.wordpress.com/
http://housechurch.org
http://www.therockcc.us/
http://www.housechurchnetwork.com/
http://www.metromultihousing.com/kansascityhousechurchnetwork/
http://www.chosenexplosion.com/
http://groups.msn.com/153housechurches
http://www.christianhomechurchnetwork.com/
http://denverchurch.net/
http://www.ineobible.org/
http://thebridgenyc.org/
http://www.coloradohousechurch.com/
http://www.oikosministries.com
http://h2hmissions.wordpress.com/tag/house-church-network/
http://www.eastvalleyhousechurch.org/
http://www.andrewlarge.com/ohcn/
http://www.raleighhousechurches.com/
http://springschurch.net/?House_Church_Information
http://www.christmemphis.com/?m=20080718
wb, thanks and I've encouraged our son to not only check those out, but possibly pray about starting one himself.
believer,
I have seen house churches be helpful for people who want real worship and real teaching, provided there is someone who can teach sound doctrine.
I have seen some house churches come together as part of a network for larger corporate worship, where the different pastors would alternate teaching/preaching.
Alternatively, I have seen some churches have small groups that functioned as house churches to meet during the week, with teaching/preaching & worship, and then meet together on Sunday under the teaching of the lead pastor.
Actually, being a 10 yr member of a Saddleback type church....
Churches of our type are dealing with many very immature people when it comes to the Gospel and Christian life. In short, they are not old enough to even recognize the difference between the two sometimes! I have a 2 year old. There are similarities sometimes! It's like spiritual babies being dropped on our doorstep.
The reason many of the traditional churches are not growing and the 'seeker' churches are is because of our post-modern society. The traditional church relies on the the traditional part of society which is getting smaller and smaller. It is made up of children whose parents made them go to church and are making their children go to church. I'm not knocking it by the way.
The seeker churches are for the people who just didn't and/or don't get Christ and what Christianity is all about. They don't have the background from Sunday School or, at best, were day dreaming during church. It is the goal of these 'seeker' churches to reach these people who just don't fit in at the First Church of the Well Dressed.
I do understand the concern. Still, go to Saddleback's website and look at what they believe. You'll find the theology quite sound. Simply put, we get our hands dirty and hang out with the taxgatherers and prostitutes....
shooter, thanks for getting back to me and I will check these books out, believer
Believer,
I would direct you to 2 web sites
1. Lifestream.org Wayne Jacobsen
2.The school of Christ Chip Brogden
Both of these men were pastors and now both pastor outside organized religion. Both are gifted writers and their articles have helped me a great deal to come closer to the Lord in understanding what he really wants from us. I have Christian friends some who still attend church and some who like me don't. Maybe your son's dissatisfaction with the church scene is the Holy Spirits way of moving him to a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Christ. Leaving is not easy, it is very much like a divorce. People you thought were friends run the other way because now your backslid and headed straight for hell. They don't see the difference between Jesus and what we call church. I would be interested in knowing what you think after you check out those web sites. Book recommendation: "Divine Nobodies" by Jim Palmer
Daniel Paul,
What a great observation that Rick Warren interchanged the words 'wants' and 'needs' as cited by the page numbers. So I guess we would have to ask Rick Warren why he did that.
Thanks for pointing it out!
Of course, if he was going to start with their NEEDS, he wouldn't need to POLL the lost, because we know what their need is.
shooter, there are many churched Christians who share your concern. What are you doing with regards to fellowship, worship, and discipleship in your Christian walk? My son is 28 and he to is struggling in this area as I'm sure many of his Christian peers are. As a Director of Missions I'm all ears to any ideas you might have in this area.
You could call me unchurched and many many others who have done the organized religion thing and found it wanting. With all the backstabbing, gossip, and in fighting that goes on in "church" why would anyone want to get involved? The Church in America is little different than working in an office with all the little intrigues and drama. I think churches are full of people brought in by slick marketing and not by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was a friend of publicans and sinners and not real thrilled with Pharisees. When I was involved with organized religion I prayed daily that I would not be a Pharisee and after leaving, the Lord showed me how big a pharisee I had indeed become. I don't expect church people will understand because you still look through the lens of organized religion. Now all you good church people can blast away and tell me how I need to get right with God.
holito8, where in the world did you come up with the idea that not all the angels took sides and that those who didn't were cast out with Satan and the angels who joined him in the rebellion? Plus, the undecided are just a portion of the unchurched, perhaps even a very small portion. There are many more who have decided they want nothing to do with a church at this point and time in their life and that will not change unless they come into a personal relationship with God through Christ. Also, there are Christians who must be counted among the unchurched and for many of them they simply see the church in many ways as being irrelevant to their worldview or they have had some bad church experiences and are part of another group of unchurched people called the dechurched. I personally believe there are ways that many churches can become relevant to today's culture without straying from the teachings and doctrines of Word of God, but are so locked into their traditions that they are unwilling to make the necessary changes that would draw the unchurched into their churches and as a result they have become a stagnant if not dead church already.
The unchurched should be called the undecided. They are waiting to see who will win, God or Satan. The Lucifer rebelled with his "angels." There were those angels who did not take side. Well they were cast out along with all the rest. God does not want us to be lukewarm but either hot or cold. Remember once saved is not always saved.
"God wants us to seek His forgiveness through Christ, not to be interested in Him."
Two sides of the same coin. Those who are not interested in forgiveness will not seek it.
"So Mr. Rick Warren began his church by asking the world (un-saved/lost) what THEY wanted in a 'church'. He then created a product based on THEIR worldly wants."
""A good salesman knows you always start with the customer's needs,"
Rick uses the word 'need' and you use the word 'want'. They are quite different. How do you equate these two as you have?