The relationship between Americans and worship attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic is complicated, Pew Research Center found in a new study. The project compiled statistics from five surveys conducted from 2020 to 2022 and found a steady share of U.S….
Increased frequency of church attendance correlates with decreased interpersonal trust
On March 8, statistician, pastor and author Ryan Burge tweeted a series of graphs showing responses from survey participants sorted by varying frequencies of religious service attendance. Participants answered the question, “Generally speaking, would you say that most people can…
What is the cost of the church’s failure in ‘Explaining Jesus’ to its members?
In his 2018 song “Explaining Jesus” Jordy Searcy opens the floor to a solemn and honest discussion about evangelical church life. He begins the song with lyrics that acknowledge some gay believers’ feelings of inadequacy when they consider their relationship…
Young adults and those who attended church infrequently before pandemic are most likely to be missing from church today
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions to American religious life by accelerating ongoing downward trends in religious attendance, with the biggest decreases occurring among young adults and those with previously infrequent levels of participation, new research shows. The January survey…
Why I have a growing appreciation for preaching
I have been engaged in the preaching task since I was 20 years old. That means I have been at it for 31 years. Preaching is my lifestyle. There is always a biblical text and a developing sermon in my…
Children being raised in America today attend church far less frequently than their parents and grandparents did
Children being raised in America today attend church far less frequently than their parents and grandparents did, largely because their parents have stopped attending as adults. Gallup reports that more than a third of American adults have fallen away from…
Do you see what I see? Lots of missing church members on Christmas Eve
Have I told you the story of the funeral I officiated for a 93-year-old woman who had been a faithful member of a Baptist church all her life but had no relation to a church or a minister to lead…
Christians could be a distinct minority in America by 2070
If current trends continue, Christians will become a distinct minority in America and the “nones” will make up more than half the population by 2070. “Nones” are those people who when asked their religious affiliation reply, “none,” although most are…
‘Reverend, they ain’t ever coming back’: Confronting churchly realities 2022
Early on in the COVID crisis, I had a long conversation with a close pastor friend about changes in American church life occurring before our eyes. We talked about what I call “the changing sociology of Sunday,” a demographic-cultural reality…