At the beginning of the semester, we discussed several reasons as to why people may drop out of attending church. Upon talking about the “Churchless” especially in my generation, I wanted to research more.
I found on Christianity Today, in the article “The Top Reasons Young People Drop Out of Church,” a list of 5 reasons:
- I moved to college and stopped attending church (34%)
- Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical (32%)
- I did not feel connected to people in my church (29%)
- I disagreed with the church’s stance on political/social issues (25%)
- My work responsibilities prevented me from attending (24%)
As I am looking through this list – point #2, and #3 are both things that the church can do to mitigate this shift in choosing not to attend church. Something I’ve learned is you cannot force someone to love Jesus, or follow him. If you cannot accept His grace as a gift, you cannot really know Him. The church should be a welcoming place, “not a museum for good people, but a hospital for the broken,” says Jefferson Bethke in one of his spoken words.
Would Jesus be welcomed or judged walking through your churches doors? Is a question that should be evaluated. I think in today’s culture some people could reject the King without even knowing they are doing so, just like the Pharisees in a sense.
If individuals do not feel connected to the church, how can we reevaluate the programs we have, as well as ask ourselves how can we love our congregation better? Does that look like setting up intentional small groups, or having people welcome?
The end of the article concludes with some statistics about those returning to the church. The most common reasons for return to the church is “encouragement of family (37%), the personal desire to go back to church (32%), and the feeling that God was calling them back (28%).” Looking at these statistics, it is thought provoking and makes me wonder the heart and thought process behind the individual that walked away, and their journey back to the faith. What their faith looked like when they had it, and when they returned. What is different? And how can the church reach these people, or understand these reasons so that less people will be walking away.