by Thom Rainer
My five-year old grandson asked me how old I was. When I
told him I would turn 60 in a few weeks, he responded: “I didn’t realize people
got that old.”
Indeed, in 60 years, like any of us who have lived a few
years, I have seen change, lots of change. And I am seeing change in local
congregations faster than any time in my lifetime. One of the most
disheartening changes I am seeing is the declining attendance in a majority of
churches. I am asked repeatedly to diagnose and help with these challenges.
Though addressing the issue of declining attendance cannot
be covered in a brief blog post, I hope it will be helpful to share some
high-level perspectives. See if any of these seven reasons apply to your
church.
1.
“Cultural Christians” no longer see the
need to attend church. “Cultural Christian” is really
an oxymoron. I refer here to those men and women who once attended church for
social, political, or business reasons. Most of them no longer feel it is
necessary to be in church to be a regarded citizen in the community.
2.
Church members are attending less
frequently. I have noted in other articles how I see this
development as potentially the greatest contributor to attendance decline.
Three decades ago, a very active church member attended three times a week.
Today we call those who attend three times a month an active church member.
3.
Expectations are lower for church members. One
of the reasons church members attend less frequently is that very little is
expected of them in many churches. If we expect little of our members, that is
exactly what we will get.
4.
Insufficient emphasis on groups. This
reality may be one of the most neglected areas of church life. Groups of all
kinds – home groups, small groups, Sunday school classes, life groups, and
others – are key to assimilation and greater commitment. The importance of
groups must begin with the pastor and all other key leaders in the church.
5.
Inward focus. In
too many churches, the emphasis is on “me, myself, and I.” Some members are
more concerned about the temperature in the worship center than the eternal
destinations of their neighbors. The “me-focused” church is on its way to
decline.
6.
No clearly defined process of
discipleship. Eric Geiger and I reported on this issue
in our book, Simple Church. Growing churches are much more
likely to have a clearly grasped and implemented process of discipleship than
declining churches.
7.
No strategic plans for multi-venues or
multi-campuses. As I noted in my article Monday, the trend of
multi-venue and multi-campus churches may be the most significant in church
practices in the past three decades. Even smaller churches are now planning for
more than one site or venue. Those churches not making such plans are more
likely to be declining.
