That was the title of the article that caught my eye last week and captivated my curiosity! The commentary was an extensive summary from the well-known Pew Research Center which has just published the results of a new survey that tracts detailed data about church attendance. In recent years the percentage of US Adults who say they regularly attend religious services has been declining, while the share of Americans who attend only a few times a year has been growing. Let me offer a snapshot of the results but if you really want more details, the link to the complete report is http://www.pewforum.org/2018/08/01/why-americans-go-to-religious-services/ (I must admit, I feel a bit geeky admitting that I found the full report fascinating!!)
Top Reasons US adults who attend at least once or twice a month give for choosing to attend religious services:
- To Become Closer to God 81%
- So children will have a moral foundation 69%
- To make me a better person 68%
- For comfort in times of trouble/sorrow 66%
- I find the sermons valuable 59%
- To be a part of a community of faith 57%
- To continue family’s religious traditions 37%
- I feel a religious obligation to go 31%
- To meet new people/socialize 19%
- To please my family, spouse or partner 16%
Top Reasons US adults who attend religious services a few times a year or less who say that they do not attend more because:
- I practice my faith in other ways 37%
- I am not a believer 28%
- I have not found a church that I like 23%
- I don’t like the sermons 18%
- I don’t feel welcome 14%
- I don’t have the time 12%
- I am in poor health and it is difficult to get around 9%
- There isn’t a church in my area 7%
There are several other tidbits of interest:
- 8 in 10 regular attendees say they ‘always’ or ‘often’ experience a sense of God’s presence when they attend worship services. Nearly ¾ say they ‘always’ or ‘often’ fee; a sense of community with people who share their religion when they attend religious services and 6 in 10 say they feel a sense of connection to a longstanding tradition.
- Catholics who attend Mass regularly are significantly less like than other Christian churchgoers to say that the sermons they hear are what keeps them coming back. Indeed, among those who attend church regularly, Protestants are roughly twice as likely as Catholics (71% vs. 36%) to say valuable sermons are a very important reason. David, Cristina and I are making note of that statistic!
I would be so interested in hearing your reaction to this summary….and if you were curious enough to click through to the full report. Lots to nibble on!
Bottom line for David, Cristina and me, whatever reason YOU come to church, we are so grateful!!