5 Things Disappearing from Church
People
Pollsters agree that men and women are disappearing from church. (See stat.) Although about 40% of the American population report going to church, only about 20% of these individuals actually attend Sunday services regularly. What this data suggests is that a country built off of freedom of religion no longer embraces this belief system in a traditional way.
Bibles
I can attest to this one personally. After workplaces began to go paperless, so did many congregations. Electronic bibles, tablets and other gadgets that remit scripture continue to grow in popularity. Besides being easier to carry, they also eliminate the need to memorize in which section of your bible a particular book is located.
Hymns
The debate over whether or not hymns or original Christian music should be sang during worship is slowly dissipating. Which lyrical configuration is winning this war? The unofficial victor is original Christian music. Hymns are disappearing from church in exchange for these modern sounds. In a lot of ways, I understand why. Young congregants are more attracted to ‘now’ music and churches also earn money by producing their own recorded CDs.
Bible Studies
I always thought bible study was a mainstay, an event no Protestant pastor would eliminate from his church agenda. Yet, after exploring a few new churches near to my Washington home recently, I discovered that none of them held bible study any more. They offered small groups, customized gatherings of less than 10 people focused on a particular subject. They felt locals preferred this forum more than a bible study.
Un-churched Guests
According to an article at FaithHighway.com, 7 out of 10 un-churched people never get invited to a religious service their entire lives. So, the majority of congregants sitting in pews today are transplants from other churches or individuals born into a congregation because of a church-going parent. The un-churched is disappearing from church, which probably accounts more than anything for the decline of new members.
In conclusion, the above are five things disappearing from church. Are they a problem? In some ways maybe. As technology grows and society begins to questions more traditional beliefs, the concept of worship god and how this act translates will be interesting to see.
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