Church Attendance Has Taken a Huge Hit (Across the Board)

[TJGospels]

As you all know, I'v been doing a lot of research on which church I would feel comfortable and enjoy attending. 

I actually think I've found several. The thing is, I'm enjoying attending different churches and seeing if I "click" with one or several. In doing so, I've noticed that just about every church has taken a major hit in live attendance. Obviously, through no fault of their own. However, this does tend to lend a 'somber' rather than festive feel with so many empty seats most anywhere you go. 

Clearly, there are people watching a live stream, watching outdoors in some cases, in their cars, listening to a podcast later when they have time, etc. But when I compare current attendance with photos of from years past, it's hard to ignore the fact that almost every room has far fewer people in 2022 compared to 2020 and prior. 

One of the larger churches in our area is likely down at least by a third. I wouldn't be surprised if live attendance was down by closer to 50%. They claim that there has been no decline if online viewership is counted, but I seriously doubt this claim. This church initiated some severe reductions in staff salary and I doubt that they've been able to recoup enough revenue to return to their previous incomes. It's likely that the pastors were all making at least $100K, as they were all able to afford expensive luxury sports equipment reserved for people in that income bracket. 

I'm wondering what churches are doing to strategize in light of this ongoing and likely future long term decline in attendance and accompanying decline in revenue. Perhaps we all just need to organize christian meetings ourselves, sans offices, buildings and salaries. 

There are many, many, many corrupt churches and I don't feel the least bit sorry for the decline in revenue they experience. However, there are also tons of churches with the highest levels of integrity and those are the churches I feel badly for. I'm hoping these are the churches that pull through these trying times. 

[Michael37]

2 hours ago, TJGospels said:

As you all know, I'v been doing a lot of research on which church I would feel comfortable and enjoy attending. 

What would tick some boxes?

[B-B]

5 hours ago, TJGospels said:

I'm wondering what churches are doing to strategize in light of this ongoing and likely future long term decline in attendance and accompanying decline in revenue.

Hi @TJGospels 😊

Well....my hope and prayer would be that Preachers/Pastors of gatherings would preach Christ and Him crucified. I would hope and pray that Preachers/Pastors would:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

Folks just need to be obedient to the Lord. And Scripture instructs them in how to accomplish this.

In this day and age of 'entertainment seekers', it really isn't difficult to 'fill a building'. Just find out what folk want, and meet these requirements.

In my opinion/understanding - A true godly gathering will be earnestly seeking the Lord, and what He wants....

God bless 😊

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by B-B

[Ray12614]

My church has had somewhat of a decline of 'increasing' in-person attendance, but, not by alot holding steady with small increases yearly. Our finances has increased every year since 2020 and our ministry is expanding. I have talked about my church in previous threads so i will spare you all the repetition speaking about it.

All I can say is that it is not any one thing we are doing, but, it is teaching/preaching the Bible, encouraging our people to do what it says, and allowing the Holy Spirit to do whatever He feels needs to be done in our services as He sees fit, and covering our members and leadership in prayer daily.

In my opinion, the days of going to church, singing a couple songs, listening to the pastor preach, and leaving un-changed is over. Jesus is weary of blessing rigid organized services where He cannot move in and among His people. (yes, everything must be done in an orderly fashion, BUT all things must be done) Remember, Jesus said that we must abide in Him, and if we do not, then our branches are cut off from the Vine. That not only applies to individuals but churches as well.

 My heart goes out to you all who do not have the support you all need, and I am heart broken about that too . . . 

Maybe, (just saying) if you tried stopping looking for a church with the 'check marks' you want, and broke out from consumerism church shopping, and started looking for an assembly where you can encourage, fellowship, and help other believers you might have more success ? ? ? Just asking . . . not saying that is so in your case . . . . 

Grace and Peace . . . Ray . .  . .

 

[Starise]

Best of luck to you @TJGospels in finding a church suitable for your needs and a church where you want to serve.

I agree with what you said concerning apostate churches withering financially on the vine. Many of those churches won't financially wither because they are attended by apostate givers.

Many churches are indeed flourishing. I have mentioned my church before. We are doing quite well so far as both attendance and finances. I also realize this isn't every church and I have been in churches that were good churches who still struggled financially at times.

It seems that in my area even a church of 100 or less can support the things most churches support and still pay a pastor. 

Attendance isn't always a sign of the best church either. Some churches simply are not located in areas where as many people can get to them.

What many seem to look at first in a church is the preaching which then begs the question, what happens when a pastor leaves?

 

[TJGospels]

People in cars, on the patio, in church, online, what a sad example of the outcome of the successful divide and conquer strategy of the anti-Christian left. 

I guess church "leadership" has to kowtow to whatever fears are circulating, however irrational or even absurd. 

[choir loft]

8 hours ago, TJGospels said:

People in cars, on the patio, in church, online, what a sad example of the outcome of the successful divide and conquer strategy of the anti-Christian left. 

I guess church "leadership" has to kowtow to whatever fears are circulating, however irrational or even absurd. 

I believe the problem of church leadership is based on two critical factors;

1. Irrelevant preaching

2. 501.c.3 tax exemption

Last point first is the fear of many preachers that something they may say, as for example an opposition to the Gay Authority, might be misconstrued as justification for termination of their tax exemption.  Since virtually all of church activity is aimed at fund raising in one form or another, this IRS subsidy is a powerful tool to force preachers to preach the government position in all things.  Indeed the Bible itself is now being redefined as hate speech.   In many congregations the Bible is not even considered to be the Word of God.

The gospel is recognized as no longer relevant to society.  

This became especially apparent following the COVID campaign to close all places of worship.  Today we see a return of few people where once many attended.   It's been said COVID got rid of the deadwood.   People who questioned their own waste of time in attending church got used to the idea of doing something else.  When COVID restrictions were lifted they didn't bother to return to their places of worship.  Nevertheless the irrelevance of the gospel remains.  It doesn't speak to us any more.

The gospel doesn't speak to society because the church has severed itself from its own root.  It is in denial of the power of God's Word both to convict of SIN and to save from it.  People wander in the world looking for an answer to their craving for spiritual and physical healing, but don't find it in church.  Hence the message there is irrelevant.   They don't need motivational speakers and they don't need over-long sermons on situational ethics.  They need CHRIST, but their need isn't being defined and they aren't being shown how to fulfill it.

We're in a lot of trouble, boys and girls.

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Edited May 19, 2022 by choir loft

[TJGospels]

Tax exempt status compromises most all churches to a laughable degree. Reading the banner/headlines on any church website is just like reading the ticker tape on CNN or headline news.

It's not even an issue of integrity anymore: church staff need MONEY and in order to make MONEY they need to support whatever evil agenda the government is imposing on all of us, or at least trying to. 

Sometimes the impact is superficial, but sometimes the impact is severe and the staff wholeheartedly go along with the evil government agenda 100%. 

The churches I'm attending support the official narratives on a superficial level, but actually offer messages of substance or at least do their best to try to. 

The buffoonery and lies are often so extreme though it makes me wonder what I'm doing at church at all. 

Any legitimate christian who thinks most churches are operating in a principled way these days is fooling themselves. 

 

[choir loft]

The greedy thirst for money and the justification of a false growth in Christianity is across the board - every church.

For example, most churches today rely upon a data base of members.  This data base is used for bulletins and pitches for money, including but not limited to the tiny boxes of offering envelopes used by many churches and synagogues sent out by mail to members.  It's also used for a year-end statement of gifting for individual IRS tax forms.

What isn't generally known is that these data bases are shared with entities outside the congregation.  Principally it's shared with the denominational regional offices, sometimes with 'Christian' financial institutions and sometimes with political leaders and candidates.  This became a big issue during the reelection campaign of President George W. Bush.  Entries in these databases are NEVER removed or rarely updated.  

Data base totals of church memberships never reduce. They always grow.  Members who go on to their reward aren't deleted and neither are members who move out of town and join a church elsewhere.   In Florida, as well as in Western states, many people migrate north and south during winter and summer seasons.  In doing so they join a church in the city where they settle.  As a result one person can be listed as a member on two different data bases.  The true number of Christians is therefore AT LEAST HALF of the true statistic. 

In addition, many 'new' members may join a congregation who had not regularly attended a church in decades.  This is mostly true for retired folks who now can afford to waste time attending church functions and services.  They couldn't do it or wouldn't do it when they were working or raising a family, so they return to the sheepfold in the twilight of their lives - and discover a church that is almost entirely debauched.  When they leave due to disinterest their data base entry is not deleted.   Thus the numbers grow despite the true head count.

The muck is deep in the American Protestant church and we haven't even begun to discuss problems with political correctness, the gay agenda or the erosion of principles and ethics BY LEADERS.

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Edited June 16, 2022 by choir loft

[TheBlade]

We know we are not to forsake the gathering of us together. We know when we are gathered in His name He is there. Good luck with that at home alone. So be it Church which they say are over 30 million in the world. So we don't know some most or all of what is really happening with in those doors. What Christ/God does it always grows. Seems man (in general) has found more reasons that are not written to not go. What if we tossed all this out and then prayed asked Him to lead us to where He would us to go? Not telling Him all the reasons why we should not go. Maybe your the light needed in that Church? A simple smile at the story when you are having a awful day yet that casher knew you were a Christian and wanted what you had. Then because of that simple smile that casher got saved that weekend. See God closed all the other doors yet opened that one to that store. And you were feeling having a awful day. 

To many times we get in His way. We want to go where we know is best...that never works. See through His eyes. I don't care what it looks like.. I know WHO my Father is and what He can do.