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A survey on religion in America released last week by the highly respected,
nonpartisan Pew Research Center shows that the number of Americans who identify
as Christians has declined from 78 to 70 percent since 2007. Over the same
period, the number who declare themselves as having no affiliation with
organized religion has increased from 15 to nearly 23 percent. For this study,
Pew surveyed more than 35,000 Americans.In survey shorthand, the non-affiliated group is sometimes called "nones." Some church commentators have delineated that group further into "nones" and "dones," using nones to specify those who have had little or no religious background and want no religion now, and dones to specify people who were once active church members and have left the church but still profess belief in God. In terms of the survey, however, dones are counted among the nones. Using the survey's definition, there are now about 56 million adults in the United States unattached to any organized religion.
The biggest growth in nones is in the young adult demographic. Commenting on this, Micah Holland, a young adult member of the TWW team, said, "None of this surprises me. Most of the friends that I grew up with do not attend church, and few have any conviction around faith at all. I have had great conversations with many of them regarding faith, but active attendance at a church is nowhere near the top of their radar for lots of different reasons. If someone comes on Sunday morning, I really feel like they want to know Jesus and few are there because they are 'supposed' to be there."
While most Christians likely find it hard to see these survey results as good news, some church-related commentators have said that losses are mainly among nominal Christians who no longer feel cultural pressure to attend church. These commentators add that those remaining within organized Christianity are largely convictional Christians, those who have been deeply committed to Christ all along; that number, they said, is not decreasing, and thus, Christianity is not dying.
One commentator taking that position is Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Responding to the Pew survey in his blog last week, Moore wrote, "Bible Belt near-Christianity is teetering. I say let it fall. For much of the twentieth century, especially in the South and parts of the Midwest, one had to at least claim to be a Christian to be 'normal.' During the Cold War, that meant distinguishing oneself from atheistic Communism. At other times, it has meant seeing churchgoing as a way to be seen as a good parent, a good neighbor and a regular person. It took courage to be an atheist, because explicit unbelief meant social marginalization. Rising rates of secularization, along with individualism, [mean] that those days are over -- and good riddance to them."
But is Moore right? A reporter from The Christian Post contacted Pew Research for reaction to Moore's blog. Responding for Pew, associate director Gregory Smith confirmed that the previous research conducted by Pew does show that part of the decline is due to once-nominal church members no longer calling themselves "Christian." But, Smith added, the research also shows that the nones, besides growing in numbers, are "also becoming more secular as they grow."
From the viewpoint of people attending churches with shrinking numbers, it may not matter whether Moore is right. When the number of attendees gets so small that survival of the congregation itself is in question, those remaining would likely welcome even nominal Christians.
Whether Christianity itself is sinking, many congregations are, and for them, the downturn means that they must decide what God is calling them to be and do now.
TWW team member Malia Miller belongs to a church that has declining numbers. She reports that her church is in an intentional process to determine how to revitalize its membership. They've used a consultant from the denomination who's helped them survey the members and plot a course. "As we pray and discuss the direction we need to take, we are slowly arriving at the conclusion that our focus needs to be on serving and living Christ-like lives so that those around us want to be a part of our efforts," Miller said.
"That's not to say that we shouldn't be looking for ways to create opportunity for others to join us in our church community," Miller added, "but we have spent too much time trying to discover why others do not join us instead of focusing our efforts on what Christ would want us to be doing to further his kingdom."
More on this story can be found at these links:
America's Changing Religious Landscape. Pew Research Center
Reflections on the Pew Forum: Adjusting to the 'New Normal.' Patheos
Is Christianity Dying? Moore to the Point
Is Christian Decline in America Due to 'Fewer Incognito Atheists,' ...? CP Asked Pew Research .... Christian Post
Christians Need to Face the Bad News About Christianity. The Week
You've Met the 'Nones.' Now Meet the 'Dones.' Baptist News Global
The Big Questions
1. Why are you a part of your church? What keeps you there?
2. What does it feel like to know that the church has changed and is less a force in the culture? Is there fear? Are you more likely or less likely to want to be involved with a church after all of this information?
3. Should evangelism be more of a focus for your congregation? What exactly is evangelism? Which is better for long-term Christianity: the revival of a non-participant believer or the conversion of a non-believer? What is our responsibility as believers with respect to our inactive or non-believing brothers and sisters?
4. Is coming to church necessary to be a Christian? What if someone is just part of an ongoing small group that discusses faith but is not connected to organized religion? What is the point of corporate worship? Does corporate worship need to be changed as well?
5. What is God calling your church to be and do in this time when there is little or no social or cultural pressure on people to attend church?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
1 Peter 3:15-16
... in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. (For context, read 3:8-17.)
One way to respond to the growth of the nones demographic is to pay attention to how we express "the hope that is in us" -- our faith in Christ and in God's promises -- as Peter said above. One reason some people turn away from the faith is because they've not really seen the need for it. They've perhaps gone along with it because they were taken to church while growing up, but it never became their own.
Being able to account for the hope that is in us means giving credible witness to our faith. It's good for us to be able, when an appropriate occasion presents itself, to briefly tell the content of our faith and where it meets the reality of our lives. When we do that, those who hear us at least have a basis on which to give the Christian faith a fair hearing.
Question: In what terms do you express the hope that is in you?
Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (For context, read 5:13-16.)
This verse provides a biblical basis for what Malia Miller's fellow church members have concluded, as described in the "In the News" section above: "As we pray and discuss the direction we need to take, we are slowly arriving at the conclusion that our focus needs to be on serving and living Christ-like lives so that those around us want to be a part of our efforts."
Questions: What does it mean for your light to shine before others? What if letting your light shine faithfully shows no positive results in terms of numerical church growth? Does that mean there's something wrong with your light? Are we called to be faithful or effective -- or both? Explain your answer. What are the different responses you have experienced while shining the light of Jesus?
Mark 10:21-22
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (For context, read 10:17-27.)
This is from the incident of the rich young man who came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to receive eternal life. Jesus' reply and the man's response are in the verses above.
We note that when the young man decided he didn't want to sell his possessions to benefit the poor and then come follow Jesus, Jesus didn't go running after him begging him to reconsider, or asking him how he (Jesus) might change his program to make the fellow more interested.
Whatever the reason people leave Jesus, or leave a local fellowship of believers, Jesus' attitude toward them is one of love. But how about us? Can we love the inactives -- the dones? Sometimes the "faithful" find that hard to do. We may have feelings of anger, grief, shock, a sense of having been betrayed, etc.
(For more on this, see the team discussion regarding visiting inactives in the "For Further Discussion" section below.)
Questions: Do we see inactives as Judases who have tasted of Christ and abandoned him? Is jumping the ship of the church the same thing as rejecting Jesus? Have there been times you have been tempted to jump ship as well? Why?
Galatians 6:9
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. (For context, read 6:7-10.)
It's good to hear this word from Paul, advising us not to let weariness be the ruling force in deciding what to do next. We suspect he would also tell us not to let discouragement, downer statistics, cultural trends, fear or similar things rule us either. "So let us not grow weary in doing what is right ...." Indeed!
Questions: In what circumstances of your church today do you especially need to hear -- and affirm -- Galatians 6:9? Have you felt discouragement while waiting for the harvest? How do you define the "harvest time" (called "due season" in the King James Version)?
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. (No additional context needed.)
Paul here tells the Corinthians about the attitude and spirit with which he came to them when he previously visited their community. Notice what he says about his priorities.
Questions: In what ways might Paul's priorities here inform your efforts as a fellowship of believers in Jesus? How would you describe your church's approach to those outside it? -- with fear and trembling? with "lofty words"? some other attitude (specify)? Compare your experience in this regard with other churches you have attended.
For Further Discussion
1. Discuss this: This week's topic led four of our TWW team members who have pastored churches to discuss the question included in Big Question #3 above: Which is better for long term Christianity: the revival of a non-participant believer or the conversion of a non-believer?"
Stan Purdum said, "I'm inclined to think the latter. In each church I pastored, I took the membership list and visited all those who were on the list but hadn't attended for a long time (that is, they had been inactives long before I arrived). I eventually realized that from the perspective of reactivating them in the church, my visiting them was a waste of time. I can't think of one long-term inactive who ever returned to the church as a result. (I had better luck with short-term inactives, those who had stopped coming because they didn't like the previous pastor. But I can't really take credit for them, as most had planned to return as soon as the disliked pastor moved on.)
"I once suggested to my fellow pastors in the area that we exchange lists of long-term inactives, thinking that people might feel they had burned their bridges with the congregation to which they belonged but might go to another one where they could get a fresh start, but none of my colleagues ever took me up on that offer."
Heidi Mann said, "Lay people always want a pastor who will go visit the inactives. I think they must think it gets them off the hook of inviting unchurched people to church. Perhaps many pastors also think visiting the inactives is easier than visiting the unchurched -- which might explain your colleagues' lack of interest in trading inactive lists, Stan."
Joanna Loucky-Ramsey commented, "I never thought visiting inactives was easier. In some ways, it's harder. Some of them may have bitterness, resentment, anger or other negative feelings that we in the church don't want uncovered. Better to 'let sleeping dogs lie' than have them come back to bite us. We don't necessarily {ITALIC}want to know why they left. If we found out, we might have some repenting to do, or have to face some uncomfortable truths about ourselves. Of course, people leave for many reasons, good and bad, and not all separations are negative."
Frank Ramirez said, "I've just started at only my fourth church. One of the first things that happens is people tell me, 'I want you to make this person come back to church!' I'd love to know how I 'make' someone come back. Often I can establish a very cordial relationship, but generally if a ship has sailed, it's not coming back to port. Sometimes a non-attender comes back for a few months or a year, then disappears again. Sometimes the reason they left was the previous pastor, but often it's because of church members that are still there!
"When I left my second church, I was told that two or three families returned, but none of them stayed long. They bolted at the first sign of trouble.
"I have to agree with Stan's comment. Too bad I wasn't in the same community, Stan, or I might have been tempted to trade lists! That would have been interesting."
2. What effect, if any, has your church had on your relationship with God? What, if anything, would need to change here to help you grow more toward Jesus' call to love God and love others?
3. Respond to this old saying in light of this lesson's topic: "If you always do what you always did, you always get what you already got."
Responding to the News
This could be the right time to take intentional steps to decide what your congregation should be and do in response to God's call.
Closing Prayer
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