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    Is attendance at church increasing or decreasing today? What is the trend?

    +3  Views: 392 Answers: 7 Posted: 13 years ago

    7 Answers

    Findings from a number of recent surveys indicate such challenges as declining church attendance and the decreasing likelihood of faith commitment in those beyond their early teens.

    A Barna Research Group, Ltd. survey of more than 600 Protestant senior pastors has revealed a decline in median adult church worship attendance. The 1999 figure of 90, the latest in a series of decade-long decreases, compares with 95 in 1998, 100 in 1997 and 102 in 1992. The survey points out that while much media attention has been paid to the growth of "megachurches" those congregations comprise only about one percent of all Protestant houses of worship.

    Also noted in the survey is the reality that while attendance is down church operating budgets steadily have increased--a five percent median increase since 1998, 34 percent since 1992 and 59 percent since 1987.

    Another recent Barna survey confirms that "the greatest evangelistic window currently available is among young children," citing statistics showing that after age 13 there is a precipitous drop in the percentage of young people who accept Christ. Based on responses of more than 4,200 young people and adults, the survey finds that those age 5 to 13 have a 32 percent probability of accepting Christ, those age 14 to 18 only a four percent likelihood of doing so, and those 19 and older only 6 percent. The findings confirm earlier surveys which established that a large majority of Christians accept Jesus Christ as their Savior before age 18.

    George Barna, the research firm's president, said that ongoing data "has consistently shown that between the ages of 18 and 24 we lose a very large percentage of young people who had been regulars at church." He added: "Recognizing the phases of faith maturity that kids go through and developing the content of our ministry to kids in light of those stages might improve the ability of churches to retain young people, rather than have to win them back once they enter parenthood."

    schubee

    A good research!
    One of the reasons is corruption in the church.
    TSC

    Very true. Negative things about the Catholic church that never left the dank Vatican meeting rooms in the past are now finding their way into world media outlets. Most paint a negative picture of the faith. The sexual scandals the past 10 years haven't helped either.
    IamPamela313

    Thanks, so true!
    Producer

    Thank you for your brutal honesty IamPamela313
    IamPamela313

    corruption seems to be everywhere...
    schubee

    I agree with the corruption in the church, but despite the shameful scandals, Catholic church is growing.
    Religious service attendance has decreased by a third since the mid 60's. Can't give you a reason why.
    Do you need to to attend church to believe? I think not. Perhaps some feel the need to reinforce their faith by being visible and acknowledged by others. My faith is between the Lord and myself, where I choose to pray, I believe is my choice. I saw the hypocrites on Sundays, who were in the gin mills during the week hitting on the bar flies. Not me. Maybe I'm not the only one thinking this way, maybe that's the reason for poor church turnout.
    75% of the youth are leaving the church after hearing the propaganda about Darwinian evolution in schools. Just as in Communist Russia when their children received the same brainwashing that there is no God.
    Many are also leaving the false religious churches who hear the calling of the Holy Spirit to come to the true personal relationship with the resurrected Jesus.
    just read an article on this : in 1958 church attendance was at 80% today in 2011 church attendance is at 17.6% thats here in the u.s. the average christisn accepts christ at age 18
    I thought it would be decreasing, but surprisingly in my church, the registered numbers are increasing!


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