5 Reasons People are Skipping Church
Something is going on. I’m not a believer in the secret rapture, but a lot of church members are missing! The problem isn’t confined to a particular region or religion. People just don’t seem to be coming to church like they used to.
An important Gallup Poll in 2016 said that 55% of Americans are members of a church, synagogue, temple or mosque. That’s down from 70% in 1999. And if they took that survey today, it would certainly be worse. Of course, there’s a difference between church membership and church attendance, but that’s a discussion for another day.
I noticed in that same Gallup Poll that even though church attendance and membership are down, 89% of Americans still say they believe in God. Interesting. People seem to be saying, “I believe in God, I just don’t believe in the church.”
I did my own unscientific survey around Oakwood’s campus and the reasons people give for skipping church vary:
- The services start too soon.
- I’m just tired.
- The services are boring.
- I can go to church online
- I don’t want to get dressed up.
No surprises here. But as I review the data and study the surveys- especially the Barna Group national poll in 2014- there are a number of reasons that seem to keep coming up. Let’s look at 5 of the reasons people consistently give for skipping church.
The Church is irrelevant.
Always an issue. It can seem like the church is stuck on 8 track issues in an I Phone age. Social justice, income inequality, global warming, and police misconduct are dominating the airways and we seem to be stuck on cheese and drums.
To be fair, the church offers eternal principles that address all of these issues. The church shouldn’t be a slave to contemporary trends. But if people don’t get the sense that church matters or makes a difference in their everyday lives, they will vote with their feet.
The hypocrisy of members and moral failings of leaders
It’s true that the church is a hospital for sinners, but to the outside world the church just looks sick! Every headline of another pastor or priest who stumbles is more fuel on the fire. Every member who sings on Saturday and stumbles on Sunday is more fuel on the fire. People aren’t looking for perfection as much as they are looking for authenticity.
One of the positive developments in the Adventist church has been a strong emphasis on grace. It has continued now for several years. Great. But for some it has come at the expense of holiness or godly living. The two are not mutually exclusive. God is the source of both. And frankly, outsiders can’t see grace, they see how grace lives.
God is missing in the church
This is an age where people are looking for something real. Something they can experience. Something they can feel. Nothing wrong with that. Can it go to extremes? It can, and it has. But if the church would consult the Bible instead of opinion on legitimate worship practices and the power of the Holy Spirit, there would be no problem here. People would experience authentic emotion and real change.
I feel lonely in church
This one really leaves a mark. How can an institution that talks so much about the value of fellowship, seem to provide so little of it? And cliché’s like,” To have friends, one must be friendly” may be helpful in the world but they don’t make sense in the church.
Technology has connected us in ways that we never could have imagined, but we are probably more personally disconnected today than at any time in history. The church must provide fellowship on more than a superficial level. It can’t force relationships, but it can provide the space and opportunities.
The church dismisses legitimate doubt
Many churches and church leaders are totally uncomfortable with doubt. They can’t tell the difference between an honest question and an attack. And frankly, both of them are valuable, because they reveal the heart. I would argue that if Christians don’t struggle with legitimate doubt from time to time, they probably have a superficial faith. We should welcome the conversation.
Those are 5 reasons people are skipping church. What do you think? Do you ever skip church? If so, why?