The Crisis facing the church
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Only 20% of Americans attend church regularly[i]
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65% of churches are plateaued or declining[ii]
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Our younger generation is largely without interest in God
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Only two in ten Millennials believe church attendance is important[iii]
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59% of Millennials who grew up in church have dropped out
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“More than one-third of Millennial young adults (35%) take an anti-church stance.”[iv]
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94% of churches are growing slower than the population around them[v]
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If trends continue, church attendance in 2050 is estimated to be almost half of 1990’s attendance – a drop from 20.4% to 11.7%[vi]
The nation’s largest protestant denomination, The Southern Baptist Convention, shows signs of life as it saw the number of churches increase by 270 in 2017 and overall giving increased by $267 million, yet…
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Membership fell for the 11th consecutive year
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1.3 million members have been lost since 2006
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Worst of all, baptisms continue an 11-year slide[vii]
[i]Author unknown. Outreach Magazine, April 10, 2018. https://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/139575-7-startling-facts-an-up-close-look-at-church-attendance-in-america.html
[ii]Thom Rainer. “Dispelling the 80 Percent Myth of Declining Churches,” June 28, 2017, accessed August 6, 2018, https://thomrainer.com/2017/06/dispelling-80-percent-myth-declining-churches/.
[iii]Barna Group. March 24, 2014, https://www.barna.com/research/americans-divided-on-the-importance-of-church/
[iv]Barna. Ibid.
[vii]Lisa Cannon Green, “Worship Attendance Rises, Baptisms Decline in SBC,” Facts and Trends, June 1, 2018, accessed August 6, 2018, https://factsandtrends.net/2018/06/01/worship-attendance-rises-baptisms-decline-in-sbc/.