Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 52

The Growth of the Hispanic Population in the U.S. and What It Means for Your Church

Most people do not notice demographic changes because they happen slowly over many years. Then these changes reach an inflection point and everyone notices.

In the United States, the 2020 census revealed an inflection point. The white population declined nationally for the first time since 1790. All the nation’s growth is attributable to people of color. Almost every county in the United States grew in racial diversity. Additionally, the youngest generation is now minority white. This change is occurring in your community whether you choose to see it or not.

One of the most notable demographic changes is the rise of the Hispanic population. Hispanics made up over half of the total U.S. population growth over the last ten years. Today one in five Americans is Hispanic.

The Hispanic population is spreading geographically across the U.S. and is not limited to California, Texas, and Florida. Without the influx of Hispanics, our economy would be in worse shape, and birth rates would be lower. Moreover, as the white population declines and ages over the next two decades, the Hispanic population (and other people of color) will drive the growth of the U.S. economy.

What do these demographic changes mean for the church? How should you respond?

Connect. Who are the Hispanic pastors in your community? Do you know them? If you do not have a relationship with some of them, start by getting connected. Who are the Hispanic leaders in your area? What do they have to say? Connect with them and get to know them.

Learn. Once you are connected, go on a learning campaign. Ask questions and enjoy learning about other cultures and the background of people. Also, be sensitive to nuances as you learn. For example, though some use terms like Latino and Hispanic interchangeably, others do not. I use the term Hispanic in this article because of its connection to demographics and statistics, but I recognize not everyone prefers the term. For example, foreign-born people tend to identify more with the term Hispanic than those whose families have been in the United States for more than three generations.

Communicate. Start learning basic Spanish and make some new friends! I realize learning a language is a challenging endeavor. Think of the process as a mind exercise and a soul exercise. The language barrier is a significant reason why the gospel is not communicated. When you learn a new language, not only are you stretching your mind, but you are also preparing your soul for gospel conversations.

Invest. One of the best places to start is with children’s ministry. Many within the younger generation are bilingual. Also, be strategic about hiring Hispanic staff and equipping Hispanic leadership. You’ve likely heard that a church will become multi-ethnic only after the staff is multi-ethnic. It’s true. But a church will also not become multi-ethnic unless the budget reflects an investment in people of color. If you want to reach Hispanics, you need to invest time and resources into the effort.

As I’ve told my church many times, this process is harder but healthier. You will not regret connecting, learning, communicating, and investing in the Hispanic community.

Where can you begin? What is a good first step?

Start by getting to know your community. We recently updated our Know Your Community report to include data on the Hispanic community. How many Hispanics live within driving distance of your church? How much will the Hispanic population grow in the area around your church? This report will tell you!

The Know Your Community report is now available in a Spanish version! Church Answers is thrilled to make this resource available to our Spanish-speaking audience.

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Five Reasons Digital Church Attendance Numbers Are Getting Confusing

I absolutely love the opportunities for streaming worship services and for people to be present digitally. It is both a ministry and mission opportunity. I hope all churches are moving toward making these services available. There are really no cost barriers.

The challenge we are seeing is the confusing nature of digital attendance. Perhaps it is because we are still relatively early in the introduction of digital worship in most churches. Perhaps we will see some common practices that will bring clarity to both the counting and purpose of digital attendance. For now, here are five reasons digital attendance is confusing:

There are myriads of ways to count digital attendance. One church counts anyone who happens to click on the service, even if it’s for a second or two. Another church counts those who stay at least five minutes. One church counts a visit or click as one person. Another church counts the same click as two people, assuming that is the average number of persons viewing from a particular screen. I bet most church members don’t know how the church counts digital attendance. There is no consistency in how digital attendance is counted in total attendance in different churches. I am looking at the data from one church right now, where the digital attendance and in-person attendance are added together without visibility to the two distinctly different pieces of data. I looked at the data from another church yesterday that keeps the two metrics separate at all times. Most churches can’t answer their “why” question of counting digital attendance. When I ask church leaders why they count digital attendance, I often don’t get a clear response. In contrast, counting in-person attendance helps the church know building usage data, whether to add or combine worship services, and basic issues like how many people will be served communion or the Lord’s Supper. Most churches don’t have a plan for their digital services. Is it primarily for those who are physically unable to attend? Is it a mission opportunity that requires a plan to reach those digital attendees? Is it just like the in-person service in purpose and scope? Because most leaders don’t have a plan for digital services, the counting of the attendees has little purpose. Some churches are counting digital attendance to compensate for the in-person losses during the pandemic. A few pastors have shared with me that they count digital attendance to keep their congregation from getting discouraged. Many of them lost 20% to 50% of in-person attendance. Counting digital attendees lets the congregants know they are still connecting with people outside the traditional approaches.

I get it. There has been a huge increase in the number of new digital worship services created as a response to the quarantine and pandemic. It might just take time before we see consistency and get clarity.

Let me know what you are doing about digital worship services and how you are counting attendees. I still have a lot to learn.

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Don’t Forget to Tell People “How”

Most leadership books today will tell you that the most important thing you can do when launching a campaign or new initiative is make sure you tell people the “why” behind what you’re doing. If you can communicate the “why” behind your latest campaign or initiative, the thinking is that people will feel compelled to participate and join in what you’re doing. 

The strategy behind leading with “why” is not wrong. It’s true that if you can nail down the “why” with your audience, the audience is more likely to buy into what you’re asking the audience to do. However, that’s only part of the equation. 

Many churches can do an excellent job of giving a compelling “why.” Why they’re planting a new church or doing a capital campaign to fund building expansions, this part comes easy for them. Yet, churches often fall short of their ability to explain the “how.” For example, a church may tell its audience why they want to plant a new church in a neighboring city, but can they explain how they will do it?

The problem with explaining the “how” to your audience is that it’s not seen as the exciting part of your church’s communication. It’s seen as “getting into the weeds” or “stuck in the details”; however, if you can’t unpack the “how,” then you could lose a good portion of your audience. 

When you can clearly explain the “how” part of your plan to church, then you demystify what you’re asking your church to do. In addition, describing how something works or how something is going to be accomplished removes fears that your audience may have about what you’re asking them to do.

So how do you become better at communicating to your church the “how” behind what you’re asking them to do? First, ask yourself this question “if someone walked into our church for the first time and heard what we were asking our church to do, would that first-time visitor know how to do it?” Second, get outside voices that are not a part of the planning process to review what you’re asking your church to do, and those outside voices feel like it’s clear what you want people to do and how you want them to do it.

Again, I know that this is not the exciting part of communicating with your church. But if you cannot explain the “how” as well as the “why”, you may need to rethink what you’re asking your church to do. 

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Are People Reading Their Bibles?

None of us would hope and pray for a crisis as a growth strategy. But anyone in Christian publishing, particularly Bible publishing, will tell you that interest in Bibles has soared since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. I don’t know anyone who predicted that. We were all ready to hunker down for a time of contraction. But just the opposite happened.

It is not surprising that people turn to God in times of crisis, and during this particular crisis, that spiritual interest couldn’t be expressed by increasing church attendance. But as long as the mail and delivery services were active, people could get a Bible or a Christian book.

What we don’t know yet (and may never know) is how many people developed new habits of Bible study and reading during the pandemic. As people return to church gatherings, perhaps we will find out.

What research has shown nationally (pre-pandemic) is that regular church attenders love and respect the Bible, but less than 40 percent of them are reading the Bible regularly.

So how can pastors and church leaders promote biblical literacy and reading the Bible regularly?

We believe there are four keys to increasing Bible reading:

Readability—Increase individuals’ ability to read the passage easily.Portability—Improve individuals’ ability to take Scripture anywhere.Understandability—Provide a translation that enables individuals to understand the meaning of the text.Accessibility—Provide study materials and devotional guides individuals can practically use to apply what they are reading.

You may have heard about Tyndale’s new Filament Bible app, which is offered in nearly 200 different Bibles, called The Filament Collection. Filament is a tool that we believe can impact Bible literacy and provide a reading experience that will attract serious new readers.

Here’s what Filament provides:

With the Filament Bible app, you have access to verse-by-verse study notes, insightful articles, devotionals, interactive maps, videos, and worship music.All this comes with a clear, uncluttered print Bible in an easy-to-carry size that you can put in a backpack or purse.Using your phone or tablet, just scan a specific page number in your Filament Bible. The app will display curated content that helps explain and illuminate the Scripture passages on that page.

Have you seen the international study that was done several years ago by the Center for Bible Engagement? It’s really quite amazing. The key discovery: “The life of someone who engages scripture four or more times a week looks radically different from the life of someone who does not. In fact, the lives of Christians who do not engage the Bible most days of the week (at least 4 days out of 7) are statistically the same as the lives of non-believers.”

The study found that someone who engages the Bible four or more times a week is 228% more likely to share faith with others, 407% more likely to memorize Scripture, 59% less likely to view pornography, and 30% less likely to struggle with loneliness.

Life change is one of many compelling reasons to diligently, and regularly, read and study God’s Word!

We pray that as we move beyond at least one crisis, the bold and persistent ministry of pastors and church leaders will make this new season a catalyst for regular Bible reading and the spread of the gospel.

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The Ten Commandments of a Pastor’s Vacation

I realize vacations are a luxury. Plenty of bi-vocational pastors do not get vacations. Some full-time pastors get so much grief from their churches over vacation, they simply skip them. Time away is essential. Every pastor needs it, and every church should give it. If your church is gracious enough to provide vacation time, you should use the time to recharge.

For fun, I’ve put together a list of “shalts” and “shalt nots” for the pastor’s vacation.

1. Thou shalt take a vacation every year. It’s good for the soul to rest. Most of us need at least one week each year to unwind.

2. Thou shalt get off the field. While I understand the concept of a “staycation,” getting off the field makes it easier to take a break from the stresses of ministry.

3. Thou shalt leave clear instructions before you go. Your church or staff will call you if you don’t give them a heads up about who is leading in your absence. Don’t ruin your vacation by being sloppy the week prior.

4. Thou shalt relax. Make sure whatever you do on vacation does not invite more stress.

5. Thou shalt enjoy your family. I’ve heard of pastors taking time off without their families. If you do that regularly, it’s selfish. Ministry can pull you away from your family, so a vacation should be when they receive focused attention from you.

6. Thou shalt read something fun. Put down the systematic theology volume and pick up a good work of fiction.

7. Thou shalt not skip church. If you miss a Sunday in your home church, then visit another church. It’s good to experience other churches. And Jesus’ resurrection is kind of a big deal—worth celebrating every Sunday!

8. Thou shalt not skip devotional time. You need a short reprieve from ministering to others. You don’t need a break from God.

9. Thou shalt not feel guilty. Taking a vacation does not mean you love your church any less, but it does show your church how you love your family more!

10. Thou shalt not return unless in an extreme emergency. It’s tempting to rush back because a key member is having hip replacement surgery. If you must, then take ten minutes for a phone call. Only return for the most extreme emergencies.

If you do not have vacation days, it’s time to ask for them. The downtime is critical to longevity in ministry. You are better for your church when you have time to rest, relax, and get away for a vacation.

 

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8 Reasons Why Gathering with the People of God Matters

While most churches are still struggling to regain their pre-COVID attendance numbers, it’s been good to think about why gathering with God’s people matters. Here are some thoughts that come to mind:

1. Worshiping together is part of God’s intent in making us relational. He who is relational in Himself as Trinity created us needing one another (Gen 2:18). Worshiping with others is one expression of God’s creative intent.

2. It reminds us that we’re not alone in our Christian walk. Many of us struggle most in being faithful—or worse, in surrendering to temptation—when we’re by ourselves. At least for the worship service, we remember that others are walking the same path with us.

3. Our engagement in worship is encouraging to others. We have learned that it’s great to see brothers and sisters in person. Others encourage me, and I trust my being there strengthens them, too. The unity of heart and focus that true worship brings can help even the most discouraged believer find hope again.

4. Non-believers who see us worship might sense our love and awe of the Lord as we worship and praise Him. This assumes, of course, that lost people are in our churches—but if those who are present sense genuine humility, deep gratitude, and heartfelt commitment to God, perhaps God will use that experience to turn their hearts to Him.

5. There’s just something special about the people of God singing His praises together. No matter what the worship style is, focusing on God and lifting His name together can be a powerful experience. Bob Kauflin puts it this way: “A worshiping community recognizes that passionate times of singing God’s praise flow from and lead to passionate lives lived for the glory of Jesus Christ.”[i]

6. It is in our gathering together that we provoke one another to love and good works (Heb 10:24-25). We do that through other means as well, but encouragement to persevere in faithfulness is one task of the gathered body. Walking arm-in-arm as we serve Him and knee-to-knee as we pray together compel us to faithfulness.

7. The gathering together of the body of Christ to hear from their under-shepherd is a privilege, indeed. A worship gathering is a primary means of corporate discipleship, when the pastor accountable to God for watching over their souls (Heb 13:17) directs listeners to Christ. It matters that we gather.  

8. It is what the early church did. Scholars debate the size of their gatherings, but we do know they shared life together—including worship (Acts 2:42-47). Gathering together for them may have been a brief respite from a dangerous world, but it was also a place of encouragement to go out and face that world again with the hope of the gospel.

What would you add to this list?

______________________

[i]Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God (p. 128). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

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25 Unbelievable Things Search Committees Said to Pastoral Candidates

It began as a conversation at Church Answers where we have 2,000 church leaders interacting almost 24 hours a day. They can ask questions about their churches, or they can just interact with one another about the hopes and travails of ministry.

I read as many of the comments as possible. This one caused me to pause. A pastor was interviewing with a search committee when one of the committee members asked him if he would be on 24/7 call 365 days a week. Taken aback, the pastor then asked the search committee member how many hours a week he was expected to work. The response? Up to 120 hours a week!

Seriously.

As other pastors and staff members interacted with this pastor, I decided to take the question to social media. I wanted to ask the question specifically to lead pastors, but I included church staff as well. Here was my question: “Pastors and church staff: What is a question you’ve been asked by a search committee (or its equivalent) that told you the church is not a good fit for you?”

We got dozens of the expected responses like, “Does your wife play piano?” But we got many more that shocked us. By this point, you would think that I couldn’t be shocked how some churches treat a pastor or staff member.

Here are 25 of the shocking questions or comments in no particular order: 

Our last pastor preached for 18 minutes. Can you keep it under 20 minutes?The salary is low, but we will pay you a commission for each new tithing family that joins the church.What is your political party affiliation?What is the least amount we can pay you to come?We do monthly cleaning inspections of the parsonage. You will need to make sure your wife keeps it clean.Do you mind if we have a Christmas tree in the pulpit?Your wife can’t take a job outside the home because she will be too busy at the church.Are you a Calvinist? (several times)Will you preach out of the King James Version? (several times)What do you think about coloreds in the church? (Sadly, several racist questions were asked, including one church that used extremely inappropriate racial language.)Will you play at least two hymns a week? The old hymns?Would you be okay if we parked another single wide by the existing one as a parsonage for your whole family?Do you own a weapon?We want you to preach for a month and see how it works out. (The candidate lived out of state.)What is your position on interracial marriages?If you came here, we would want you to fire the youth minister. Would you be willing to do that?Do you let the singers hold the microphones themselves?Have you ever held a rattlesnake?Would you be willing to shave your facial hair?You have to mow the parsonage lawn at the same time they mow the church yard.The pastor’s office hours are 9 to 5 Monday through Friday.When discovering the pastoral candidate had a physical disability, the search committee person said, “Oh, we don’t want a pastor that’s disabled. You have to stand while you are preaching.”What are your views on mixed bathing?Boxers or briefs?How’s your sex life?

Unbelievable. So unbelievable. Feel free to add your own.

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Battle of Our Minds

Have you ever struggled with your thoughts? Every person should raise their hand. Scripture tells us there is an ongoing battle for our minds that started in the garden of Eden. 

“Did God really say…..?” (Genesis 3:1), we hear the words of Satan to Eve. Genesis 3 shows us how crafty Satan can be. Satan caused Eve to doubt by attacking her thoughts. Eve struggled with her own doubt despite her perfect surroundings, perfect history, perfect spouse, and perfect relationship with God. How much easier our minds struggle as we live in brokenness!

Our thought life is so important there is an entire field of psychology related to targeting our thoughts: Cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology presumes our thoughts are formed from our core beliefs (what we believe about ourselves), and our core beliefs are shaped by our interactions with others and our environment. Sound similar to Scripture? 

What Scripture teaches is that our environments, relationships, and our hearts (what we believe) are products of being formed in both God’s image (before the fall) and in Adam’s image (after the fall); we struggle because of the latter. Living in a broken world and with a sinful nature means that we will struggle in our hearts and also in our minds. We must fight for our hearts and minds, and that isn’t easy. It means fighting against the spiritual forces, the sinful nature, lies of satan, and the broken messages we receive from others and our environment. How do we do that?  How do we challenge our thinking and take our thoughts captive? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Start with prayer and petition to God.

Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4 tells us that “through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” and that He will “guard your hearts and minds.” God already knows our thoughts and our hearts. He actually knows us better than we know ourselves (Psalm 139). And he wants us to come to Him with our struggles. So start with praying and asking God for help with your thoughts and your heart.

2. Stop part of the battle before it starts. 

Philippians 4:8  “ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

The heart and mind connection operates in a cyclical pattern, where one feeds the other. What we think comes from our hearts, but what we choose to focus or dwell on also influences our hearts/beliefs. This means we need to intake healthy and spiritual “food.” Choose wisely to surround yourself with God-honoring entertainment, media, news, and friends.

3. Pursue Christ.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2 NIV)  

Pursuing God through His Word and spiritual disciplines allows us to know the truth. Knowing God’s truth is important in the fight for our minds and hearts. We cannot detect lies if we don’t know the truth.

4. Actively challenge your thinking.

Scripture is very clear that we are engaged in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12). Being in a war means we have to be active participants in fighting against the enemy. In this case, we have to actively fight against lies, false assumptions, and negative thinking. One tool we can use to fight for our minds is a thought log. This is a tool typically used in cognitive psychology. I have adapted the thought log to incorporate questions for followers of Christ. 

Adapted Thought Log:

What am I thinking and feeling?What evidence supports this thought?What evidence goes against this thought?What does Scripture say about this matter?Who is God? (characteristics- keep a list for reference)Who am I in Christ? (characteristics – keep a list for reference)What lies am I believing?Based upon the information, what is a truer and healthier thought? How does that thought make me feel? 

5. Examine what you are worshiping.

Scripture is very clear that our hearts and minds (thoughts) are interconnected.

“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” (Proverbs 27:19 NIV)

“They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” (Mark 6:51b-52 NIV)

“Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, ‘Why are you thinking this in your hearts.’” (Luke 5:22 NIV)

What we worship affects our thoughts and hearts. We cannot turn off the act of worship. We just get to choose what we worship. Sometimes we struggle with our thoughts because we have chosen to worship the wrong thing (i.e. idol). So if you are struggling with your thoughts and heart, start examining what you are worshiping.

6. Seek support.

Satan would love to keep you isolated in your thoughts. He would even lie to you about your thinking. Maybe you can relate to these: 

“No one else thinks this way.” 

“If people knew I had this thought, they wouldn’t want to be with me.” 

“I’m a horrible person for struggling with this thought.”

Don’t believe those thoughts! One of the best ways to fight the battle of your mind is to find a trusted person to share in your struggles. This person may be a confidant, pastor, or Christian counselor. God created us to be in relationship with others so we can “help carry each other’s burdens.” (Galatians 6:2 NIV).

Struggling with your thought life? You are not alone. I pray these practical steps will help you in the battle for your thoughts and heart. And may you continue to fight to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2) through the finished work of Christ.

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What Does a Humble Pastor Really Look Like?

Pride is a danger for anyone in authority. Pastors are as vulnerable as anyone.

Consistent pride disqualifies a pastor from ministry. The first chapter of Titus explains how a pattern of arrogance severely limits a shepherd’s ability to manage God’s house and lead God’s people. Any position of power comes with the trap of hubris, but the toxic effects of pride are especially hazardous in the church.

No church leader starts ministry with the goal of building pride. Yet, ironically, even the most seasoned pastors struggle to recognize the warning signs of arrogance. Pride is a blinding sin, in part because of its close association with power.

Long tenures in positions of power make the blinders worse. More authority creates a greater distance between the leader and reality. Humility includes the capacity to assess your abilities and limitations accurately. Power naturally disrupts this ability. Good leadership exists in the constant tension between authority and humility.

There is a lot of truth in the following adage: Humility is not thinking less of yourself but rather thinking of yourself less. The focus of humility is outward, not inward. Internal insecurity is just as prideful as external arrogance. Both focus on self above others. Biblical humility is about a proper view of other people. It’s why Peter describes humility in the context of a relationship with others.

Humility is the ability to see people as God sees them and empathize with their lives. In the context of a local church, what makes a humble pastor?

1. Humble pastors are naturally close to the people they shepherd. Distance from people is a significant warning sign. The further a leader is from the people, the greater the danger of pride. Proximity is needed to balance authority with humility. The humblest pastors are the ones constantly looking for ways to be closer to the people they lead.

2. Humble pastors build bridges rather than burn them. Check a pastor’s social media feed. A pattern of online antagonism is a sign of pride. If a pastor’s calendar is filled with lunch and coffee meetings, it’s a good sign humble bridge-building is occurring.

3. Humble pastors elevate curiosity over the need to be right. They are not afraid to say, “I don’t know,” and they value the process of discovery. Pride refuses to learn. Pride refuses to grow. Pride kills creativity.

4. Humble pastors serve first and lead second. A posture of sacrifice guides them. Hard work that benefits others is a sign of humility. Laziness is selfish and a form of pride.

5. Humble pastors are quick to celebrate the successes of others and slow to accept accolades. They expend energy equipping others rather than promoting themselves.

6. Humble pastors are not afraid to learn from the people they lead. They listen intently and rarely speak first.

7. Humble pastors exhibit high levels of hospitality. Don’t miss this. Pastors must enjoy having people in their homes. Being inhospitable is as much a disqualification from ministry as misguided doctrine.

One last thought—insecurity is not humility; it’s a form of pride. Those who lead from a place of insecurity draw attention to themselves for the sake of their own emotions. Humble leaders project confidence, but this assurance is for the benefit of others and not themselves. Pastors who lead with humility are rooted in confidence that comes from the Holy Spirit. This confidence enables them to serve rather than be served.

**Join me for a free webinar on hospitality tomorrow, Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 1:00 pm Eastern. You can register here: https://churchanswers.com/webinars/hospitality-the-invisible-opportunity-for-every-church-and-how-to-capture-it-right-now/

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Churches Before and After the Quarantine: Five Surprising Metrics

Do you remember the first Sunday your church did not have in-person services due to the pandemic? That Sunday marks the beginning point of your church’s quarantine period. For some churches, the period lasted a few months. For other churches, the quarantine lasted well over a year.

How have churches fared as they have returned to in-person services? Fortunately, we have a treasure trove of data in Faith Communities Today (FACT) studies hosted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. FACT has been conducting studies since 2000, meaning they have an incredible amount of longitudinal research. Their latest study concluded in early 2020, meaning that most of the data they assimilated was right before the quarantine. The FACT 2020 study alone examined 15,278 congregations.

We then compared our anecdotal information from 2021 to discern where churches are today. Our information does not have the statistical reliability of the FACT 2020 study, but it is still instructive. Let’s look at five key data points.

1. Before the quarantine, the median worship attendance was 65. Today it is 55. This data point was on a precipitous decline before the pandemic. In 2000, the median worship attendance was 137. In 2010 it was 105. In 2020 it was 65. Today it is 55. Median worship attendance has declined by 60% in two decades.

2. The occupancy rate of worship centers was 33% before the quarantine. Today it is 28%. The median size of a worship center is 200. If the church has more than one service, the occupancy rate is even lower. This issue has massive implications for church facilities in the months and years ahead.

3. The median year of church founding was 1950 before the quarantine. That has not changed. Simply stated, we have not started enough churches to move the median founding date significantly in many years. New churches and new sites are imperative strategies for churches today.

4. The median income of churches was $120,000 before the quarantine. That has not changed. Most of the reports we’ve received from congregations indicate that income has held very well. That is encouraging. But we also know that a tremendous amount of liquidity was injected into the economy, benefitting both businesses and individuals. We are curious to see how churches do financially with the cash faucet turned off.

5. The percentage of churches with an attendance under 100 before the quarantine was 65%. Today it is 75%. As a point of comparison, the percentage of churches with an attendance under 100 in 2000 was 45%. We are fast becoming a nation of small churches.

Our team is especially curious to see how large churches and megachurches were affected by the pandemic. Our initial information indicates that their in-person attendance was hit hard by COVID. We need more solid quantitative data that does not include online attendance, though, before we can make any sound conclusions.

We will continue to do our own research, and we will continue to be dependent on good research such as FACT. We would welcome your input on your church as well. Let us hear from you.

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