“Over eight in ten members (84 percent) say their pastor knows them by name.” “Friendship with other church members is one of the main reasons respondents say they join a church. Twenty-nine percent of American church members say they joined a church for this reason and these figures are even higher among younger adults and among those who have attended their church for less than five years.” “Nearly half of the respondents (45 percent) say they joined a church because they ‘liked the pastor or ministers.’” “92 percent of church members in a congregation that has fewer than 100 members say their pastor knows them by name.” “A clear, positive linear relationship between age progression and leaving the church exists.” “Indeed, parents of children between 13 and 18 tend to be more likely to leave a church than the general churched population in the U.S.¹ Over half of America’s parents of teenagers in the church say they have left their church for a reason other than relocation at some point. For every possible response (including disappointment with 1) the minister; 2) with relationships they had with other parishioners; of 3) with their children’s relationships with other kids at the church), parents of teenagers are at least eight percentage points higher than the general adult population to say that they have left a church at some point for each of these reasons.” ¹All subsequent references to the “churched” population in the United States refer to American adults who are current church members. “Youth ministers across the nation talk about a trend among the parents of students in their youth group and this study suggests their concerns are well-founded. Whereas previous generations of parents may have driven their children and brought them to church with them, many parents today bring their young people to church and drop them off. A refrain I hear among youth ministers is that if they need to locate the parents of their junior high students during a youth Bible study on a Wednesday night, they would have a better chance of finding them at the Starbucks or the 24-hour fitness club located around the corner than they would at the church’s prayer meeting or choir rehearsal. The data demonstrate that parents of teenagers are not as connected as other church members: only 34 percent of them have a best friend in their church (compared to 39 percent of the general churched population) and they are less likely to say they feel like they belong (71 percent compared to 76 percent).” “Roman Catholics are less likely to report leaving a church for any reason (28 percent compared to 42 percent of the general churched population). However, Roman Catholics are also less likely to report deep friendships with fellow church members.” “Relationships with other members and the pastor may bring a person into the church.” “The Importance of ‘Hello’”
Research - 2005 and prior
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