Pastor Johnny from Mississippi asked the questions sincerely and with a heavy heart: “Is it just our church? Are we the only ones who have more than half of our people not wanting to return? Are we the only ones who can’t find staff members?”
His fellow pastor friends sat quietly, nodding in agreement, as he described the discouragement he is experiencing.
I’m not sure if he wanted suggestions or if he merely needed confirmation he wasn’t alone, but his willingness to express it was encouraging despite the downtrodden tone of his voice.
Stating it out loud and owning the situation provides the needed foundation to figure out the next step.
The other pastors assured him he wasn’t alone and the concern was not only statewide but nationwide.
They didn’t solve the situation that night, but they shared a moment of camaraderie and will likely be able to talk more freely about it going forward.
As I listened to the discussion, I thought of a comment I heard a few days prior, a comment from another Pastor Johnny — veteran Georgia pastor Johnny Hunt. He said in an interview with our team, “If you’ll listen to people, they’ll tell you what’s important.”
It doesn’t mean people will always say or portray what’s weighing on their hearts, but if we will truly listen, then we’ll find it.
“Is it just our church?” indicates a plea for assurance that the pastor isn’t alone, and the other pastors were sensitive enough to hear his heart and provide assurance.
“Are we the only ones … ?” might also be a way of asking for help.
My mind swirled through several scenarios, wanting desperately to provide a suggestion about what to do, but I’m not sure any of us know exactly what to do at this point.
Even recent articles featuring experts discussing the stats and research reports stop short of sharing tips for how to adjust to this new church-life situation.
Latest stats
Lifeway Research reports that as of September, 75% of churchgoers returned to in-person worship services, but the question remains:
What happened to the churchgoers who have not returned?
“The Ripple Effect: Congregations, COVID and the Future of Church Life,” a fall 2021 study from Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts, suggests those who didn’t return might already have been among the least active group.
Infrequent churchgoers were more likely to stop attending in-person worship than those who regularly attended church before, according to Grey Matter.
Of those who attended church less than monthly before the pandemic, 25% chose to stop attending once the pandemic began, the Lifeway report explained in its review of the research. Only 11% of those who attended church at least monthly prior to the pandemic made the decision to stop attending in-person services.
The same applied for Bible readership and small groups.
Among those who read the Bible weekly, 10% decided to stop attending in-person services, according to Grey Matter. For those who read the Bible less often, the percentage jumped to 19%. Similarly, 9% of those in a small group chose to stop, while 16% of those not in a small group made that decision.
Still, we all know plenty of dedicated believers who remain cautious about gathering in crowds because of health-related concerns, so the statistics certainly don’t tell the full story and shouldn’t cause us to judge or shame anyone.
At the same time, it’s helpful to think through all the potential reasons and compare what’s happening at church with what’s happening in the workforce as well as all public activities.
How to focus attention
It’s also important to make sure we are shepherding the congregation we have — both those who show up on Sunday and those who are connected from a distance — without spending energy focused on who isn’t participating.
Do stay in touch with those who disappeared as much as possible, keeping the welcome mat out and seeking to share Christ with all who don’t yet know Him. But avoid the temptation of coaxing those who have left back at the expense of caring well for those who are actively participating.
Going forward, we’ll likely need two approaches to church. In fact, those with strong homebound ministries already in place have the advantage.
And finding clear forms of consistent communication is an important step in keeping the entire congregation united.
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