What does it mean to be the church in a post-Christian culture? And why are more and more American Christians becoming churchless?
David Kinnaman, President of Barna Research Group, talks about why Americans are becoming churchless more quickly than ever before, and what to do about it.
Welcome to Episode 24 of the Podcast.
This podcast is the final part of a 5 part series on why people are attending church less often. If you want to access the entire series, here it is:
Part 1: 10 Reasons Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Less Often
Part 2: CNLP Episode 23: Why People Are Attending Church Less Often—An Interview with Will Mancini.
Part 3: 5 Ways to Embrace Infrequent Church Attenders
Part 4: 10 Predictions About the Future Church and Shifting Attendance Patterns
Guest Links
Churchless: Understanding Today’s Unchurched and How to Connect with Them
(BOOK) You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith
(STUDY) You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church … and Rethinking Faith
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity…and Why it Matters
Links Mentioned in this Episode
10 Reasons Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Church Less Often
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
TheOrangeConference.com/SeniorLeader
3 Things You Can Do Right Away
David is a brilliant leader who’s got his finger on the pulse of the church and culture. Some of the issues we continually face as a church are, why are people attending church less, and why are increasingly fewer adults attending church? David gives us great insight and tells us what we can do now as leaders.
1. Understand how radically things have changed. The world is changing rapidly. As David outlined:
- Two decades ago, only 1 in 8 people had never been to church in America, and that’s since doubled to 1 in every 4. We now have a large percentage of people who have no muscle memory of regularly going to church or being part of a Christian community.
- 38 percent of the American population is defined as what David calls “post-Christian,” which means one isn’t defined by a measurable orientation around the Christian faith. (Read more about those measurements here.)
- 48 percent of Mosaics/ Millennials are classified as post-Christian.
- That said, young adults are interested in spiritual things are are looking for answers to life’s question. However, they’re not looking for apologetics that are formulaic.
- Mosaics/Millennials are often more willing to be challenged than we are willing to challenge them; young Christians are waiting for a hard ask.
- When there is no recognizable contrast between the church and the world, millennials ask what you’re calling people into other than a more committed relationship with Jesus?
- Although people may agree with the church’s teachings (69 percent), they feel like they don’t need to attend service to achieve spiritual fulfillment because the church is struggling to make a witness to the world.
2. Focus as much on sending people out as you do on bringing people in. Equipping Christians for vocational discipleship is increasingly important. Instead of only bringing people into the church to do ministry, help them see that their vocation and work outside the church is also ministry. As a church leader, equip, send, and prepare people to integrate their faith with work and life.
3. Cultivate your own soul. As Jesus says, “What profit is it if a man gains the whole world but loses his own soul?” Church leaders who have an authentic, deep and abiding relationship with Christ will make a better connection with post-Christian than church leaders who are simply looking at latest trends or gimmicks to grow their church. Authenticity and integrity resonate.
Quotes from David
Many people today have no muscle memory of being part of a Christian church. @davidkinnaman Click To Tweet 20 years ago 1 in 8 people had never been to church in America. Today it's 1 in 4. @davidkinnaman Click To Tweet Introducing people to a faith they never knew is different than reminding them of what they left. Click To Tweet Today, a person can be very orthodox in belief, but not active in practice, or vice-versa. Click To Tweet CNLP 024: Churchless: Why And How America is Learning to Live Without the Church—An Interview with David Kinnaman Click To Tweet Millennials are often more willing to be challenged than we are willing to challenge them. Click To TweetWant Incredible Training from Today’s Top Leaders?
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Next Episode: Jenni Catron
From record industry executive, to executive leadership at Cross Point Church and Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, Jenni Catron has led a lot of change. In this episode, Jenni shares her insights both on the structural and people side of change.
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