Why People Join and Stay
QUESTION:
Do you have any statistics that show the top 5 reasons why people stay or connect with a church?
- Debbie :: California
ANSWER:
In recent years, there have been several research studies hoping to discover what motivates church attendance. I previously blogged about research from LifeWay Research and Gallup. Both of those studies offer good insights but can be general.
My favorite resource on the topic is Thom S. Ranier’s book Surprising Insights from the Unchurched. It discusses the following three surveys.
Top 13 Reasons that Unchurched People Choose a Church
(research conducted by Ranier)
- 90% - Pastor/Preaching
- 88% - Doctrines
- 49% - Friendliness of Members
- 42% - Other Issues
- 41% - Someone Church Witnessed to Me
- 38% - Family Member
- 37% - Sensed God’s Presence/Atmosphere of Church
- 25% - Relationship Other than Family Member
- 25% - Sunday School Class
- 25% - Children’s/Youth Ministry
- 12% - Other Groups/Ministries
- 11% - Worship Style/Music
- 7% - Location
Top 9 Reasons that Church-Attenders Choose a Church
(research conducted by the Barna Group in 1999)
- 58% - Doctrine/Theology
- 53% - People Caring for Each Other
- 52% - Preaching
- 45% - Friendliness
- 45% - Children’s Programs
- 43% - Helping the Poor
- 36% - Denomination
- 35% - Like the Pastor
- 26% - Sunday School
Top 6 Things that Keep the Formerly Unchurched Active in the Church
(research conducted by Ranier)
- 62% - Ministry Involvement
- 55% - Sunday School
- 54% - Obedience to God
- 49% - Fellowship of Members
- 38% - Pastor/Preaching
- 14% - Worship Services
The statistics speak for themselves. Overall, doctrine, the pastor and his preaching, and the friendliness and fellowship of the congregation are the most influential qualities.
Source: http:churchrelevance.comqa-top-reasons-for-church-attendance, July 29, 2008