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The "De-Churched" Christian Epidemic
Perhaps when you think about people who don't go to church you think about two different types. There's the "un-churched" - people who've never or hardly been to church. Then there's the "de-churched" that is people who once attended regularly but no longer identify as Christians.
However, in addition to this there's one more type that is becoming increasingly common and that is the "De-churched Christian". That is, someone who identifies as Christian but does not ever or rarely gather with other believers for worship.
Lifeway recently did a study that highlights some factors which contribute to this epidemic.
Here's their sober introduction: "According to Lifeway Research, among Protestant pastors in the United States, 3 in 5 consider someone in their congregation a regular churchgoer if they attend church at least twice a month. Come to church every other Sunday (26 times a year) and you’re now considered a regular in the American church. To say that infrequent is the new frequent is not an exaggeration." The whole article can be read HERE.
Now, I'm not saying that church and school are the same thing but if I only attended half my classes in college I would have flunked out in the first semester. My conviction is that, under normal circumstances, born again believers should not be content to attend Sunday worship only half of the year.
Here are three of the factors this article identifies as contributors to the problem. I offer them as factors to watch out for in your own spiritual walk.
1. Emphasis on a "personal relationship with Jesus" over and against a committed connection to a body of believers. Of course one must have a personal connection to the Lord - BUT that personal connection also connects you to a body. And we're called to serve, love, and commit ourselves to that body.
2. Indifference. Years and years of hearing things like "You don't go to church, you are the church" and the increasing demands of the world on our time (sports, work, entertainment, etc.) have led to an apathetic and indifferent attitude in some who still call themselves Christian.
3. Affluence. We can afford to be gone more. Our comforts insulate us from an awareness of our desperate need for a community of faith.
If you think 26 times a year is pretty good I would challenge you to see what kind of a difference it would make in your life to be in church 46 times a year (or more!). If God commands it as the ordinary experience of the believer, it will benefit you.
NOTE: None of these comments should be construed as being ignorant of legitimate exceptions beyond someone's control (e.g., crisis, disability, illness, extended family obligations, etc.). We all know there are legitimate reasons someone may not make it as often as they'd like. This content is a challenge to those who are content to regularly disassociate and yet feel no crisis of conscience in continuing to identify as Christian.
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