By Aaron Earls
Writer, Lifeway Christian Resources
NASHVILLE — Most pastors know the individuals in their congregations who are missing. They don’t need research to tell them. Each week they look out from the pulpit and see the empty spot where someone used to regularly sit.
What research can tell pastors is whether their church is out of the ordinary or if their missing members align with trends elsewhere. So, looking at the research, what do we see? What do most churches across the country look like? Which churchgoers are most likely to have not returned yet? What has this meant for small churches with fewer attendees to begin with?
These five trends can help us better understand the predicament of churches across the country and how individual congregations compare to the national picture. [Read more…]