Researchers from the Hartford Institute for Faith Analysis have discovered that almost half (46%) of surveyed churchgoers are common individuals in church buildings apart from their major church. This energetic engagement in different church buildings can contain attending in individual, watching on-line or on TV, or participating in each bodily and digital choices.
Scott Thumma, principal investigator of the examine, reported that partaking in different congregations didn’t stop these churchgoers from giving and serving at their major church. “Taking part in a number of providers repeatedly didn’t detract from one’s dedication to at least one’s residence church,” he stated, “reasonably it was as if these extremely dedicated spiritual individuals wished/wanted extra non secular sustenance than their one church supplied and sought out this nourishment elsewhere whereas remaining as concerned of their residence church.”
To date, so good.
However that’s not the one “I attend a number of church buildings” type of individual. Let’s take into consideration three different classes of multiple-church attenders who will not be so “extremely dedicated,” and whose attendance patterns are lower than ideally suited. Actually, reasonably than reflecting excessive ranges of dedication, their attendance patterns replicate low ranges of dedication. Let’s name them the church hopper, shopper and dropper.
The Church Hopper. The “church hopper” is the one that hops from church to church with out ever making a dedication. They attend a number of church buildings however would not have a major church. They attend church buildings based mostly on who is likely to be talking, the subject of a selected sequence, or just on the premise of that Sunday’s temper. They don’t put down roots in anybody church and, consequently, would not have a church residence. Many occasions, a non secular pleasure fuels the sort of interplay with church buildings as they understand themselves “above” anybody church.
The Church Shopper. The “church shopper” could make a church their major residence, however just for a season—typically a really brief season. They’re consistently in pursuit of the “subsequent, subsequent factor” by way of which church may need the new new worship chief, charismatic speaker, in style pupil ministry, massive singles ministry or celebrated youngsters’s program. They exhibit a sort of migratory sample as they make their method from church to church, typically in concern of lacking out. They go to the place it appears to be “occurring” till they hear of “it” occurring some other place. It will be laborious to name the church they at the moment name residence something akin to a real residence church. It’s simply the flavour of the month.
The Church Dropper. A closing class of people that have, or do, attend a number of church buildings in a method that doesn’t replicate excessive ranges of dedication is the “church dropper.” That is the one that has dropped out of church after church, leaving a path of our bodies of their wake. Usually fueled by a unfavourable, essential spirit, this individual will not be in search of the “subsequent, subsequent factor” like the consumer, however as a substitute a church that conforms to their likes and dislikes. It’s not lengthy earlier than the dislikes mount. Quickly, their new church disappoints like the numerous earlier than. Relatively than work via disappointment or battle, or launch unrealistic expectations, or embrace the truth that no church is ideal, they merely drop it and transfer on. Once more.
No pastor must be threatened by a “excessive dedication” one that has your church as their church residence, is devoted to it, however then attracts from different sources as properly. Actually, they’re to be applauded. They don’t demand that their church meet their each want however as a substitute have taken possession of their non secular life and growth—all of the whereas remaining loyal to their church residence by way of their giving and serving, praying and alluring.
However the hoppers, customers and droppers?
They should grow to be stoppers and discover a church residence.
James Emery White
Sources
Adelle M. Banks, “What Church Do You Attend? Possibly Extra Than One, Survey Finds,” Faith Information Service, June 16, 2025, learn on-line.
Yonat Shimron and Adelle M. Banks, “Church Membership Could Be Declining, However Many Churchgoers Are Double-Dosing,” Faith Information Service, August 6, 2025, learn on-line.
