Church Attendance

“The reasons someone might not want to attend church gatherings vary greatly and our pastoral response will be directed to such reasons.

“… this study suggests that religious service attendance was associated with lower risk of deaths from despair among both men and women, accounting for a wide range of potential confounders (including other aspects of social integration)” - CPost

Pastor Nic Burleson “says his church is also putting all food service on hold.

“Don’t let the excitement of finally coming back together cloud your judgement or cause you to ignore the ‘new normal.’” - F&T

One church “said it will only allow 10 people at a time for Sunday worship, and will start a new service every hour.” - CPost

Related - Soon but safe: Pastors urge courage, caution and compassion in reopening churches

“Older churchgoers are bound to be among the most eager to return to services. The elderly were particularly prone to social isolation and loneliness before the pandemic, and during the intervening weeks of social distancing, they were less likely to have participated in the digital options offered as an alternative to in-person fellowship.

“First, I praise God that Christians would ask this question. We should never take scriptural commands lightly, and Hebrews 10:25 is one, unfortunately, that many Christians often overlook. The question arises from a heart serious about God’s Word, serious about obedience, and serious about worship. So, are we sinning? In short, no, and for five main reasons.” - TGC

“The data was reflected in recent weekly national pastor panel surveys for April 7-13 conducted by Barna measuring their well-being, attendance and giving.” - CPost

“A new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found 1 in 5 Protestant churchgoers (19%) say they typically travel to church alone. Most travel to church with their spouse (54%), while close to a third say their child or children ride with them (31%).” - F&T

“Southern Baptist congregations saw an increase of more than $82 million in overall giving in 2018, according to the latest Annual Church Profile (ACP) report. However, other key metrics declined slightly in 2018, including baptisms, membership, average worship attendance and total number of Southern Baptist churches.” - Facts & Trends