CNN reports on a new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life about the way people change their faith. These changes can be within a single religion or between religions, and they include people who claim no affiliation to a religion. The findings? People are changing affiliations, and they’re changing them quickly.
If you’re a numbers person who digs into the survey, you’ll notice especially those who are raised unaffiliated with a religion but are now affiliated with one. 74% of them are attracted to services or styles of worship, 51% were feeling unfulfilled while unaffiliated and 55% felt called by God.
But probably the bigger takeaway is that people are switching faiths. Catholicism to Protestantism to no affiliation to a different denomination of Protestantism and back again. We are no longer in the age where you just continue in the same manner you were raised. In this age of constant switching, how are you creating a place people want to come? And how are you fighting against attitudes of, “I’d better get what I want, or I’m leaving this church”?
Emilio Silvas
April 29, 2009
We try to create the best environment for people to worship and get closer to God. As for whether or not we create a specific environment for those who “want what they want”, I would say they will either stay or go. If they are not going to be a part of the ministry, they will be unhappy no matter where the worship.
Tim Cote
April 30, 2009
Preach the Word, keep it Biblical, and quit running the church for those that make the heavy donations, and God will do His will with an individual church.
Switching members? Who cares. If you run the church to please one, another will be disappointed.