The journey of the believer should include church membership. We’re told in Hebrews 10:25 not to “forsake the assembling of the saints together.” Although tithing and giving have declined, church membership is actually on the rise.
Christians are encouraged to belong to a local church. They seek like-minded believers for belonging. There is a draw to a house of worship to glean wisdom and practical tips for daily living.
And if they can’t get it at this Church, they are now going to that Church. What? Do we keep a few on rotation? You know? Like being indecisive about which fast-food place to grab a burger. According to a recent study by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, 46% of churchgoers reported “active engagement with more than one Church.”
Can a believer get any complete satisfaction in their church membership by going to more than one Church? Can Sunday at one Church and a weekday Bible study at another create that unique bond that Christians should make with their place of worship? This is an issue that may hit close to home, but what does God say?
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Church Membership is Not a Buffet Platter of Indecision
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20 ESV)
That is excellent news for the believer. Jesus longs to be with His people. God’s children find a home next to the Father. But, uh, what if we aren’t sure which door to open? Few things in the believer’s life are as grueling as “church shopping.”
- The preaching is solid, but that worship was like easy listening radio.
- That worship was a concert, and the drastic mood change came with the Pastor boring us to tears.
- The Church is phenomenal, but why can’t it have a better children’s ministry? Puppets?!
- The people here look trendy and fun, so why does the singles ministry look like Bingo night at the VFW?
If any of this sounds familiar, that’s what keeps Christians visiting multiple churches until they decide to call one home. This is one of the many issues causing nearly half of Christians to find fulfillment in more than one Church. That’s not “church membership.” That dynamic is more like deciding where to eat on a weekend. The mood determines the journey, not the other way around.
Of the tens of thousands surveyed, half were evangelical Protestant (50%), one-third were Catholic or Orthodox (32%), and 18% were mainline Protestant. Approximately 7 in 10 worship at churches with 250 or more attendees (71%), the majority of whom attend churches that offer online services (85%), and one-fifth are part of multiracial congregations (19%).
“(P)articipating in multiple services regularly did not detract from one’s commitment to one’s home church,” said Scott Thumma, principal investigator of the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations study. “Rather, it was as if these highly committed religious persons wanted/needed more spiritual sustenance than their one church provided and sought out this nourishment elsewhere while remaining as involved in their home church.”
If Christians search for sustenance in more than one place, perhaps that should wake pastors up to what they are serving to eat each Sunday? As good as it may be, no one wants to eat mac n’ cheese every day, do they?
The Rise and Fall of the eChurch
With the rapid proliferation of “online church” since the pandemic, it’s easy to sample Church via YouTube or streaming apps on Sundays. The problem is that some people are finding satisfaction in remaining part of a digital congregation. The 36-page report delves into more than numbers, but notions. Why do so many believers seem not to have an issue about being a faithful member of a single church?
The study reveals that about 75% of churchgoers participate in worship services primarily or exclusively in person. While that seems “back to normal,” about one-fifth (19%) say they attend “a mixture of online and in-person services,” and 7% say they solely or primarily attend online.
Sometimes, “Bedtime Baptist” or “Tempur-Pedic Assembly of God” poses a serious threat to church membership on Sunday mornings. It happens, but is there satisfaction for today’s believer watching Church online? The study notes that more than just lying in bed happens for Church.
“So far, no two surveys we have done record a static ‘back to normal’ reality has been established,” Thumma shared with Religion News Service. “Things are still in flux. The impact of the pandemic on congregational life has a long tail of influence.”
The local Church discovered how to reach a congregation that could not join them in person during the pandemic. Yet, now that we are permitted to go to Church as usual, many of us are not. Watching Church online is convenient, but it can impact church membership and participation. There is no “assembling of the saints.” It’s simply to fire up a TV following a quick trip to the local Starbucks.
What matters to the believer today? What will make them get out of bed and become loyal to a single body of believers?
Everybody wants something different out of the local Church, and that should wake up pastors. You can’t do it all. Only God can do that. What your Church doesn’t offer, Pastor, put that in God’s hands. Not every Church is equipped with a strip shopping center inside and architectural wonder curb appeal outside.
Sometimes, the church experience is simply about what you feed your members. There will always be competition among churches. Look at the number of medical offices, gas stations or grocery stores in your neighborhood. It’s overwhelming.
There is a 3-mile road in Dallas, Texas, called Tenth Street, that holds a dubious world record for the most churches in a single area. Three miles and 28 houses of worship to choose from...is asinine! But, it’s there and they all have people in the pews on Sunday.
Church membership is still something to cherish, but first, we need to turn off the TV. Maybe there’s a study on that, too?
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