The key takeaway from Pew\u2019s 2025 Religious Landscape Study<\/a> was that the downward spiral in church attendance has been flattening over the past five years.<\/p>\n From 2019 to 2024, the Christian share of the adult population has been relatively stable, hovering between 60% and 64%.<\/p>\n The largest subgroups of Christians in the United States are Protestants<\/strong> \u2013 now 40% of U.S. adults \u2013 and Catholics, now 19%. People who identify with all other Christian groups (including the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>, Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses and many others) total about 3% of U.S. adults.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That note from Pew is particularly important, given that another study brings us together today. Ryan Burge\u2019s analysis of the General Social Survey via his \u2018Graphs About Religion<\/a>\u2018 shows that Protestant churches are the only\u00a0<\/em>type of church that is thriving today and experiencing growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, really.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t \u201cProtestant\u201d as in \u201cmake-your-own-clothes-and-not-cut-your-hair\u201d church, but the \u201cled-of-the-Holy-Spirit-and-people-on-fire-to-serve-God\u201d church. The numbers don\u2019t lie. The days of 75-minute church services to get home in time for the football game may be coming to an end.<\/p>\n It seems Jesus is getting more of a priority these days. Doesn\u2019t that hit close to home?<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to every individual, do we\u00a0really\u00a0<\/em>all worship the Lord? Do we lay our sins at His altar and ask for forgiveness of all our sins? Sure, this is a nation rich in Christian heritage, but how\u2019s that working out? Religion is more segregated than ever before, and a relationship with God tends to be the ire of a joke series more than someone in love with Jesus.<\/p>\n To help understand Christendom, there are \u201cactive\u201d and \u201cpassive\u201d denominations.<\/p>\n Passive<\/strong> denominations<\/strong> have a type of church. They are rich in ritual, tradition, and custom. The pomp and circumstance are experienced through age-old hymns, sacraments and rites of passage. There is little emphasis on evangelism, building the universal church, or having a mutually beneficial relationship with Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n The sacraments are key to maintaining piety and a proper walk with God. There\u2019s a homily meant to encourage others, but not necessarily to inspire action. Stand up, sit down, sing a song, and out you go. Now, let\u2019s be clear: If any church ministers the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ\u2014and that believing in that is the only way to heaven to be with God in paradise\u2014this is a Christian church.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n And can we stop with the \u201cWhat religion are you?\u201d Followed by, \u201cI\u2019m Methodist.\u201d Please?<\/p>\n (NOTE<\/strong>: Just because a denomination is passive, it doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t be one that originated following the Protestant Reformation.)<\/p>\n Now, the active denominations<\/strong> are the type of church that most people consider when the thought of \u201ctoday\u2019s church\u201d comes to mind. Church becomes a post-Acts Chapter 2 celebration. The Spirit of God is cherished. Praise reflects modern musical trends or deep in the throes of worship. Congregants are welcomed\u2014and often, expected\u2014to shout acceptance of what\u2019s being shared from the pulpit.<\/p>\n Many of God\u2019s promises, Jesus\u2019 commands and the works of the Holy Spirit are shared and anticipated to take place today. Think of people being active in their seats and with their relationships with God, and you have an idea what denominations are included.<\/p>\n (NOTE<\/strong>: Yeah, that\u2019s not a redundant typo. \u201cNon-denominational\u201d has become a denomination because it\u2019s used as a means for separatist thinking)<\/p>\n C\u2019mon. What do you think? If you can fall asleep in a pew, kids aren\u2019t going to that church.<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s vital that\u00a0the adults of those kids understand one primary aspect of this survey:\u00a0Size does\u00a0<\/strong>not\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>matter when it comes to<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0the type of church.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Typically, many\u00a0megachurches (with\u00a02,000 or more members<\/a><\/span>) have big budgets, venue lighting, arena speakers, skilled musicians, and rock-star<\/span> preachers. But, some of the most skilled preachers and singers can be found in an \u201cold rugged cross\u201d church where \u201cAmen\u201d is more of a question than a statement. (Amen, somebody?)<\/p>\n Megachurches, and all of their technological nuance, understand how to create FOMO\u2014the fear of missing out. How many passive churches are catching people up on YouTube with \u201cWhat you missed last Sunday\u201d shorts? (Let alone, how many people going to a passive church even care?)<\/p>\n According to Ryan Burge\u2019s analysis of\u00a0General Social Survey data<\/a>, nondenominational Christians made up about 5% of U.S. Protestants in 1972. Today, they make up roughly 30%. Pew\u2019s 2025 Religious Landscape Study<\/a>\u00a0puts the number lower, at 18% of Protestants, largely because it uses a stricter definition. Either way, nondenominational churches now make up a major share of American Protestantism<\/strong>. (source: Relevant<\/a><\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cWell, I have no clue what church it is when it looks like an office building and has a generic name with a cute brand.\u201d According to the primary study, \u201cMany of the country\u2019s fastest-growing nondenominational churches are functionally charismatic or continuationist, even when they don\u2019t use Pentecostal labels<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n People want to belong to a place that looks like them. Ever heard that before? Martin Luther King, Jr. famously opined, \u201cThe most segregated hour in America is 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n While there will always be a note of that in today\u2019s churches, it\u2019s more about comfort, heritage, and preference than segregation. Go to many of the active and passive churches, and you\u2019ll find a potpourri of American flavor. Yet, most of that preference is focused on a high-octane and entertaining church that features a microcosm of today\u2019s diverse community.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe broader center of gravity inside American Protestantism appears to be shifting toward churches that are less institutional, less tied to denominational identity and more centered on experiential, Spirit-filled expressions of faith.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Spend any time in any church, and you\u2019ll discover what countless thousands have confronted before you \u2014 people will let you down<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Active or passive. Black or white. Male or female. It doesn\u2019t matter. Put your faith in people, and your faith will get popped like a balloon.<\/p>\n Sometimes, it\u2019s a shame that the church is full of people because they are the sorriest examples of what it means to be a Jesus-loving, Bible-reading, spirit-filled follower of Christ. If the church were full of French Bulldogs, everyone\u00a0<\/em>would want to be saved! And that brings us to the path the younger generations are taking and why only a certain type of church is growing.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it. Some folks will even find a corner in a magnamious megachurch that streams online, sells coffee, and has a youth church that feels like a nightclub. That corner isn\u2019t where the barflies wander; it\u2019s where one person goes to worship Jesus.<\/p>\n Church used to be a family experience. Those days are over because of the fragmented idea of what\u00a0family\u00a0<\/em>means. People go to church because that\u2019s where people go. Individuals worship the Lord because that\u2019s what their spirit desires. And that\u2019s when it clicks: Connecting with Jesus is no longer about religion; it\u2019s all about relationship.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The younger generation has made it clear. They want to wear what they want, listen to what they want, chill with who they want, and be a genuine Christian the way no one older wants.<\/p>\n Ritual and tradition don\u2019t permit that kind of free will. Some Protestant churches run by elder boards full of \u201cBoomers\u201d don\u2019t either. People find comfort where they\u2019re allowed to be themselves. And typically, that\u2019s where they find the Holy Spirit, zero judgment, and limited boundaries.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not always a recipe for success, but it has made more authentic disciples than not. If that isn\u2019t your church,\u00a0can it be?\u00a0<\/em>If that is your church,\u00a0should it be?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Do you have that answer? If not, wait a while. The kids will let you know.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Despite 100s of denominations and 1000s of buildings, there’s only one type of church growing today. What is the magic formula? Jesus…100%! Oh, and the personal relationship you have with Him as well. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5303,"featured_media":116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,62],"tags":[218,95,731,44,734,116],"class_list":["post-4358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church","category-lifestyle","tag-christian-business","tag-church","tag-denominations","tag-evangelism","tag-generations","tag-religion"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nBefore we learn why being alive is the way to thrive, I encourage you to stay aware of other faith-based issues that hit \u201cclose to home.\u201d Subscribe to our free newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay informed about what\u2019s happening in the Church and how real Christians can help defend the love and work of Christ.<\/h5>\n
\nActive vs. Passive<\/h2>\n
![\"Praising](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2027\/2024\/03\/worship-god-300x157.jpg\")
Passive denominations would be classified as:<\/h4>\n
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Active denominations would be classified as:<\/h4>\n
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The Winner of the Next Generation is\u2026<\/h2>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2027\/2024\/04\/worship-church-2-300x193.jpg\")
Relationship Not Religion<\/h2>\n
![\"blueprint](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2027\/2024\/02\/blueprint-church-288x300.jpg\")
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They want to be with Jesus personally, not corporately!<\/h4>\n