40+ And The Church / Beyond Sunday Morning Church Attendance

Last updated on: January 25, 2014 at 1:10 pm by Michelle Van Loon

40+ And The Church / Beyond Sunday Morning Church Attendance 2014-01-25T13:10:49-06:00 Michelle Van Loon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Church is where you go on Sunday morning, right?

Over 70% of those who’ve taken my informal survey reported that they attended corporate worship services weekly. At the same time, 42% of those who took the survey noted that they were less involved in the life of their local congregation than they were a decade earlier. Those who attend church aren’t tied to the programming of the church as the focus for their spiritual lives like they once were.

Those who have maintained or increased their involvement cited reasons you’d most expect: “I’m on staff”, “I’m a pastor”, “I’m on board with what they’re doing at my church”, “Church is a huge part of who I am. I enjoy connecting with God’s people on a regular basis. I would much rather be in church than not” and “More free time”.

What are those who’ve moved toward less church involvement doing instead? A representation of some of the answers I received on my survey:

I watch a service online.
Gathering with other believers anywhere and anytime.
Meet for Bible study apart from any church.
Less involved in a local church, much more involved in a local ministry.
(I took) personal steps outside of church to grow in my faith…bible studies, book clubs, service projects etc…there is growth in “community”…no better place to find community than a community of believers.
I went through a legal matters, divorce, and remarriage in the last decade that have made my former level of church involvement difficult.
I don’t feel the obligation that I felt ten years ago.
Part of it is the busyness of having 3 children and family commitments. part of it is being disenfranchised from the whole “church” experience.
10 years ago we attended a larger congregation. We now worship in a home church and meet with other friends on Wednesday night for bible study. We are “less involved” since we no longer participate in programs that institutional church offers.
Corporate worship fills a desire I believe God created in us. But my Bible study, fellowship groups, etc. are more parachurch or independent than a program of our local church.
It is very difficult to connect as a passionate single for Christ.
The two ministries I poured my heart into fizzled because of lack of pastoral/administrative support.
There was no place for me. A wounded person, I found I was always expected to give, and an already empty vessel was depleted. The nuclear family-centric box excluded me.
(Tired of) serving burnout. Directing my efforts to ministries outside of the church.
Other things have higher priority right now.
I have found more joy in connecting with the hurting in the “real world” in my own “real life.” I think I often relied on “the church” to produce opportunities for service, etc. I’ve discovered that opportunities abound in my actual day to day living. I’m surrounded by the hurting and lost who have great needs for love, compassion, understanding and Jesus. I’ve found that I can meet my own needs for study and spiritual development. I also find great joy in studying those things that are immediate relevant to my life situations, etc. Community needs are met via a wonderful network of believers with whom I do live openly and it also provides accountability. I sometimes long for corporate worship, yet honestly don’t want to “play the rest of the game.”

A few noted that their beliefs about God or the church had changed dramatically, and they’d chosen to exit the church in response.

However, the larger theme among those who took the survey appears to be that those over 40 do seek to maintain a connection with a local church. At the same time, they are less inclined to let that church’s menu of study and service opportunities define them or be the main source of their personal spiritual growth. As I mentioned here, many churches function as spiritual destinations (“Come to church”) rather than spiritual launching pads (“Go be the church”), though precious few would use that language of themselves. Those at midlife seem to recognize the church is meant to be a launch pad, even when church leaders don’t.

Many churches focus on the spiritual tasks of the first half of life, which syncs remarkably well with the focus many have on programs and projects for growing families. It takes a different kind of commitment from a church leader to nurture and cheerlead growth in those in the second half of their lives than it does to put together a whiz-bang children’s program. This commitment may mean leaders need to acquaint themselves with helpful models of spiritual growth and development in order to affirm that those in their second adulthood people are in search of a spiritual life that can sustain them to the end – less crisis/decision/rule-based faith, more valuing of process.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. – 1 Cor. 13:11-12

What would a church that honors second-half spiritual formation issues look like? Would it differ from what you see/experience at your church? If so, how?

Upcoming posts in this series:

The question of time
A look at those who are flourishing in their local church
What does maturing faith look like?

Ecclesiology

Midlife Survey #1

Previous Post

May 3, 2013

40+ Adults And The Church / Outgrowing The Congregation?

Next Post

May 6, 2013 Out To The Margins: Tim Fall

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Baggage Books Calendar Church and Ministry CVID Ecclesiology Everyday Christian life Faith Falling Upward From The Margins Housing Jesus Movement's Unintended Consequences Midlife Midlife Survey #1 Midlife Survey #2 Moments and Days Out To The Margins Pilgrim's Road Trip Regret Seminary Spiritual Formation Uncategorized What's A Nice Jewish Grandmother Like You Doing In Seminary? When The Heart Waits Writing

Select a Month June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and her hair?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mary Magdalene Mary of Bethany Anna Elizabeth