The etowah project An examination of church trends in a typical county that mirrors the national issues of church attendance and the decline of the local church

background 6 year project geared to find solutions to the most common problem of church attendance in the Etowah County area 50 years of data was collected from yearly reports presented to the state of Alabama association (alsbom.org) Attendance, membership and age were examined in a comprehensive manner meant to determine the state of churches 50 years ago as compared to the current day

purpose To provide a micro-examination of the macro-universe problem of limited or extinguished church growth seen paradoxically in data provided through national surveys and determine the demographic makeup of the overall church All the necessary data was available in a centralized location for easy access

the specifics Demographic population as compared against Small Group Sunday School Attendance Analysis of Baptisms and Other Forms of Church Membership Overall Total Membership, Worship Attendance (Limited Period because of data) and Percentages as they Applied

the data

small group att avg

baptisms

baptisms data 1.Baptisms represent the manner of noting a new believer has been added 2.Baptisms have fallen from 1961 to Present by 40% 3.With one exception year (2007) baptisms have not eclipsed 1000 since 1982.

other additions

1.Other additions represent moves made by established Christians (Not New Believers) 2.Other additions have fallen by almost 50% from 1961 the Present 3.Overall the decline has been consistent with only small breaks in the decline 4.The numbers do not differentiate movement within the associational churches

baptisms and other additions

baptism and other additions 1.Generally both Baptisms and Other Additions have moved together – generally down 2.At only three (3) points in 50 years has Baptisms been more than Other Additions 3.Baptisms are generally those that are under age 18

birth to 5

6 to 11 years

12 to 17 years

18 to 24 years

25 to 34 years

34 to 54 years

55 and up

attendance by age

1.In 1961, the largest age group was 6 to 11 years; in 2010, the largest is 55 and Up 2.The smallest group over the entire period was 18 to 24 Year Old 3.All ages have been in decline since 1993, except 55 and Up 4.Since 1961, not only has the total number of people in small group declined, but it has aged by 44 Years over a 50 year time period

highlights by age 5.Since 1961, Small Group Average Attendance has dropped from to 7193 in 2010 – a decrease of 41% (almost 1 in 2 people) 6.Since 1961, Total Sunday School Attendance has declined from 20, 326 to 13,744 in 2010 – a decrease of 31% (or 1 in 3 people)

highlights by age 7.In 1961, 59% of church members attended Small Group; In 2010, 29% of church members attend Small Group 8.At the same time period, Resident Members has increased from 20,574 in 1961 to 24,064 members in 2010

highlights by age 9.In 1961, 59% of church members attended Small Group; In 2010, 29% of church members attend Small Group 10.At the same time period, Resident Members has increased from 20,574 in 1961 to 24,064 members in 2010

highlights by age 11. Census numbers (each 10 years) show that the population of the county has increase from 96,980 in 1961 to 103,645 in 2010 an increase of almost 7,000 people over a 50 year period

age conclusions 1.Over the past 50 years, the church population has not only declined by almost 1 in 3, but has significantly aged without replication 2.As the age gets older, the potential for newborns populating the church decreases because of a depletion of child bearing ages 3.Multiple churches will be lost as the age gap continues and death begins to further erode the attendance numbers

age conclusions 4.At the current rate of decline, Small Groups will disappear in 26 years (assuming a consistent decline to zero) 5.18 to 24 Year Olds have been declining at a rate of will be completely gone in 3 to 5 years (assuming a consistent decline to zero)

age conclusions