1. www.lifewayresearch.com 1 Adults Who Have Switched Churches Winter 2006-07

2. www.lifewayresearch.com 2 Presentation Contents Background and Methodology 3 Summary of key findings 4 Factors influencing adults to switch churches 6 Elements of search for new church 19 Between churches 27 Comparison of previous and current churches33 Beliefs about God and outlook on future attendance 45 Implications for church leaders48

3. www.lifewayresearch.com 3 This study builds upon LifeWay Research’s Formerly Churched Study 2006 that examined why former church goers left church and what it would take to bring them back The objective of the survey was to better understand why people switch churches, and how these situations differ from the formerly churched who do not resume church attendance 632 total surveys were conducted among church switchers, providing 95% confidence that total results have sampling error that does not exceed +3.9%  To better understand the reasons why church switchers change churches when they have not had a residential move, some data is shown separately for “Movers” and “Non-Movers” 415 of the surveys were among Non-Movers, providing 95% confidence that sampling error does not exceed +4.9% 217 of the surveys were among Movers, providing 95% confidence that sampling error does not exceed +6.8% The study was conducted as a web survey  Respondents were recruited, pre-screened and incented through an online panel  The national sample controls for the age, gender, and location of respondents compared to national totals In December 2006, a Study of Adults Who Have Switched Churches was administered to 632 Protestant churchgoers who have attended more than one church on a regular basis as adults

4. www.lifewayresearch.com 4 Summary of key findings

5. www.lifewayresearch.com 5 Churchgoers who change churches are more likely to be fleeing their previous church than being drawn by their new church Became disenchanted with pastor or church represents the top bucket of reasons why Non- Movers stop attending their previous church when they switch churches –Three of the top five reasons involve disenchantment: church members seemed judgmental, too many things in general changed at the church, and pastor was NOT a good preacher –However, church was not helping me to develop spiritually and did not feel engaged/involved in meaningful work in church are the top two reasons for not attending church – both fall in the category of the church not fulfilling their needs Those who left their previous church and took a break from church decide to attend a new church because of a combination of feeling it is time and invitations from friends and family –While most adults who are “between” churches for at least 3 months are not actively looking, only 9% have no intention of returning to church during this period –The top three motivating factors to begin attending a new church revolve around relationships: to become closer to God, to fill a gap felt since stopping regular attendance and to be around those with similar values Adults who have switched churches most commonly identify themselves as devout Christians with a strong faith in God Church switchers who are searching for a new church are looking for a church based on the church’s beliefs/doctrine, preaching, and the authenticity of church members/pastor Two thirds of Non-Movers feel their new church meets their needs better than their previous church for sermons that are consistently engaging/enlightening and preaching that is relevant to my life

6. www.lifewayresearch.com 6 Factors influencing adults to switch churches (other than a residential move)

7. www.lifewayresearch.com 7 Churchgoers who change churches for reasons other than a residential move are more likely to do so out of a desire to leave their previous church rather than an attraction to a new church Q.14 My decision to switch churches was most impacted by… Base: Non-Movers (n= 415)

8. www.lifewayresearch.com 8 Other than a residential move, the top category of reasons adults who switch churches leave their previous church is because they have become disenchanted with the pastor and/or church Q.13 What are ALL of the reasons that you no longer attend your previous church? Non-Mover Base: (n= 415) 71% of those who could not agree with their previous church’s teachings or positions on issues changed denominations when they switched churches

9. www.lifewayresearch.com 9 Of all reasons within all categories other than moving, church was not helping me to develop spiritually is the number one specific reason people leave their previous church and switch to a new one Q13. What are ALL the reasons that you no longer attend your previous church? Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level Church not fulfilling needs for attendance Became disenchanted with pastor/church Changes within previous church Bucket-level category

10. www.lifewayresearch.com 10 Reasons for becoming disenchanted with previous pastor Pastor was NOT a good preacher (16%) Pastor was judgmental of others (14%) Pastor seemed hypocritical (13%) Pastor seemed insincere (12%) Pastor settled for mediocrity (10%) Pastor had no clear purpose or vision (9%) Pastor was unfriendly and/or unwelcoming (8%) Pastor had a moral or ethical failure (7%) Pastor lacked conviction about his beliefs (4%) Pastor discouraged others from getting involved (3%) Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because they were disenchanted with the pastor Q13a. Why did you become disenchanted with the pastor? Non-Mover Base: (n=212) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level “The pastor was a very poor pastor who gave 5 minute sermons that he had gotten from the Internet.” “The pastor quit preaching and replaced it with whining.” “The church hired a new young, inexperienced pastor that spoke in an accusatory manner that I didn’t appreciate.” 51% of all Non-Movers cited the category of disenchantment with the pastor or church as a reason for leaving their previous church

11. www.lifewayresearch.com 11 Reasons for becoming disenchanted with previous church Church members were judgmental of others (18%) Church members seemed hypocritical (15%) Church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement (14%) Church didn’t seem to be a place in which God was at work (14%) Church settled for mediocrity (12%) Church had no clear purpose or vision (11%) Church members seemed insincere (10%) Church was unfriendly and/or unwelcoming (10%) Church members lacked conviction about their beliefs (7%) Church had too many expectations of my time and money (5%) Child had a bad experience (3%) Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because they were disenchanted with the church Q13a. Why did you become disenchanted with the church? Non-Mover Base: (n=212) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level “The previous church I attended didn’t welcome anyone…they just stared.” “The former church was so superficial, unfriendly, judgmental, and made me feel uncomfortable.” “Needed a more spirit filled church. In the [previous church] the minister appeared to be just going through the motions and did not have a real zest for relationship with God” “Seemed to be ‘family-run.’”

12. www.lifewayresearch.com 12 Ways previous church was not fulfilling needs/reasons for attending Church was not helping me to develop spiritually (28%) Did not feel engaged/involved in meaningful work in church (20%) Did not become friends or close with anyone at the church (13%) No one seemed to care about my situation/problems (10%) Church did not help me find answers to questions in my life (9%) Church did not help me find happiness (7%) Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because the church was not fulfilling their needs or reasons for attending church Q.13e. In what ways was the church not fulfilling your needs or reasons for attending church? Non-Mover Base: (n=184) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level “We did not feel we were growing or learning in our old church.” “I needed a church where there were more opportunities to serve and meet a wider variety of people.” 44% of all Non-Movers cited the category of church not fulfilling needs as a reason for leaving their previous church

13. www.lifewayresearch.com 13 Unfavorable changes within previous church Too many things in general changed (16%) Pastor/other staff I liked left the church (13%) Church’s religious teachings/beliefs changed (10%) Worship style changed (8%) Church’s teachings on political/social issues changed (7%) Other members I liked no longer attended (5%) New members of congregation were too different from me (3%) Program I liked was changed/discontinued (3%) Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because of unfavorable changes within the church Q13b. What changed about the church that you did not like? Non-Mover Base: (n=137) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level “The previous church changed preachers and we did not like the replacement.” “The pastor of my previous church left, and the new pastor was radically different and the music switched from traditional to rock music.” 33% of all Non-Movers cited the category of unfavorable changes as a reason for leaving their previous church

14. www.lifewayresearch.com 14 Ways in which church switchers felt out of place at previous church Had a different view of church/religion than other members (13%) Home/family situation was different than most other members (8%) Felt out of place in terms of social class/education (5%) Most other members were a different age than me (5%) Most other members were a different ethnicity than me (0%) Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because they felt out of place at their previous church Q13d. In what ways did you feel out of place at the church? Non-Mover Base: (n=128) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level “My husband was not fitting in (he is blue collar and the others were white collar).” “Was disenchanted with the way previous church was moving toward ‘Christianity-lite.’” “I’m not married and have no children and so felt out of place.” 31% of all Non-Movers cited the category of felt out of place as a reason for leaving their previous church

15. www.lifewayresearch.com 15 Unfavorable teachings/positions on issues within previous church Teachings on how to apply the Bible to life issues (12%) Teachings on theological issues (12%) Teachings on moral issues (9%) Pastor/church was generally too conservative for my taste (6%) Pastor/church seemed aligned with particular political party (5%) Pastor/church was generally too liberal for my taste (5%) Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because they disagreed with their previous church’s teachings/positions on issues Q13c. What was it about the church’s teachings or positions on issues that you disagreed with or did not like? Non-Mover Base: (n=113) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level “I was looking for something that was in alignment with my own beliefs.” “The change was prompted by the desire to attend a church that held beliefs that I understood to be more consistent with Scripture.” “Former church traded biblical focus for social/political focus.” 27% of all Non-Movers cited the category of unfavorable teachings/ positions as a reason for leaving their previous church

16. www.lifewayresearch.com 16 Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because of changes in their life situation Q.13g. What changes in your life situation caused you to stop attending your previous church? Non-Mover Base: (n=89) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level Changes in life situation Got married (5%) Got divorced or separated (4%) Work situation prevented attendance (2%) Just wanted a break from church (2%) Moved to college (2%) Taking/going with someone else who no longer attended (2%) Simply got too busy to attend church (1%) Family/home responsibilities prevented attendance (1%) Illness or infirmity prevented me from attending (0%) Children’s sports activities were on Sunday (0%) Depended on someone taking me who became unavailable (0%) 21% of all Non-Movers cited the category of changes in life situation as a reason for leaving their previous church

17. www.lifewayresearch.com 17 Problems with other members, staff or clergy Church generally seemed embroiled in conflict (7%) Specific conflict(s) with individual(s) about church business (7%) Some individual(s) were critical/judgmental of me (5%) I was mistreated by some individual(s) (4%) Specific conflict(s) with individual(s) about personal issues (3%) Pastor/other leaders were mistreated by some individual(s) (3%) Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because of problems or conflicts with other church members or staff Q13f. What kinds of problems or conflicts did you have with other church members, staff or clergy? Non-Mover Base: (n=71) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level “In the previous church, the members were constantly fighting especially at business meetings. They accused the pastor of every problem they had in their own life.” 17% of all Non-Movers cited the category of problems or conflicts with other church members or staff as a reason for leaving their previous church

18. www.lifewayresearch.com 18 Percentage of all Non-Mover church switchers who left their previous church because changes in beliefs or attitudes toward church/religion Q13h. What about your beliefs or attitudes toward church and religion changed to cause you to stop attending your previous church? Non-Mover Base: (n=29) Note: to obtain a pure comparison of ratings across categories, individual level ratings have been multiplied by percent rating in each category; resulting percentages represent a percent of ALL 415 Non-Mover respondents selecting each particular level Changes in beliefs/attitudes toward church or religion No longer believed in that particular church’s teachings/approach (5%) Could no longer identify with that particular denomination (4%) Simply lost interest in going to church (2%) Didn’t think that church was relevant to my life any longer (2%) Stopped believing in organized religion (2%) Went through a loss and/or crisis of faith (1%) Became angry at God for personal reasons (1%) Could no longer identify myself as a Christian (1%) Felt that God had abandoned me when I needed him (1%) Was really only going to church out of habit in the first place (0%) Was only going to church to please others, not for myself (0%) Stopped believing in God altogether (0%) 7% of all Non-Movers cited the category of changes in beliefs or attitudes toward church/religion as a reason for leaving their previous church

19. www.lifewayresearch.com 19 Elements of search for new church

20. www.lifewayresearch.com 20 Church switchers select a new church based on what the church says it believes and whether they live what they believe Q.12a Please rate how important each of the following were in your decision to attend your current church. On a scale of 1-5, where “1” means “Extremely Unimportant” and “5” means “Extremely Important,” Base: All (n= 632) 89% 87% 86% 80% 76% 74% 73% 71% 70% 69% 56% 52% 50% 49% 47% 38% 31% 22% Significant differences Movers vs. Non-Movers: Location 61% vs. 43% Denomination 60% vs.44% Opportunities to learn biblical truth (class, event, etc) 63% vs. 73%

21. www.lifewayresearch.com 21 Almost a third of church switchers begin to actively search for a new church before leaving their previous church Q.7a In switching from your previous church to your current church, did you actively search for a new church…? Base: All (n= 632) Only one-fourth (21%) of those whose switch is related to a residential move begin an active search before leaving their previous church, compared to 35% of Non-Movers Instead, Movers are more likely than Non-Movers to search for a new church after leaving their previous church (55% vs. 34%)

22. www.lifewayresearch.com 22 In person visits is the method most frequently used to search for a new church by church switchers Q.7b Which of the following resources did you use when looking for a new church? Base: Q7a = “Before” or “After” (n= 453; Movers n=166; Non-Movers n=287) Adults who switch due to a residential move are more likely to use Phonebooks or local advertisements (28%) compared to those who switch for other reasons (14%) Movers are also more likely to use Internet websites/online search tools (28%) compared to those who switch for other reasons (17%)

23. www.lifewayresearch.com 23 Adults who have switched churches are most often introduced to their new church by an invitation from a friend or family member Q.8a How were you first introduced to your current church? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY Base: All (n= 632) Word-of-mouth and already being familiar with the church are also common means of introduction Movers are much less likely to get invitations from friends 22% compared to 37% of Non-Movers Movers are less likely to already be familiar with the church 21% compared to 30% of Non-Movers Movers are a little more likely to use an ad 9% compared to 4% of Non-Movers

24. www.lifewayresearch.com 24 A worship service is by far the first event or activity attended at their new church by adults switching churches Q.8b What was the first event/activity that you attended at your current church? Base: All (n= 632)

25. www.lifewayresearch.com 25 While a few adults looking for a new church decide to attend based on their first visit, 46% visit the new church at least four times before deciding to attend that church regularly Q.9 How many times did you visit your current church (attend a worship service) before deciding to regularly attend? Base: All (n= 632)

26. www.lifewayresearch.com 26 Two thirds of church switchers were personally welcomed by other attendees upon visiting their current church and filling out an information card was the most popular “process” for welcoming/recognizing visitors Regardless of the church’s method, only 2% say their current church’s method of welcoming them negatively impacted their decision to attend there Q.10a When you were a visitor at your current church, what approach did the church take in welcoming you? Q.10b How did this approach to welcoming visitors impact your decision to start regularly attending the church? Base: All (n= 632) Positively impacted church choice 82% 75% 84% 82% 83% 80% Did NOT impact church choice 63%

27. www.lifewayresearch.com 27 Between Churches

28. www.lifewayresearch.com 28 A quarter of the adults who switch churches stop attending church altogether for more than 3 months – 20% stop attending for at least a year Q.2 Did you stop attending church for more than three months in between attending your previous church and your current church? Base: All (n= 632) Q.3 How long did you go without attending church? Base: Q2 = “Yes” (n= 174)

29. www.lifewayresearch.com 29 Lengthy time between churches is a result of a difficult search or contentment without a church Q19. In your own words, please describe your most recent experience of switching churches. –Woman who stopped attending for 7 years: “When I realized the previous church wasn’t giving me the spiritual experience I needed and my children were rebelling about going, it became easy to find a reason not to go and we got out of the habit. Through the years, we visited other churches but never found one which made us feel comfortable.” –8 month search in Utah: “I moved across the country to a place where the majority of people are not my faith and the faith that dominates is not the doctrine that I believe. It took me almost a year to find a church that I felt comfortable in and that matched my beliefs.” –Woman with 2 year attendance gap: “There was a gap so it doesn’t seem like I ‘switched.’ I didn’t like my past church and so I left. I didn’t become a true Christian until I became a regular attender at my current church.” –Woman with long hiatus: “After not attending church for about 10 years, I knew I needed/wanted to become a member of a church again. I did not feel a desire/need to return to our previous church.” –Man without church home for 5 years: “I was not happy with the past several of my experiences with churches. In my younger days I was extremely involved in the Christian church and became disappointed in the way a Minister was treated. After several years of trying new and various churches and even joining some, I recently found myself and am extremely happy in my new church!” –Woman with 3 year search: “We spent many years visiting different churches but could not find what we were looking for. My former pastor was an excellent preacher, and to this day we cannot find one like him. We attend our current church even though it doesn’t fill our needs, but we ‘settled’ for less because we were tired of looking.” –Woman without a church for 16 years: “I did not have a church for a number of years. My previous church closed its doors due to lack of members. After a crisis in my life, I felt the need to attend church and find a home in Christ.”

30. www.lifewayresearch.com 30 Those with a lengthy break between churches rarely are intending to return to their previous church and typically are not actively looking but open to trying a new church Q.4 During that time, what was your attitude toward returning to church? Base: Q2 = “Yes” (n= 174)

31. www.lifewayresearch.com 31 Feeling that it was time to return or that God was calling them back are the influences that most prompt church switchers to attend church again after leaving their previous church and not looking for a new church Q.5 Which of the following influences prompted your decision to attend church again? Base: Q4 = “Not looking” or “No intention to return” (n= 120) Only 14% indicated one of the three “feeling” options without another prompt Invitations of all kinds prompted 51% to attend church again

32. www.lifewayresearch.com 32 The majority of those between churches for a long time are motivated to return to church to get closer to God, to fill a gap they felt since leaving their previous church, and to be around those with similar values Q.6 Which of the following motivations affected your decision to start attending church again? Base: Q4 = “Not looking” or “No intention to return” (n= 120)

33. www.lifewayresearch.com 33 Comparison of previous and current churches

34. www.lifewayresearch.com 34 Adults who switch churches for reasons other than a residential move, have a much higher likelihood of saying their current church meets their needs better than their previous church Q.15a Compared to your previous church, how well does your current church meet your needs in each of the following areas? Using a scale of 1 – 5, where “1” means “Much LESS than my previous church” and “5” means “Much MORE than my previous church,” please select one answer for each attribute. Base: Non-Movers (n= 415) Note: Percentages for each attribute may not total 100% due to rounding. Involvement and Relationships are occasionally exceptions 73% attend a church with better authenticity and engaging and relevant sermons than previously

35. www.lifewayresearch.com 35 Whereas almost half of adults whose latest church switch was related to a residential move consider their current church the same as their previous church in meeting their needs Q.15a Compared to your previous church, how well does your current church meet your needs in each of the following areas? Using a scale of 1 – 5, where “1” means “Much LESS than my previous church” and “5” means “Much MORE than my previous church,” please select one answer for each attribute. Base: Movers (n= 217) Note: Percentages for each attribute may not total 100% due to rounding. A majority do see their current church as an improvement in having welcoming and authentic people and relevant enlightening sermons

36. www.lifewayresearch.com 36 Adults who switch churches for reasons other than a residential move are more likely to switch to a church with a more contemporary worship style Q.12b Which of the following best describes the style of Worship Service at your previous/current churches? Base: Movers (n= 217) Non-Movers (n=415) Adults who switch churches related to a residential move choose a church with a similar worship style to their previous church; a few move away from traditional Non-Movers are more likely to be in a church with contemporary worship than traditional after switching churches Contemporary Traditional A Mix of Contemporary and Traditional Styles

37. www.lifewayresearch.com 37 Three-fourths of Non-Movers who switch churches find a different size church than they previously attended Q.21 What is the total number of people who typically attend your previous/current churches’ weekend worship services? Base: Non-Movers (n= 415) Note: Question was categorical, so larger/smaller are defined as a move to a larger or smaller size category 17% more adults switch to a larger church than switch to a smaller size church 79% whose previous church is small switch to a larger church 57% whose previous church is large switch to a smaller church Switched to larger church Switched to same size church Switched to smaller church 10% more Non-Movers currently attend a church with more than 500 in attendance than prior to switching churches

38. www.lifewayresearch.com 38 Three-fourths of Movers who switch churches find a different size church than they previously attended Q.21 What is the total number of people who typically attend your previous/current churches’ weekend worship services? Base: Movers (n= 217) Note: Question was categorical, so larger/smaller are defined as a move to a larger or smaller size category 11% more adults switch to a larger church than switch to a smaller size church 73% whose previous church is small switch to a larger church 72% whose previous church is large switch to a smaller church Switched to larger church Switched to same size church Switched to smaller church 7% more adults currently attend a church with more than 500 in attendance than prior to switching churches

39. www.lifewayresearch.com 39 More Non-Movers than Movers change denominations when they switch churches The percentage of Non-Movers who stay with the same denomination (46%) is similar to the 44% of non-movers who considered denomination important in choosing their current church 60% of Movers considered denomination important in choosing their current church Q.11a Is your current church of a different denomination than your previous church? Base: Movers (n=217) Non-Movers (n=415)

40. www.lifewayresearch.com 40 Among Non-Movers, twice as many find their current church’s preaching relevant, interesting, and challenging compared to their previous church Q.15b Which of the following best describe the preaching at your previous/current churches? Base: Non-Movers (n= 415) Non-Movers have lower opinions of all aspects of the preaching at their previous church than Movers Non-Movers are more likely than movers to have learned something they didn’t already know from the preaching at their current church

41. www.lifewayresearch.com 41 Whereas the majority of Movers are complementary of the preaching at their previous church Q.15b Which of the following best describe the preaching at your previous/current churches? Base: Movers (n= 217) Yet 10%-15% indicate the preaching at their current church has positive characteristics that were lacking at their previous church The largest improvement, experienced by 21% of movers, is the preaching now interests them enough to hold their attention

42. www.lifewayresearch.com 42 Non-Movers are at least as involved in their current church as they were in their previous church Q.17 In what ways were you/are you involved in your previous/current churches? Base: Non-Movers (n= 415) Almost all church switchers attend worship and most contribute financially and volunteer Over half attend a small group or have regular church responsibilities Comparing their current and previous church, more Non-Movers are now consistent financial supporters (84% vs. 69%) and more are volunteering (64% vs. 51%)

43. www.lifewayresearch.com 43 Movers are also involved in their current church as much as they were in their previous church Q.17 In what ways were you/are you involved in your previous/current churches? Base: Movers (n= 217) Almost all church switchers attend worship and most contribute financially and volunteer Over half attend a small group or have regular church responsibilities Compared to their previous church, more Movers are now volunteering (69% vs. 51%) At their previous church, more Movers than Non-Movers consistent gave financially (76% vs. 69%)

44. www.lifewayresearch.com 44 Similarly, a few more church switchers have joined their current church than became members of their previous church Q.18a Did you formally join/become a member of your current/previous churches? Base: All (n= 632) No statistically significant difference between Movers and Non-Movers 83% of those who were members of their previous church are also members at their current church

45. www.lifewayresearch.com 45 Beliefs about God and outlook on future attendance

46. www.lifewayresearch.com 46 76% of adult church switchers who currently attend regularly consider themselves devout Christians – more than three times the number of formerly churched adults who describe their current beliefs in this way Q.16 Which of the following statements best describes your current beliefs about God? Base: All (n= 632) Base Formerly Churched: Q 9 All (n=469) Note: Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding. 19% of church switchers consider themselves Christian, but not particularly devout Only 5% of church switchers are doubtful about Christianity, religion, or God By comparison, 39% of adults who have left the church without returning consider themselves doubtful about Christianity, religion, or God

47. www.lifewayresearch.com 47 The majority of church switchers have settled into their current church, but almost one out of five are open to switching churches in the future Q.20 Which of the following reflects your plans to continue attending church in the future? Base: All (n= 632) No statistically significant difference between Movers and Non-Movers

48. www.lifewayresearch.com 48 Implications for church leaders: Learning from why church switchers leave Let church switchers’ desire for more spiritual development fuel your desire to disciple every member by exhibiting leadership, passion, determination, and implementing an intentional discipleship process in both the pulpit and other equipping strategies Involve regular attendees in meaningful work in your church by eliminating programs, events, and roles that are not a meaningful part of your church’s purpose and by implementing a process that matches people to essential ministries Approach change by basing it on clear biblical rationale, obtaining solid buy-in from key leaders, and educating and communicating consistently throughout the process Model a godly, wise, humble, and authentic attitude that sets a healthy tone for a genuine, welcoming and friendly environment Learning from where church switchers go Make the doctrines and beliefs of your church accessible by regularly addressing them from the pulpit, making them available to visitors, and including them as part of a new member orientation process Challenge people to live and think as Scripture teaches by ensuring that the core of all teaching content in your church is doctrinally sound Scriptural truth that is not watered down Invest in the pastor’s preaching to allow the Scriptural truth to be conveyed in a relevant, clear, understandable, and interesting way (e.g., time for preparation, money for skill development, and resources for presentation)

49. www.lifewayresearch.com 49 Copyright Copyright © 2007 LifeWay Research All rights reserved.