Contemporary, Innovative Church Services May Help Increase Attendance, Spiritual Vitality

A study of the American church over the last decade reveals that churches that have adopted innovative and contemporary worship services have seen an increase in both attendance and in spiritual vitality, more so than those that have not.

The Hartford Institute for Religion Research released the study, titled “A Decade of Change in American Congregations, 2000-2010,” on Saturday. It was conducted as a part of a series of surveys called the Faith Communities Today (FACT) series with the cooperation of a total of 28,789 randomly-sampled American congregations.

David A. Roozen, the study's author, reported that the surge in contemporary worship that began in the 1990s continued through the first decade of this century, and has produced positive results for many congregations.

More than four out of 10 churches in 2010 either often or always used drums and electric guitars in their worship services. That was a 14 percent increase from the year 2000.

“Indeed, the increase is dramatic, especially for those who carry lingering memories of the church as the 'Rock of Ages,'” Roozen wrote in the report.

A worship service is made more contemporary by using instruments like guitars and drums, which seem to be more fitting for rock ’n’ roll than they are for 18th century hymns, but the survey looked at other church behaviors to determine whether or not the services are considered innovative. To read more click here.