Friday's Catch: 'What Really Scares People Away from Church' And More

What Really Scares People Away from Church
Doctrine, expectations, and high standards do not scare people away from church. Confusion is the main enemy. According to Church Answers Research, over 60% of unchurched people agree or strongly agree that churches are confusing for outsiders—and shockingly, 60% of churchgoers say the same.

The Church Number: 79% The Number of Church Attenders Who Say Church Is “Very Important”
In this episode, Thom dives into a surprising and encouraging statistic from the 2023 FACT study—79% of church attenders say that church is “very important” in their lives. With so many articles and headlines announcing the decline of religion in America, this number offers a different perspective—one filled with hope, mission, and responsibility.

The data comes from “This Place Means Everything to Me: Key Findings from a National Survey of Church Attenders in Post-Pandemic United States” (2023 FACT study, published by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research). The study is one of the most comprehensive post-pandemic surveys of active churchgoers in the United States.

Also See: The Church Number: 62% The Percentage of Churchgoers Who Attend Weekly

The Big Front Door for Guests Just About Every Church Misses
Most churches miss this front door, not because of a lack of awareness but because of a lack of effort. Over half of the unchurched believe church could be a great place to make friends, but nearly 60% say it’s too intimidating to visit alone. That’s a huge opportunity. Today’s episode highlights how friendship, follow-up, and one key ingredient—an invitation—can lower the barrier and open the door for gospel conversations. Thom and Sam discuss some key takeaways from their new research.

Why Conflict in the Church Is Often About Something Else
Thom and Jess discuss how church conflict is often not about the issue on the surface. Many disputes mask deeper spiritual, relational, or personal struggles — and wise leaders learn to look beyond the obvious.

Stick with Christ’s Love
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Why faiths must lead on climate
We must lead the way to a just and livable future built on renewable energy — not dangerous fossil fuels.

Prof reviews proper and improper uses of Bible in public schools
The Bible has not been banned from public schools, but there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to use it there, a professor told a summit on religion and public education Sept. 16.

Mark Chancey, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University, was one of 15 speakers at the two-day summit in Dallas sponsored by Interfaith Alliance and 20 cosponsors. His assigned topic was “The Use and Abuse of the Bible in Public Schools.”

Contrary to what some evangelicals contend, the Bible has not been banned from public schools, he explained, outlining differences between teaching about the Bible versus teaching the Bible as religious dogma.

To See the Unseen: The Holy Spirit’s Eye-Opening Work
At the pinnacle of Jesus’s ministry, when he appeared in his resurrected form to his disciples, he asked, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (20:29). These words anticipated the Spirit’s work. By granting faith, changing hearts, and empowering God’s mission, the Spirit leads believers to see what we can’t see apart from him.

‘Rite 4’? Not yet, but Episcopal Church encourages experimentation with new liturgies
A quick Episcopal liturgical quiz: How many rites for Holy Eucharist are contained in the Book of Common Prayer?
If you said four, you’d be wrong – the prayer book offers the traditional Rite One, the contemporary Rite Two and a third liturgical order available for special circumstances – but a liturgy known as “Rite 4” does exist, if only at one congregation, St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

From what I have observed and experienced, Episcopal congregations need to tighten up on how they celebrate the existing liturgies before experimenting with new ones. Too often the rites and services of the current Book of Common Prayer are celebrated with little care, effort, or attention. What is needed is not so much new liturgies as the better celebration of existing ones.

Preaching and Perspicuity
Preachers, are you tempted to imperspicuity in your preaching? Do you unnecessarily drop your knowledge of the original languages in your sermon? Instead of giving your congregation tools to clarify scripture, do you prove your own intellect?

Education: Can singing evensong encourage pupils to engage in worship?
Singing evensong in Lichfield Cathedral sounds like an unusual school outing. For the primary-school children who sang alongside the cathedral’s choristers, and their parents and teachers in the congregation, it was an intensely moving experience.

They were taking part in a new research project that has highlighted the crucial part that singing can play among primary-school children.

The Smartphone Problem in Your Church
Thom and Jess discuss how smartphones have reshaped connection — and disconnection — in the church. From constant distraction to reduced attention spans, they explore how devices affect worship, community, and discipleship.

Don’t Chase Influence, Use It
...as a Christian, you should recognise that you too are influential. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, an accountant for a multinational company, or a prominent leader in your denomination, you have influence. The singular effect of this isn’t important. Because each of us serves a role in God’s great plan. In this article, I want to exhort you both to realise that you have influence, but that it is also limited in some important ways.