BETTER TOGETHER | Responding to the Great Dechurching
By Dr. Eddie Moody
In the February-March issue of ONE Magazine, Welch College President Matt Pinson reviewed The Great Dechurching. The second part of that review continues in this April-May issue. I encourage you to read it. Forty million people (15.5% of the U.S. population) have stopped attending church over the past 25 years. Authors Davis and Graham define dechurched as people who once attended church at least once a month but now attend less than once a year. They note we are in the middle of the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of the U.S. Before now, the largest religious shift occurred between 1870 and 1895, and in the opposite direction, where church attendance more than doubled. How should we respond?
In Part 2, President Pinson identified 22 strategies for any church. Let me share some thoughts on only one: “Find out who moves into your community and strategize how to invite them to your church.” In a recent Better Together Podcast with Davis and Graham, they revealed — to their surprise — the top reason people became dechurched was they moved. Not anger. Not theology. A simple change of location.
So, I encourage you to reach out to people who move into your community. Sometimes, a nudge is all that is needed to bring someone into your church family. We have recently partnered with a group called Bless Every Home (nafwb.org/bless). Through this free app, you can receive a list of neighbors for whom to pray daily. The app also provides a weekly list of newcomers to your community for a $25 per month fee.
Evaluate your digital presence and develop a gameplan. Make sure your website includes “I’m New Here,” so those considering your church can find important information quickly. Include location, service times, and what to expect. Also explain where to park (hopefully in visitor parking) and briefly describe services, typical attire, and childcare. A brief welcome video is also helpful. For more guidance, see cloversites.com/blog/7-pages-your-church-website-should-have
Develop a coordinated social media and digital gameplan since that is where new movers often turn for church information. We provide individual guidance during Know Your Community feedback sessions: nafwb.org/know. Davis and Graham also suggest updating your profile on search engines. Make sure your NAFWB Church Directory profile (at nafwb.org/directory) is appealing. For example, do you have a church picture, short description, and quick welcome video (90 seconds or less)?
Be inviting. Demonstrate your church wants new people. Put up directional signs on weekends, even if everyone knows where your church is. These signs send the message “new people are welcome!” Create events (Christmas Eve service, Good Friday service, Easter services, VBS, honoring first responders) and invite new people. Train and equip your congregation to invite them. Provide information cards for neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and extended family members. During these events, be sure to invite everyone to your services.
Train the congregation to think of creative ways to connect with others to invite. If you haven’t done so already, try The Hope Initiative (nafwb.org/hope). Make it your culture to bring newcomers in (or back) to the church. Thirty-eight percent of dechurched evangelicals say they would return to church if new friends were there.
Our country is experiencing difficult days. However, as Davis and Graham point out, the dechurched will be easier to reach than the unchurched. Let’s work together to reach or bring the dechurched back into the fold.
