Are fewer worshipers attending weekly? New evidence

By Deborah Bruce

The percentage of worshipers who attend services on a weekly basis is declining. Comparing the U.S. Congregational Life Survey results from wave 1 ( in 2001) to those from wave 2 (in 2008 and 2009) shows consistent declines. Today, about eight in ten worshipers report coming to worship on a weekly basis.*

Fewer weekly worshipers regardless of faith group.  The decline in weekly worshipers is a bit larger in conservative Protestant churches, though they have the highest rate of worshipers attending every week. On the other hand, the decline is the smallest among mainline Protestant churches, which also have the lowest percentage of worshipers attending on a weekly basis.

Fewer weekly worshipers regardless of church size.  The percentage of worshipers who attend weekly dropped in small, mid-size, and large congregations, with only small differences by congregational size.

Why is the trend of declining weekly attendance important?  Weekly worshipers are more involved in their congregations. As fewer attend worship on a weekly basis, there might also be fewer participating regularly in activities such as church school, Bible study, or other ministries. Further, weekly worshipers provide more positive feedback about church life. This is a "chicken-or-the-egg" issue, though. Do worshipers attend on a weekly basis because their experiences in church are meaningful and help them grow spiritually? Or do worshipers find services of the congregations to be helpful because they attend on a regular basis? Either way, this trend warrants our attention.

What is your church doing to ensure worshipers attend on a weekly basis?

Learn more about weekly worshipers—part 1, part 2, and in chapter 7

Presentation to Religious Research Association:  Declining Worship Attendance

A look at "No Shows"

Tips on increasing worship attendance

*Keep in mind that the survey was given in worship. Thus, any worshiper who attends on a weekly basis was sure to be there to complete a survey. But worshipers who attend only one week in four, for example, had a 25% chance of being there on the day the survey was given. This makes the overall worship attendance rates higher than if every worshiper had completed a survey. But the impact of that bias is the same in wave 1 and wave 2, so the comparisons shown here are valid.