By Cynthia Woolever
Do our actions reflect our values? People in the pew point to multiple things in their congregation that they highly value. The three congregational aspects (from a list of 14 possibilities) that the largest numbers of worshipers most value include: (See Note 1.)
- Sharing in Holy Communion, Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper (47%)
- Sermons, preaching, or homilies (good news for pastors!) (38%)
- Traditional style of worship or music (31%)
One in five worshipers named another three items:
- Wider community care or social justice (22%)
- Contemporary style of worship or music (20%)
- Ministry for children or youth (19%)
Fewer than one in five worshipers chose each of the following items as what they most valued about their church:
- Reaching those who do not attend church (15%)
- Bible study or prayer groups, other discussion groups (14%)
- Practical care for one another in times of need (13%)
- Openness to social diversity (13%)
- Social activities or meeting new people (12%)
Fewer than one in 10 worshipers chose these last three items on the list:
- Prayer ministry for one another (8%)
- The congregation’s school or preschool (6%)
- Adult church-school or Sabbath-school class (5%)
These results represent worshipers’ values in many diverse denominations and faith traditions. Would Catholics value the same things that worshipers in Protestant churches value? It’s not likely.
The three things that conservative Protestant worshipers value most are:
- Sermons, preaching, or homilies (46%)
- Contemporary style of worship or music (32%)
- Reaching those who do not attend church (29%)
In contrast, mainline Protestant worshipers identified a somewhat different set of things that they value most about their congregation.
- Traditional style of worship or music (40%)
- Sharing in Holy Communion, Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper (40%)
- Sermons, preaching, or homilies (40%)
What do Catholic worshipers most value about their church? Their responses are more similar to mainline Protestants than conservative Protestant worshipers. (While the top three choices among Catholics and mainline Protestant worshipers are the same, the order and percentages vary.)
- Sharing in Holy Communion, Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper (59%)
- Sermons, preaching, or homilies (35%)
- Traditional style of worship or music (30%)
Other value differences between faith traditions are apparent. More conservative Protestant worshipers value Bible study or prayer groups and ministry for children or youth. More mainline Protestant and Catholic worshipers place a high value on their church’s wider community care or social justice emphasis.
Conservative Protestant worshipers value reaching the unchurched—what actions would be consistent with that value?
- First, conservative Protestants are more likely than other worshipers to invite someone to attend their church—six in 10 did so in the past year. In contrast, only about four in 10 Catholic or mainline Protestant attendees invited someone in the past year.
- Second, conservative Protestants feel more at ease talking about their faith and seek out opportunities to do so (one in four conservative Protestant worshipers gave this response, compared to 16% of Catholic and 13% of mainline Protestant worshipers).
Mainline Protestant worshipers value wider community care and social justice—what actions would be consistent with that value?
- First, more mainline Protestants are involved in the community service, social justice, or advocacy activities of their church (one in three said they were, compared to 9% of Catholics; 22% of conservative Protestants) and are involved in community organizations that focus on similar issues (four in ten said they were, compared to 30% of other worshipers).
- Second, more mainline Protestant attendees than other worshipers donate money to community charitable organizations (8 in 10 said they had donated funds in the past year, compared to seven in 10 other worshipers).
Catholic worshipers value their experiences during Mass—what evidence would be consistent with that value?
- Catholic worshipers are more likely than other worshipers to say they experience God’s presence and a sense of awe or mystery in worship (more than half of Catholics vs. four in ten Protestants “always” experience God’s presence; one in three Catholics and conservative Protestants “always” experience awe or mystery in worship; in contrast, only one in five mainline Protestants report the experience of awe or mystery in worship).
What we value as worshipers has consequences. Worshipers, who highly value reaching the unchurched, invite others to services. Worshipers, who highly value caring for others, volunteer in church and community organizations. Worshipers, who highly value Holy Communion as part of worship, experience God’s presence. If we don’t invite others, fall short of serving others in the church and community, or fail to feel God’s presence in worship—does it reflect what we truly value?
Note 1. Worshipers could choose up to three items from a list of 14 possibilities.
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