The Saga of the Church Hopper
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, June 25, 2007
- Viewed 169
- (73) comments so far
I’ll start:
Some people are fickle. Some leave over the silliest things. Some like to stir up controversy. Some people can’t get along. And some can’t get past their own preferences—they leave on a dime when something doesn’t go their way.
I think an interesting study would be to see how many repeat offenders there are in this group. How many church-hoppers change every five years? I’ve known a slew of them in my past. And how does this same group of people keep getting ticked off every five years or so?
I almost think that the church is divided into two groups...the “hoppers” and the “lifers.” (The lifers would never leave a church, even if there were a good reason.)
What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments from your experience… Please leave them below.
Have a great week!
A U.S. Congregational Life Survey uncovered interesting statistics about new attendees and church-switchers when it looked at U.S. religious practices... 1) One in four church attendees has switched churches in the past five years. 2) On average, just 7 percent of new attendees are formally unchurched. So...I'm wondering what you think...why is this the case?
Comments
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Melody on Mon, June 25, 2007
I think that most people tend to go where they feel loved and valued. Unfortunately, feeling loved and being loved isn’t always the same thing.
Larry C on Mon, June 25, 2007
I see a lot of people changing churches “for my kids”....“for my youth”… wanting bigger and ‘better’ programs and more activities for them. Church has become the activity center. What those kids really need to see is autentic faith lived out at home and Christ at work in the lives of their parents. That’s far better than a mission trip to Mexico or skiing in Colorado. Kids want parents and leaders that are transparent and can show that what they believe and teach is real, more than they want ‘activities’.
Paul Davis on Mon, June 25, 2007
I am a hopper.
First church to hop from was the Roman Catholic Church - the reason, the doctrine taught did not match the scriptures. This was when I was 16yrs old. (much to the horror of my parents - they required I attend, so I did, but it wasn’t because I went willingly)
The Second church was a local mega church - the pastor is accused with corruption and it is documented in the local newspaper and around the internet. Laws were (and still are) being broken at that church.
I’m at my third church now and plan on staying until we move next year sometime. I’m still wounded by the prior church, I was very vested in the church, volunteered and worked and donated to make the church better and perform its mission - akin to the Roman Catholic Church, it has added another church failure to reasons I’m hesitant to get fully vested in my current church, so I’m not really attached to the current church, but they love me anyway http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif gives me hope that I will find a church where the pastor is honest (in both behavior and admitting failure), accountable and teaches the Word straight.
Dave on Mon, June 25, 2007
Sometimes people leave because of poor leadership that is unresponsive to real needs. The greatest need that we can fill for our people is to train them to take up their cross and die. Just once, I would like to hear a sermon on Luke 17:7-10. According to this passage when we have done all our work, we have the right to claim the title of “unworthy servant!” As Christians, most of us don’t seem to see ourselves in this light. We think much “more highly of ourselves” than we should. Are we in it for what we get out of it, or are we in it to serve the Lord who died to save us? I often want to ask this question of the people in my church - even some of the staff!
Dave
Dan M on Mon, June 25, 2007
An excellent, lively discussion. But it was the second statistic that jumped out at me: “...On average, just 7 percent of new attendees are formally unchurched.” Church leaders today have an endless stream of books, seminars, consultants, and advice on how to attract the unchurched to our services. Yet this statistic seemingly says that it is an empty pursuit.
I think the great lie in evangelicalism if the last 30 years is that there are hordes of seekers out there just waiting to beat our doors in if we’d only present something interesting to them. Recently I ran across the following quote:
“We confuse two similar yet different human actions. We see people searching desparately for peace of mind, relief from guilt, meaning and purpose in their lives, and loving acceptance. We know that ultimately these things can only be found in God. Therefore, we conclude that since people are seeking these things, they must be seeking God.
People do not seek God. They seek after the benefits that only God can give them. The sin of fallen man is this: Man seeks the benefits of God while at the same time fleeing from God himself. We are, by nature, fugitives.” A contemporary criticism of the seeker movement? Hardly. Thomas Aquinas wrote this some 750 years ago. Seems some things never change.
Peter Hamm on Mon, June 25, 2007
Dan M writes [An excellent, lively discussion. But it was the second statistic that jumped out at me: “...On average, just 7 percent of new attendees are formally unchurched.” Church leaders today have an endless stream of books, seminars, consultants, and advice on how to attract the unchurched to our services. Yet this statistic seemingly says that it is an empty pursuit.]
Either that or it shows that it is something we still have to improve on!
Chuck on Mon, June 25, 2007
Is your church swimming upstream?
Last Sunday I visited a church where the Senior Pastor said he wanted the job descriptions of the staff re-written to include a requirement to spend 10% of their time with the unchurched!
Moving on for the right reasons may happen more often than we care to admit.
Vicki on Mon, June 25, 2007
Larry, I understand your point. We have some of the kind of “lifers” you described here, too. I have friends who are pastors of smaller churches who have experienced the pain of a controlling group or family. (One pastor friend of mine pastored a church and dealt with a controlling family with the last name Love - how ironic…) These are the ones you wish would leave and take their critical, controlling spirit with them!
In the last two years, we have experienced a schism (that’s a nice way of saying we had a church split) in our church where some long time families left (“hopped”) over control issues. We’ve weathered that storm and are probably healthier now because of it. However, let me tell you from experience - it doesn’t matter what size your church is - when this happens, it hurts. It hurts personally. It hurts corporately. And, it hurts the community. Our church wasn’t always as big as it is now. When I was a kid we ran around 150 people. People hopped then too. Doesn’t matter what size the church is, the reasons behind it or how many “hop” - hopping hurts. (Sounds like a bumper sticker, doesn’t it?)
I have served under 3 senior pastors and have personally known and loved all 6 of the men and their families who have led our body. Each one has had a different personality and leadership style. It’s not always easy for us “lifers” to adjust. The newcomers DO outnumber us - by a significant amount. I just think would be childish (and believe me, I’ve been tempted) to get my feelings hurt, or feel displaced by the newcomers. The newcomers that I get really excited about are the ones who are new - not just to church - but to faith in Jesus.
Because we are a larger church in this community, people hop in and out with regularity. Hopping happens (I’m on a roll…) for all of the reasons that have been named. It’s an unfortunate part of life in the modern church world.
God’s church is HUGE. We get into trouble (pastors and parishioners alike) when we start thinking we belong to church, or go to church, or “own” a church and forget that we ARE the church.
David Conrad on Mon, June 25, 2007
I myself am a HOPPER and the reason my Wife and I hopp is to find our place. We have never belonged to a Church where we felt we were a part of the “FOLD” and as of yet we’re still jot satisified. While we understand that it’s ( Not all about us) we should at least feel as if we’re not a Chu8rch that somebody there would care. Just to set things straight we are not “Pew Warmers” I have been envolved with Youth groups, Music ministry, and so on as has my wife been involved even recectly with the “Parking Lot “ committe. So when we burn out from trying to be part of the group that seems nobody wants us to be a part of we move on. Even now we ar ethinking of leaving our current Church.
Don on Mon, June 25, 2007
Years ago (at least 25 now), Moody Monthly Magazine did a column on “Portraits of a Church-Wrecker”. It made a lasting impression on me at that time a young pastor.
Now, 22 years later, it’s amazing how accurate that “portrait” was. The names change, the faces, are different, but the characteristics of those who live with their “noses out of joint” remain the same.
Whenever I have a visitor from another church in town who shows up two Sundays in a row, I call the pastor of his church, and advise him that he may want to make a visit on this person. It helps the pastor “deal” with his own sheep…and also prevents our church from receiving those sheep who may have lost their way.
Diogenes on Mon, June 25, 2007
I don’t understand why it is so surprising that people shop around. When we run our churches like businesses, is it any wonder that attendees act like customers? We have trained them to be consumers and then critcize them when they act like consumers. This is what the church marketing approach has produced.
We have also been deceiving ourselves about all the things we are doing to reach seekers. They aren’t going to attract seekers but church shoppers. Do you really think the guy in the bar Saturday is going to get up early and go to church because you serve Starbuck’s coffee? No, but the Joe Christian down the street a First Church of Folgers who wants to be hip and relevant will be attracted. All the things that are marketed to appeal to the seek are really appealing to the trendy church shopper.
You reap what you so. It is harvest time.
Peter Hamm on Mon, June 25, 2007
Diogenes,
Interesting thoughts. This is why we should create church cultures where people ARE the church and aren’t just “fed by it”.
[Do you really think the guy in the bar Saturday is going to get up early and go to church because you serve Starbuck’s coffee?] I agree! that’s why many of us have a service on Saturday night, so he can hear the gospel BEFORE he goes out drinking! http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/wink.gif
victoria shelton on Mon, June 25, 2007
i have left churches. usually it gets so unbiblical from the pastors bad jokes to the leaders who live in sin and lead others into worship? to the way they want to usher the children away from the main group off into some silly amusement.
i have gone from church to church but it seems to be a trend.
even the way the churches eat like gluttons in fellowships and celebrate known pagan holidays
like christmas. then they turn communion into a a crumb and a thimble instead
of a time to love and relate to each other in the body of christ.
yes i am a known dissenter and have attempted to overlook the bologna that is going on until it comes to a point where i try somewhere else in hopes that it won’t be so openly just a money raising club with the leaders and the followers.
Keith S on Mon, June 25, 2007
First let me say that we must first separate the small percentage of those that just church hop for several reasons, i.e. music, pastor, building fund campaign, request to get involved. etc. Then we can look at the cause and result of the rest who “church” hop.
The event that occurs on most Sundays, wee call Corporate worship or “doing” (“church”) is just a reflection of our postmodernistic, scientific naturalistic, let me entertain you, 30 second sound bite, society.
People “do” “church” like they do work, do lunch, or do relationships. As long as they enjoy the experience and it tastes/feels good we will continue to patronize the location or the relationship. The marketing has to be changed and updated often.
Brett stated “...the average evangelical stays in their church 4.9 years!” about the maximum amount of time one spends in a particular job. Why do most of the good restraints last longer than the ones that belly up very quickly? What affects the dynamics that becomes the change agent?
I personally feel that the way we “do corporate worship” within the local body of Christ followers is a result of “who” within the leadership gets to define the vision/mission of that local body and “how” that is to be done. Why do some “churches” offer “McDonalds” others “Burger King” (have it your way) and others all you can eat buffets?
Our “churches” don’t know whether to be seeker sensitive (the Sunday service is for saving lost souls-not to mention the flipside benefit of increasing the membership of the “church”
Of course the big down side to this is:
1-You are catering to a very small percentage of attendees-to the detriment of edifying the majority of the regular attendees.
2-Since the body is not being edified they are always being sustained with milk-no meat.
This dissuades the main body from doing the evangelizing outside of bring them to “church”Sundays.
3-It does nothing to encourage the main body to get into small church community groups to rightly divide the word of God. To establish a firm foundation built on the basic doctrines of Gods word. Mentor new Christians who came to a saving faith through the efforts of your local “church”-but now they have left because the don’t know what to do next to begin their new life in Christ, so they leave on a quest to find somewhere or someone who can mentor and help them grow in Christ and in return edify the Church and go on to mentor and help a new generation of believer.
or, they can just live on milk and “do” “church” like so many others.
Who is responsible for this….maybe another time.
Tim H on Mon, June 25, 2007
Isn’t it fairly safe to say that the numbers for pastors are about the same?
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