A big thanks to Scot McKnight who referenced this article by Professor Richard Beck who claims that social networking is the primary reason why the younger generation is opting out of worship/church attendance.
After reading this article, the obvious question becomes, "How should the church respond to this reality?" This question makes me wonder what the church offers in terms of connecting people that is not already offered by social networking. Before we answer with "face to face communication" we need to say why "face to face" is better than online communication.
A second but related thought is how can the church use social networking to enhance our ministry and outreach, especially to the younger generation?
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What an interesting article! I would have to say that the stats that they are using right now are not valid. Social networking has not been around long enough to gather enough stats to draw valid conclusions. I think that the church is just using social networking as an excuse for a drop in attendance since most churches do not want to face the real reasons that their attendance is dropping (I could list a few, but I won't at this time). As I look back over my 54 years of life - having always been a church goer myself - there are cycles where church attendance increases and then there are cycles where church attendance decreases. For example, during times of war church attendance will increase. Currently, we are in a cycle where church attendance is decreasing. This cycle has been going on for years. In my opinion, social networking is just another excuse for churches to use to try to justify their drop in attendance. After all, you have to have an "escape goat" for everything that happens.
ReplyDeleteEach day as I take my 4 mile walk I pick something to ponder upon. This morning I chose the subject of social networking and the decrease in church attendance. I think that we should look at some other reasons for the decrease in church attendance before we say that social networking is a cause. I want to say that these comments are not directed at any one particular Pastor, Church, or Parent. Let’s start with the church. How friendly is your church? Do you recognize new people when they come into your church? Recently, we started attending a different church after attending the same church for over 30 years. As we entered the church we were invited to sit with another couple that was already members of that congregation. Do you know what a good feeling that was? We soon transferred our membership to that church. This is where we met the most “awesome” Pastor in the world. Another concern that I have heard is that the same people always do the same thing year after year. My talents must not be good enough for this church. I may as well leave the church and join a civic organization where my talents will be used and appreciated. Why aren’t different people asked to chair a committee or be a member of a committee – something that makes them feel like they are a part of the church. Many people leave the church because of the Pastor. Some of these reasons are: 1.My Pastor only preaches about doom and gloom. What are these horrible last days he keeps talking about? I am going to leave the church and go someplace that makes me feel good. Obviously, these people have never read The Book of Revelations. Yes, there is doom & gloom in the Bible, but Pastors don’t always need to make that the topic of your sermons. 2. I was in the hospital for 5 days and my Pastor did not visit me once. Therefore, he must not care about me so I might as well quit going to church. 3. My Pastor does not visit members in the nursing homes. I guess he does not care about old people. I better stop going to church since he does not care about us old folks. 4. Sometimes, it is just time for a Pastor to move on. He has done all that he can do at that church and now it is time for him to move on. Pastors who continue to stay at churches after this happens actually drive people away from the church. 5. Pastors –don’t talk about finances. Let the chairman of your finance committee do this. Of course you want the members to give more. You want a bigger salary! Pastors, who are always asking for money, drive people away from the church. I know people who say all my Pastor wants is more and more money. If that is all that he is going to talk about, I am going to quit going to church. I am tired of listening to him asking for money. Then there are the parents to blame. When kids are in their pre teenage years there usually is not a problem with them going to church. However, when these children reach their teen years their parents let them do what they want to – including not attending church on Sunday. I remember once when we were at a band competition on a Saturday night that was about 4 hours away from home, I made a comment to one of the parents that their son would not be going to church in the morning. This mother said to me, in a voice that only a mother can use, “Oh yes he will be in church tomorrow. We have a house rule that you go to church on Sunday regardless of what time you get home on Saturday night.” He was in church Sunday morning. So, many parents are to blame for the decrease in church attendance. I heard an evangelist say one time that the older you get and you do not attend church, the more likely you are never to attend church. So, all these teens that are not attending church now, more than likely will never attend church again. Parents need to be firm and make their teenagers do things that they don’t always want to do. If the younger people do not attend church now and continue not to attend church in their older years, the church will eventually die.
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