Research and Trends

Time for a Change

Lifeway Research surveyed 1,001 adults who left churches. All of those interviewed had eventually made their way to a new church, so this snapshot does not include those who are gone for good.

Preteens on Track to Abandon Biblical Christianity in Record Numbers

Children are intellectual and spiritual sponges in their preteen years. They are desperately trying to make sense of the world, their identity, their purpose and how to live a meaningful and satisfying life.

The 2024 State of Church Giving Report Now Available

Despite an overall increase in giving, the report showed that 55% of churches reported a decrease in giving due to inflation.

End-Times Beliefs

Christians split between those who don’t believe this is the end times (49%) and those who do (47%), including 20% who believe Jesus will return after global circumstances worsen.

Pastors Say Christmas Eve Is Most-Attended Holiday Service

Mainline pastors are more likely than their evangelical counterparts to say their most attended service is on Christmas Eve (60% v. 44%), while evangelical pastors are more likely than mainline ministers to say their highest attendance event is during the third week of December (30% v. 17%).

Churches Still Recovering From Pandemic Attendance Losses

Despite churches returning to pre-pandemic levels of holding in-person services, not all churchgoers have followed suit.

Leadership Roles of Women Divide Protestant Denominations

Most pastors in all denominational groups say women could be ministers to children, ministers to teenagers, committee leaders or coed adult Bible study teachers in their churches.

United We Stand

The primary value that emerged from the 48 unique values was family, with 61% of adults saying that family is a value they would be willing to fight or even die to protect or preserve.

Americans Believe Suicide Is Epidemic, Not Pathway to Hell

Religious beliefs and practice also play a role in attitudes toward suicide. Those with evangelical beliefs are more likely than those without evangelical beliefs to say suicide is selfish (48% v. 35%) and automatically leads to hell (39% v. 18%).

Mental Health Issues and the Church

Most pastors have experience with mental illness in their congregations.

Americans Divided on Who Should Lead Healthy Conversations on Challenges in America

There is no consensus among Americans on who is in the best position to generate healthy conversations around challenges in society.