4,000 Churches Will Close This Year

This year, over 4,000 churches will close their doors forever. There are a number of reasons for this fact and online ministries are one of those reasons.

I did not start GREAT Ministries to accelerate closures. Quite the opposite--GREAT Ministries supports regular church attendance. But there are a number of OTHER factors that have lead to the final sermon being preached at over 300 churches this month.

There was a time when the Day of Worship was foremost on the minds of families. With a 50% divorce rate in the US, we have more blended families whose schedules are influenced by who has the kids on a particular weekend. Parents are keeping the kids busy in activities other than church. Some families spend the entire weekend at the sports fields, gymnastics competitions, travel ball, practice and other activities for the kids.

Speaking of travel, there are ten 3-day holiday weekends on the US calendar. Add personal vacation time to the mix and you have members who elcct to "get away" instead of attending

services. What I've mentioned is part of the cultural shift in this country. Additional practices that have changed include the disappearance of guilt, self-directed spirituality and failure to see the benefit of attending. Churches that use the "guilt program" as a motivator to attend are doomed from the start. The internet has become "all-knowing" in that people use it to find answers to everything. Those who decide the forego being taught for the 2,500 pages of text on a subject, will surely pick up something, even if it is in error. The benefit of attendance has become lost on people especially if the church does not satisfy a need.

During football season, some members are faced with the choice of skipping worship services to support their favorite team or quietly slipping out the back before the final prayer is offered. Churches that recognize this conflict start or finish services earlier. They have also taken into account that everyone does not work a traditional 9-5, Monday to Friday schedule. They adjust the worship times to meet the needs of the members. Pastors who are also football fans often cut back on the length of sermons (yes, the Man of God can also be a football fan!) When churches are sensitive to member needs, the message remains the same, but the method changes.

Churches who do not adapt may end up being one of the 4,000 who will close this year.