What attracts 30's age range to Sunday morning worship service?

Question

There is a gap in this age range. What factors play into a low attendence for young adults in their thirties?

Answer 1

I have met many pastors who complain about this very thing. What the younger adults are attracted to is a more liberal, contemporary service. My church has two services. The first service is a traditional service and has hymns and is for the older generation and the second service has contempary music in the worship. The pastor gives the same sermon though. While this solved the solution of which kind of service one prefers, it has caused a huge gap in the generations and we really don't know each other at all. Our pastor has said that it sometimes feels as if there are two churches there.

Maybe I'm a cynic but there isn't anything that's going to start attracting the younger generation. My church is a fundamantal, evangelic church but I'm a lot more liberal so I'm not always comfortable there. My husband prefers a fundamental church. My reasons for not being so attracted to church as a whole is that I feel it's a very shallow experience at times. All we do is sing songs then listen to a sermon. It's very intellectual and not mystical at all. We don't have any rituals like say the Catholics so it gets quite boring at times. I also think that the way the Christian church as a whole treats women and gays is just horrendous at times. I've also attended a church in the past that believed any other denomination weren't really Christians. Fundamantal politicians sure aren't helping make the church look attractive either.

Answer 2

It may be very difficult to get a four year old to go to church.

Also, there is a dichotamy in the church between those who believe because they have experienced life and have faith that their choice of religion is correct and those that believe because they don't know any better.

Many children believe solely because their parent's have introduced them to this lifestyle and nothing else. These kids will likely grow up and find alternative faiths on their own and either experience them and come back to the church or leave all together.

Of course some will also continue to believe blindly, so I guess what you have to do is either show kids the truth at an early age instead of relying on parental pressure or figure out how to keep them from ever seeing alternative faiths.

Answer 3

It is very difficutlt to answer this question without knowing more about the neighborhood your church is in. Do you have Sunday school? If so, are people coming and then leaving before worship, or are they not coming to either. If the latter is the case, you need to look at both what you are offering in your children's program and in young adult education. Also, if you have a very traditional worship service, try adding some more contemporary music and see if that helps. Keep in mind that it is very hard to to a contemporary service well.

There are so many factors to consider that it is difficult to answer this question without some more information. Send me a private message if you like.

Answer 4

Good question, because I'm 38 and have been gone from the church for about 25 years, give or take. I guess I'm just too much of a nonconformist, freethinking spiritual and social liberal.

I was raised Southern Baptist in Louisiana, but by the time I was in my teens, I was pulling away from it. It felt very constricting, very narrow and very deadening. I did not want to be told what to think or how to be; I wanted to figure out those things on my own. I didn't go crazy or act out, but I did leave the church. For years I studied other religions as well as mythology and folklore. I had a quarter-life crisis of faith, looked long and hard at my belief and at religion overall, and changed. I'm now an Episcopalian, but I still don't go to church. I'd rather be out helping people in the real world.

Because I am a childfree, liberal, unconventional female, church has not appealed to me for many reasons. First of all, I don't feel like I fit in as a liberal humanist. I am married but not to a Christian. I don't have children by choice. I do happen to be white and middle-class, but that's not enough. So I don't feel like I fit the mold of the kind of people who do go to church.

I also feel like I've become a better believer -- I am Christian, but skeptical, and not religious -- by being outside the formal church. I know what Hebrews says, about neglect not the gathering of yourselves together, but that doesn' work for me. I feel like I am far more open about helping people outside the church; when I was in the church, simply GOING TO CHURCH became the main way of showing belief. I know in myself I got very narrow and exclusive and was not as helpful.

Hope this helps. A combination of youthful questioning, open mindedness, rebellion against formal authority and a desire to make one's own way in the world and explore other beliefs are probably all contributing factors as to why that gap exists for this age range.

Cheers, K

Answer 5

By this time people are into fullfledged adulthood and figure they don't have time for Church anymore. Also, it seems that sometimes Churches are only concerned with the very young or the very old. We need to show this age group that they are still important to God and His Church.

I'm 31. I still go to Church.

Answer 6

so you have the kids of your adults and nothing in between. yeah i fit in that rangelate 20's early 30's and what honestly attracts me is activities beyond the church. yeah sunday morning is great but when the church has a softball team and goes to baseball games and camping trips it fits in more with what im doing on a normal basis. plus with outside activities you can invite friends with out saying come to church which scares people honestly but hey baseball game that doesnt sound to bad and you get to meet others in the church outside of the sermon.

Answer 7

Maybe the fact that 30something might be married have children that are complete brats and have trouble getting them to behave, how embarrasing would it be for teh kids to act up during a sermon, enough to put anyone off.

Or they could just be non-religious!

Answer 8

It has to do with materialism. More people in their thirties are more concerned with themselves then they are of Almighty God. they would rather spend time pursuing THEIR interests then that of Gods. One doesn't HAVE to go to church in order to be a Christian but it helps a great deal.

Answer 9

Easy. When people are young, they go out, have fun, commit sins, and don't think about the consequences. However, as people get older, they realize the wrongs they have committed and are seeking a way to ease their minds and find forgiveness.

Answer 10

30's are not profitable in terms of tithing. Some churches take a cultivation view and try to attract them, others are clueless or selfish