What Attracts the Unchurched

The last time I spoke to a steady stream of college students new to town about church prospects, I don't recall a single one of them asking about the music at Element. But nearly all of them wanted to know if we were non-denominational.

Not all of these students could be classified "unchurched," but I've long believed our churches have overestimated the sensitivities of seekers.

ChurchRelevance.com recently reported on Rainer and Barna studies asking for the top reasons folks choose a church:

Top 13 Reasons that Unchurched People Choose a Church
(research conducted by Rainer)

1. 90% - Pastor/Preaching
2. 88% - Doctrines
3. 49% - Friendliness of Members
4. 42% - Other Issues
5. 41% - Someone Church Witnessed to Me
6. 38% - Family Member
7. 37% - Sensed God’s Presence/Atmosphere of Church
8. 25% - Relationship Other than Family Member
9. 25% - Sunday School Class
10. 25% - Children’s/Youth Ministry
11. 12% - Other Groups/Ministries
12. 11% - Worship Style/Music
13. 7% - Location

Top 9 Reasons that Church-Attenders Choose a Church
(research conducted by the Barna Group in 1999)

1. 58% - Doctrine/Theology
2. 53% - People Caring for Each Other
3. 52% - Preaching
4. 45% - Friendliness
5. 45% - Children’s Programs
6. 43% - Helping the Poor
7. 36% - Denomination
8. 35% - Like the Pastor
9. 26% - Sunday School

And a recent LifeWay Research study shows that:

By a nearly 2-to-1 ratio over any other option, unchurched Americans prefer churches that look more like a medieval cathedral than what most think of as a more contemporary church building.

Time to rethink some assumptions, don't ya think?

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