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Are you ready for some Christian-shocking statistics in the midst of your Thanksgiving celebration? The reason I ask is because Larry and I are concerned about Christian dropouts who won’t thank God today or celebrate Christ during this Christmas season or anytime following it. Why won’t they? What has happened that made them seemingly lose their faith in Christianity or Christ?
Here are the extremely accurate statistics in America from the Francis A Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development who had been doing a thorough study since 1998 that began as a study by Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California in 1992:
Every year 4000 churches close their door forever. A little more than 1000 churches begin.
Every year 2.7 million people who have been going to church drop out and then stay away from all churches.
The three major reasons given by church dropouts are
1. They felt hurt and abused by the church.
2. They were disillusioned by their hopes of what they thought they church would be for them at the beginning..
3. They don’t believe the church cared about them at all.
The United States now ranks third in the nation’s with citizens who say they are Christians. China is now first and India is now second.
Half of all churches in America have not increased the membership in their congregation in the past two years.
The number of Americans who regularly attend a church service at least once a week is between 40 and 50%.
The number of Canadians who regularly attend a church service at least once a week is 20%.
The number of Europeans who regularly attend a church service at least once a week is 8%.
The United States Census Bureau shows only half the number of church attenders that churches report nationwide.
In spite of all these sad reports, there are still a very few growing denominations in America. They include
Calvary Chapel and the Assemblies of God.
Ravi Zacharias is about to tell us why these statistics are not only true, but answer the question “If people believe their Christian experience has failed them, what does that say about Jesus Christ today?” But first, we are going to hear from some of those who have dropped out. Ray
Ravi Zacharias - Has your Christian experience failed you?