The Formerly Churched Invisible Man
According to LifeWay Research, 7% of Americans are formerly churched. Only 6% of this segment is interested in returning to their previous church. And if they do finally visit a church, here is how willing they are to be noticed:
- 11% would be willing to identify themselves as a visitor when visiting a church for the first time
- 63%Â prefer to wait until at least the second visit to let anyone know they are visiting
- 26% desire to slip in and casually introduce themselves after the service
Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research explains:
Their desire for a welcoming church environment is not satisfied when members suddenly act nice as they learn someone is a visitor. It should come as no surprise that the formerly churched prefer to size up the church before they identify themselves as a visitor.
The larger a church is, the more difficult it is to identify who is a visitor, particularly when visitors wish to remain anonymous. Thus, it is important that churches are continually thinking about how they can create a friendlier culture, while maintaining their authenticity.
[via Monday Morning Insight]
