Church Hopping

Last Sunday, Dale Smith visited a Baptist church in Hendersonville, N.C. This Sunday, he will "probably" attend a church a few miles away in his hometown of Greer, S.C. Next Sunday? Well, that depends on what church he wants to visit that day.

Smith is church hopping.

And according to church-growth gurus, Dale Smith is more normal than you might think.

Numbers from the Barna Research Group support that theory: Each year, one out of every seven adults changes churches. And one out of every six adults attends a carefully chosen handful of churches on a rotating basis.

Americans are a religious people, and church remains an important aspect of life for tens of millions of Americans. However, there is less concern about "brand loyalty" to churches than there used to be, says Barna. "Although Americans do not change churches as regularly as they change the brand of gasoline they use, church loyalty is a modern casualty," says the research company.

Why don't church-minded adults settle down somewhere? Why not just choose a good church and stick with it?

It's not a simple answer. Even validating the church-hopping trend is difficult because few churches and denominations keep track of how long members stay or why they leave. Little research has been done into what motivates church loyalty.

"Religion and spirituality have become just another product in the broader marketplace of goods and services," said American Demographics magazine in its April 1999 issue.

Which church has the best child care? Which church has my favorite style of music? Which church has the strongest recreation program? Which church is the friendliest?

Perhaps that explains the "Church Shopping Guide" offered online by Atonement Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wisconsin. The "guide" suggests a series of questions the church shopper should ask: Is this church a theater or a temple? A gymnasium or a hospital?

Translation: Don't you want a church where worship is about God and not entertainment? Do you want a place where wounded people come for divine healing, or where healthy people come for exercise?

"Sometimes people are just looking for a good fit, and they can't find it," says San Francisco area resident Brad Sargent. "You find that this church helps you grow spiritually but doesn't have an outlet for you to serve in. So you keep looking."

"Personally, I'm 'bi-churchal,'" proclaims Sargent. "I go to one church where I can grow spiritually, participate in a Gen-Xer worship service, and serve to make a global impact. I go to another, new church on Sunday evening to contribute to my local community through service there. Why should my attendance be an either/or? Why can't it be both/and? This fulfills me. I don't think church hopping has to be a negative."

Most churches are unprepared for the new ground rules. They watch in bewilderment as their membership rolls undergo constant turnover--if not a steady drain.

Co-pastor Grant Teagarden and the other folks just starting Living Hope Church in Santa Clara, Calif., hope they have the solution--a little something for everyone.

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