Nearly 66% Of Protestants Encourage Others To Attend Church
According to a recent Lifeway Research survey, nearly 66% of Protestant churchgoers in the United States reported inviting someone to church within the past six months. This trend is notably higher among those with Evangelical beliefs.
The survey, conducted from September 19-29, 2023, with over 1,000 participants, revealed that 60% of respondents extended at least one invitation to their church recently. Specifically, 19% of participants made one invitation, 21% made two, and 20% extended three or more invitations. Conversely, 33% of respondents did not issue any invitations, and 7% were unsure.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, emphasized that the focus of the survey was on actual invitations rather than general recommendations. He noted that the practice of inviting others to church reflects a more proactive engagement in sharing one’s faith.
Comparing these results to a similar study from 2017, there was a slight increase in the number of churchgoers who did not make invitations, rising from 29% to 33%. Additionally, the percentage of those making three or more invitations dropped from 25% to 20%. McConnell suggested that this decline might be due to the increasingly counter-cultural nature of inviting people to church.
The survey also highlighted that Evangelical churchgoers were more active in extending invitations compared to non-Evangelicals. Approximately 24% of Evangelicals made three or more invitations, whereas only 15% of non-Evangelicals did the same. Additionally, 38% of non-Evangelicals did not extend any invitations, compared to 28% of Evangelicals.
Different denominations showed varying levels of engagement. Assemblies of God and Pentecostal attendees were the most likely to invite others, with 71% reporting at least one invitation. In contrast, Lutherans (55%) and Methodists (53%) were less likely to invite guests. The reasons for not inviting others included not knowing people to invite (27%), facing refusals (26%), discomfort with inviting (13%), and other factors.
African American churchgoers were notably proactive, with 28% extending two invitations and 25% making three or more. In contrast, white churchgoers were more likely to have not extended any invitations. With a rise in religiously unaffiliated individuals in the U.S., churches are focusing on initiatives like “National Back to Church Sunday,” which aims to encourage Christians to invite others to church and foster community engagement.