First, the decrease. From Christianity Today:
Sunday used to be a day reserved by many Christians for attending worship services, but new research indicates the extent to which American churches today are competing against myriad other activities.
The biggest competition? Children’s sports.
According to a new study published in the Review of Religious Research, an examination of declining attendance at 16 congregations revealed that many pastors place the most blame on children’s sports activities, since both practices and competitions are increasingly “scheduled on Sunday mornings at the very time when many churches traditionally have provided religious education.”
Now to the increase.
What also has seemed to be helpful is for churches to offer their own sports programming.
Research has shown congregations that offer multiple opportunities for members to participate in church life are more likely to experience growth.
Offering sports programs “is a point of entry,” said David Roozen, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “Often the biggest competition is for young families with kids.”
Some 36 percent of congregations in the 2010 Faith Communities Today survey, including more than four in 10 evangelical Protestant congregations, reported at least some emphasis on team sports, fitness activities and exercise classes.
