I’m not a numbers person, but sometimes numbers help shed light on things.

A recent Household Pulse Survey of 71,152 households found that, nationally, 49% of Americans never or rarely attend religious worship services.  Northern New England and the Pacific Northwest had the lowest rates of religious attendance while Southern states had the highest.

According to this survey, Mississippi has the highest rate of worship attendance with just 32% reporting that they never or rarely attend followed by Alabama at 36% and Louisiana at 37%.

Vermont came in with the highest rate of non-attenders at 75% followed by New Hampshire at 66% and Maine at 66%.  Massachusetts came in at just over 55%.

This all falls in line with other surveys of this kind.  Gallup found that only 30% of Protestants, 28% of Muslims, 23% of Catholics, and 16% of Jews attend worship on a weekly basis.  Then there is, of course, that growing population of American “nones”—those who identify as having no religious affiliation at all.

While this new survey follows a trend, there is an odd disconnect.  Pew Research has found that 57% of Americans feel that “religion has a positive impact on American life and that religion losing its influence is a bad thing.”

So it sort of sounds like less people are religious but feel more people should be.  Just not them.  

Religion doesn’t just “happen.”  People make it happen by way of their spiritual journeys and connection to faith communities.  The positive impact that religion has on our society is found when people move from loneliness to community and when those communities leverage positive, empowering change in society.  

It all starts with people.  If you know of someone who would benefit from joining us here at First Congregational Church (and I’m betting we all do), reach out and make that invitation.  It will not only make a wonderful difference in their life, but will help bolster the important place that church-life should have in our society.

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic