My new favorite resource on this topic is Thom S. Rainer’s book Surprising Insights from the Unchurched.
He has surveyed those who have become churched within the last two years. This was a particular niche of study, asking questions of those who made that transition in effective evangelistic churches.
Top 13 Reasons that Unchurched People Choose a Church
(research conducted by Ranier, p. 18)
- 90% – Pastor/Preaching
- 88% – Doctrines
- 49% – Friendliness of Members
- 42% – Other Issues
- 41% – Someone Church Witnessed to Me
- 38% – Family Member
- 37% – Sensed God’s Presence/Atmosphere of Church
- 25% – Relationship Other than Family Member
- 25% – Sunday School Class
- 25% – Children’s/Youth Ministry
- 12% – Other Groups/Ministries
- 11% – Worship Style/Music
- 7% – Location
Top 9 Reasons that Church-Attenders Choose a Church
(research conducted by the Barna Group in 1999)
- 58% – Doctrine/Theology
- 53% – People Caring for Each Other
- 52% – Preaching
- 45% – Friendliness
- 45% – Children’s Programs
- 43% – Helping the Poor
- 36% – Denomination
- 35% – Like the Pastor
- 26% – Sunday School
AMERICAN GOTHIC CHURCH: Changing the Way People See the Church, a new book by Jeffery Warren Scott suggests that the unchurched are not likely to be reached unless believers change the mental image of Christians embedded in the minds of the unchurched. Churches which are encouraging, joyful, and compassionate are more likely to reach and retain the unchurched.