Faux Show

You may be surprised to know that in the earliest period of American History, about 17 percent of colonial citizens were active in churches. Between 1776 and 1850 church participation jumped from 17 percent to 34 percent and Church attendance peaked in the early 1960s. (Martin Marty, "Church Attendance Wasn't Always Robust in Past"; Nov 7, 2012; Sighting, Univ of Chicago).

So, things have been much worse BUT what's especially troubling in our moment is the precipitous drop. The numbers in our society were falling before the pandemic but now we have to talk about the unchurched AND the dechurched – people who have left the Christian Church during the pandemic and have not returned.

So, let's talk about the elephant NOT in the room:

1. Unchurched and Dechurched
2. Peccatus Interruptus
3. Authentic Simplicity