At least 2.3 million people leave the Church every year.

This IgniteAmerica Certified Statistic is based on the following research:

Number of people that leave the church every year:

2.5MM    Gallup Polls, 2017

2.5MM    Exodus: Why Americans are Leaving Religion, PRRI, 2016

1.7MM    General Social Survey, 2016

2.5MM    U.S Religious Landscape, Pew Research Center, 2014

Cultural Context:

Church attendance in America has been on the decline since the 1980s, for a wide variety of reasons, ranging from hurt and disappointments, to time pressures, loss of interest, alternative distractions, and lack of conviction regarding church attendance. As a result, more than 4,000 churches close their doors every year.

With the predominance of our culture being anti-Christian, and Sunday church attendance being viewed as archaic, regular church attendance is now outside the norm of social practice. In fact, 50% of our population considers themselves to be Christian while, rarely, if ever, attending church . . . redefining what the world sees as being a Christian.

And the ongoing prognosis is not encouraging. Of the 20% of our population who still go to church on a regular basis, less than half are saved. With the end of service, altar calls going out of vogue, worship becoming entertainment, and most messages focused on making people feel good, rather than feeling convicted, little is being done to change church decline by changing lives.

There is an antidote! Church attenders need to be reminded that when they live under the admonition of the Great Commission, their faith will be ignited. Isaiah 43:10 tells us, I’ve appointed you as my witnesses so that you might believe. When you live for His purpose, to seek and save the lost, everything in your life has a purpose, including your prayer life and Bible study. Completely reversing the trend, your church attendance goes up and you’ll bring people with you. That’s why Ephesians 4:11 tells us, the role of the pastor is to equip the saints for ministry.

Scriptures:

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His Return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Romans 12:4

Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:19-21

The man who worships on a special day does it to honor the Lord . . . In this way, he honors the Lord. He gives thanks to God also.No one lives for himself alone.
Romans 14:6-7

(The Great Commission) Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.
Mark 16:15

As the Father has sent me, so send I you.
John 20:21

And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8

All things work together for good when you love God and live for His Purpose (to seek and save the lost).
Romans 8:28