A study in numerical decline

I live tweeted the presentation that Kirk Hadaway, director of research for the Episcopal Church, made to the Episcopal Church Building Fund conference, Buildings for a New Tomorrow, this morning. You can find it at https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23bldgfund

Posted by Jim Naughton on April 16, 2012 10:48 AM | |
Comments (4)

Can you summarize what you learned? I see buildings need to be multi-purpose and there are loans for helping churches move into the future of this. What else?

Posted by Ann Fontaine [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 16, 2012 11:52 PM

In 1950, 42% of American households were made up of married couples with children under 18; now it is only 20%. Conversely, in 1950 10% of households were made up of persons living by themselves; now 27% of households contain one person. What are churches doing to reach this large and fast growing group of people?

Posted by Laurel Cornell [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 17, 2012 10:01 AM

Laurel, from what I can see, not much as far as inviting singles into the community. Churches are seen as places for families and are often not very inviting for singles. Larger churches may have outreach to them,but the smaller churches have trouble attracting them, or keeping them after they graduate from college groups. Our church has programs for helping marriages and recovery from divorce, but nothing for those never married and most of the divorced drift away after the program finishes, until/unless they get married again. College students are often left to the university chaplain/group leader and not a part of the regular church.
Chris Harwood

Posted by Chris H. [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 17, 2012 2:56 PM

That's too bad! I wonder how it came to be that way --- that churches are associated only with families. There are single people in every age group, and it seems they might appreciate the sort of sociality churches traditionally provide. Too bad all around!

Posted by Laurel Cornell [TypeKey Profile Page] | April 18, 2012 9:03 AM

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