Thanks for being a supporter of So What Faith – a site where matters of faith that matter are explored and where good questions are always more valuable than easy answers.
As a writer, I always wonder if anyone will read my words. For So What Faith, I’m able to answer that question thanks to Google Analytics.
Note: Google Analytics as I’ve always know it is coming to an end. Effective July 1, 2023 a new Google Analytics launches. Given this big change, I decided to run some mid-year reports and share with you what’s been most popular so far this year as well as what’s been most popular all time.
Most Popular Posts of 2023 – Published in 2023
This list is based on views between January 1, 2023 and June 26, 2023. The only posts eligible are those published in 2023 (n=39).
- PC(USA) Membership – 30 Years of Decline (January 2023)
- The Median Presbyterian (PCUSA) Congregation (January 2023)
- End of Presbyterianism: Farewell PC(USA)? (May 2023)
- A Story of Stoles: Discerning What Next (January 2023)
- Too Many Ministers in the United Church of Christ? (June 2023)
- Great New Books – April 2023 (April 2023)
- Officially a Member in Discernment (April 2023)
- Mainline Decline in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metro Area (March 2023)
- Star Word for 2023 (January 2023)
- Freeing Jesus – Small Group Opportunities & Resources (June 2023)
The distribution of top posts by months written is
- January: 4
- February: 0
- March: 1
- April: 2
- May: 1
- June: 2
Somehow my reflections on what’s happening in the Presbyterian Church (USA) commanded the top three spots even though I’ve written more about the United Church of Christ. And, while it is not at all surprising to see January top this list, I was intrigued to see two posts from this month appear.
Most Popular Posts of 2023 – Published Any Time
This list is based on views between January 1, 2023 and June 26, 2023. All posts are eligible (n=2,063).
- UCC Membership Decline: 2,193,593 to 773,539 (February 2022)
- Are 10,000 Churches Closing Every Year? (September 2019)
- The Only Major Denomination That Keeps Growing (December 2022)
- American Religion from 1970 to 2010 (February 2012)
- PC(USA) Membership Declines by 62% (April 2022)
- UCC Decline Enters 7th Decade (February 2020)
- Prayers of the People – Youth Sunday (October 2009)
- 6 Decades of Decline in the United Church of Christ (October 2018)
- PC(USA) Membership – 30 Years of Decline (January 2023)
- Volunteer Appreciation – Closing Prayer (April 2019)
The distribution of top posts by year written is (n=0 for all unlisted years)
- 2009: 1
- 2012: 1
- 2018: 1
- 2019: 2
- 2020: 1
- 2022: 3
- 2023: 1
8 of these 10 posts are about trends in church growth or decline and 2 are prayers.
8 of these 10 posts were written since 2018. Since I reached 1.150 posts in July 2013 when I finished 1,000 days of daily blogging, this means that recent content though smaller in total number of eligible posts has received significantly more views this year. And, since the majority of these views came through searches, it appears my recent content is of greater interest at present.
Most Popular Posts All Time – Published Any Time
This list is based on views since Google Analytics was added to the site in 2013 through June 26, 2023. All posts are eligible (n=2.063). Post rankings end with a number in parenthesis indicating rank order change since this list was last socialized in December 2022.
- Prayers of the People – Youth Sunday (2009) [unchanged]
- Are 10,000 Churches Closing Every Year? (2019) [+1]
- Pastoral Prayer – Love (2014) [-1]
- Review of Not a Fan (2011) [unchanged]
- 12 Marks of Convergence Christianity (2012) [unchanged]
- 6 Decades of Decline in the United Church of Christ (2018) [unchanged]
- My Visit to Next Level Church (2012) [unchanged]
- Sermon: Lost –> Found –> Party (2015) [unchanged]
- American Religion from 1970 to 2010 (2012) [+2]
- Reading the Whole Bible (2010) [-1]
- The Acceptable Year of the Lord – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2011) [unchanged]
- UCC Decline Enters 7th Decade (2020) [+1]
- Review of Good and Beautiful God (2011) [-1]
- Theology on Tap (2011) [unchanged]
- Top Church Websites (2012) [previously not in top 20]
- UCC Membership Decline: 2,193,593 to 773,539 (February 2022) [previously not in top 20]
- 5 Smooth Stones of Liberal Religion (2011) [-1]
- A Sensory Maundy Thursday Service (2014) [-4]
- Leaders Clear Obstacles (2015) [-1]
- Prayer of Invocation for Sunday, September 12 (2010) [-1]
The distribution of top posts by year written is (n=0 for all unlisted years)
- 2009: 1
- 2010: 2
- 2011: 5
- 2012: 4
- 2014: 2
- 2015: 2
- 2018: 1
- 2019: 1
- 2020: 1
- 2022: 1
5 posts are about shifts in American religious belonging, 5 focus on worship (3 prayers, 1 sermon, 1 sensory service), and 3 consider books.
80% of the posts (16 of 20) were written between 2009 and 2015. This makes sense given the amount of time the oldest content has been around and the popularity of blogging a decade ago when I first added Google Analytics to this site versus in more recent years. And, reviewing these statistics reminds me that I’ve been blogging for quite a long time.
So What?
I started this blog back when I was in full-time parish ministry. Much has changed in my ministry and in the world over the last 14 years. I have, however, written at least 50 posts a year every year and am on pace to write quite a few more than that in 2023 (for more on this and how I’ve approached blogging in recent years see Celebrating 11 Years of So What Faith, Celebrating 12 Years of So What Faith, and Celebrating So What Faith: 13 Years & 2,000+ Posts).