Unlike most data about church attendance that relies on self-reported responses to survey questions, a new working paper by Devin G. Pope relies on cell phone data. And, amazingly, finds that “73% of people step into a religious place of worship at least once during the year on the primary day of worship (e.g. Sundays for most Christian churches)”
Exploring the 73%
It is astonishing that more than 7 in 10 Americans physically show up in houses of worship at least once a year. It is even more incredible to recognize that this number only considers showing up in those spaces on the given tradition’s primary day of worship. It means that many of these experiences likely include worship or at least be around a worshipping community.
Importantly these findings came from cell phone data. More specifically, Pope relied on geolocation data from Veraset, a company that provides geospatial data for millions of U.S. cellphones. Notably, this survey occurred just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic so is unable to address any pandemic related changes in behavior.
Weekly Attenders
Most surveys about the frequency of worship attendance rely on self-reported data. Put differently, researchers ask people about how often they attend worship services.
A smaller percentage of research about frequency of worship attendance has used time diary studies. This approach that relies on reviewing for the presence of data about attending worship from a larger data set of individual behavior has typically shown fewer people attending weekly.
And, now, Pope’s approach using cell phone data shows an even smaller number. He finds somewhere between 5% (using a strict guideline of only looking at attendance on a set day of week) to 9% (allowing for a visit on any day within a given week) attend on a weekly basis.
So What?
Pope finds more people than expected enter churches and other religious spaces on their primary day of worship than has typically been understood and he finds that fewer people attend on a weekly basis than what the numbers typically shared through research that relies on self-reported data.
Both findings have significant implications for pastors and other faith leaders.
Begin exploring what this might mean by answering the following questions (or identifying what you cannot answer and why):
- Do you know how many unique people come to your church or faith community campus at least once a year?
- How well does your congregation provide hospitality to all who visit your campus?
- What are the pathways and possibilities extended to newcomers for ongoing engagement (especially beyond worship)?
- Do you know what percentage of your primary worshipping day participants are weekly attenders?
- Do you know how much less (or greater) the above answer is vs 10 years ago? vs 25 years ago?
- How have shifts in how often folks attend informed the way you design worship and other faith programs?