• Downtown and central city congregations are more likely to decline than all other areas (26% are declining), followed by towns and small cities (23%) and rural areas (21%).
• Least likely to grow rapidly are predominantly white,  non-Hispanic congregations.
  • Among these congregations, only 31% experienced the highest level of growth from 2000 to 2005.
• Congregations where older adults (over age 60) comprise 20% or less of active adult participants are most likely to grow.
  • Congregations in which more than 40% of their regular participants are over 60 are very unlikely to grow. 
• 18% of mainline churches claim to be liberal, 25% are right in the middle, 32% are somewhat conservative and 25% are predominantly conservative.
• 12% of congregations have three services and 11% have four or more on a typical weekend.

The "revolution" has recently become big news—many committed believers are rethinking (or leaving) the established church for alternative forms of church and/or community.

• The term, "revolution," popularized by George Barna in the book by the same name, describes many trends, but the main focus is on the move to non-traditional expressions of church (marketplace faith communities, house churches, arts, etc.).
• Rabbi Gellman (who has some positive things to say about evangelicals in general), wrote about the move away from traditional, organized church in Newsweek as one of the top religious trends for 2006. (His excellent article is here.) Though this trend has not yet been noticed by many in the evangelical church, it is growing in prominence and reputation.

• According to the College Transition Project, 68 percent of those interviewed said it is "very true" or "completely true" they go to youth group because they like their youth pastor.
  • The second most popular reason was "I learn about God there," which was followed by 58 percent who said "It's fun."
  • Other reasons listed as "very true" or "completely true" by at least 50 percent of the students included "I feel comfortable there," "I've always gone to church/youth group," "It's a place where I can learn to serve," and "It feels like a real community."
  • The least likely reason students listed was that their parents make them go or that they feel guilty if they don't go.