The majority of Americans do not attend church during Christmastime, but over half say they would attend a Christmas service if invited by someone they know, according to a report from Lifeway Research.
Released Dec. 3, Lifeway’s study “American Views on Attending Church at Christmastime” analyzed Americans’ typical Christmastime attendance, people’s motives for attending and the likelihood that those who typically do not attend would do so if invited by someone they know.
Researchers found that, overall, 47% of Americans typically attend church during Christmastime, while 48% said they do not. Another 5% said they weren’t sure.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said that the reasons for attendance vary among those who come to church at Christmastime.
“While church services draw more people in the Christmas season, their prime motivation isn’t unified,” McConnell said in the article connected to the report’s release. “The majority are drawn to celebrate the birth of Jesus, honoring Him as the Christ or promised Messiah. But others mostly join in because of the importance of family, their embrace of Christmas church tradition or to jumpstart Christmas vibes.”
Of the responders who attend church during Christmas, 60% stated they attend “to honor Jesus” while 16% stated it was “to observe tradition,” 15% attend “to be with family members and friends” and 8% “to get in the Christmas spirit.”
Family members and friends appear to influence those who typically do not attend church during Christmastime. Out of gender, age, ethnicity, region, education level, religion and evangelical beliefs, the religiously unaffiliated (42%) is the group most likely to attend church “to be with family members and friends.” Of those who don’t typically attend church at Christmastime, 56% stated they would be likely to attend if invited by someone they know.
The relationship between Christmas and loved ones is not new. A 2022 survey conducted by Statista showed that among those excited about Christmas, about 70% said that family and friends were the reason behind their excitement.
McConnell acknowledges the influence of attenders’ church invites to friends and family over Christmas.
“More than 1 in 8 Americans are convinced they would not attend a Christmas service if an acquaintance invited them,” McConnell said. “However, the majority of Americans who do not typically attend church at Christmastime say they probably would if they were invited by someone they know.”
McConnell encourages believers not to rely on positive outcomes as the motivation to invite loved ones to church. Rather, he reminds believers that the Good News itself should be sufficient to motivate believers to share the Gospel and invite nonbelievers to church.
“A different motivation in the chorus of an African American spiritual appeals to everybody: ‘Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born,’” McConnell said. “This chorus suggests that the Hallelujah-inspiring Good News of Jesus being born is reason enough to tell it on the mountain or on the city wall.”
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