For Tika Harlan, a junior general studies major, finding her spirituality was not a simple process.
The Christian church she attended while growing up in Mishawaka, Indiana, influenced her and provided a sense of community. But after the church switched pastors to someone who talked about beliefs Tika didn’t agree with, she realized the church might not be for her.
According to a 2014 survey by Pew Research Center, 36 percent of Americans said they attend religious services at least once a week or more. Another Pew Research survey from 2017 found 37 percent of U.S. adults who attend religious services only a few times or less each year say they practice their faiths in other ways, which is the most common answer for not attending services. Those who rarely or never attend religious services also tend to be younger than those who do attend.
Elizabeth Agnew, an associate professor of religious studies at Ball State University, says a variety of factors have led to changes in religious service attendance. For example, the internet has created virtual communities of people all around the world, so people can often find the support they would have looked for at church through virtual settings. Younger generations are also moving away from institutional affiliations and traditional places of worship.
Agnew says stances on issues such as sexuality have caused some in younger generations to move away from white Christian doctrines into other religions that might better align with their views.
“I think people, through the diversity within our culture—and much more recently the internet—have become much more readily exposed to other religious traditions,” Agnew says.
Tika is now the secretary of the Society of Earth-Based Religions (SER), a non-practicing discussion group at Ball State that covers a variety of topics affecting spirituality. Through the organization, Tika has met others who share similar experiences with organized religion.
Becca Christopher, SER treasurer and sophomore animation major, grew up in Remington, Indiana. Becca had always wanted to have some kind of religious aspect in their life but felt their Christian upbringing in a small town didn’t reflect their own morality.
Becca now practices paganism and considers themselves a spiritual person. While they believe some of the stereotypes against Christianity are unfair, they didn’t want to be associated with the religion. They also feel that “very organized religion” is cookie-cutter.
Becca says discovering SER made them realize the variety of options for religious practices, and they appreciate the spiritual community they’ve found.
“Maybe they don’t have the exact same view as you, but they’re going to be more tolerant than people you’ve had experience with in the past,” Becca says.
Tika and Becca both believe people who don’t attend religious services might want to connect with God on a more personal level, experiencing faith in their own ways.
“Religion and spirituality is a very personal thing,” Becca says. “It’s nice to share it with other people, but it’s also nice to have that personal connection to it.”
James Ramsey, SER members advocate and sophomore history and Japanese major, says he feels the decline in attendance at religious services could result from branching out and learning about different religions.
“I think it’s just natural for people to want to find people like them, especially with something so deep and personal as your spirituality,” James says.
Among organizations that still align with traditional Christianity, some are trying out ways to appeal more to the community aspect individuals are often looking for.
Neil Kring is one of the pastors of The Revolution, a campus-focused community church in Muncie that holds Sunday morning services on Ball State’s campus. Kring says The Revolution has also organized house churches throughout the week, where around 20 to 30 people gather for a casual service in someone’s home.
“The house churches serve a purpose of more focused, intimate connection,” Kring says. “It’s really hard to get to know 250 people. It’s a little bit easier to get to know 30 people.”
House churches are an example of finding meaning in a way that is driven more by individuals and communities, rather than by institutions, Agnew says.
“We all have needs for meaning,” she says. “We all have needs for community.”
