Dr. Joel Thiessen talks about people who claim to be Christian... but only show up in church for religious holidays and rites of  passage.

Between 40 and 50% of those who identify as Christian attend religious services mainly for religious holidays and rites of passage. They show up every Christmas. They show up every Easter. They baptize their children. They want to get married in a church, but they don't attend any other time of the year. Click the green play button to listen to Dr. Joel Thiessen: Dr. Thiessen identifies three reasons they do show up occasionally in church:

Tradition — Tradition is a powerful anchor that guides our behavior.

Family — Much like sitting around the dinner table, attending a religious service brings back the family memories.

Sacred Space — feeling closer to God in a church.

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Dr. Joel Thiessen shares his insights about what makes congregations thrive.

Joel is the Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University in Calgary.

In this episode Dr. Joel Thiessen outlines five growth enhancers that are emerging in his study of "flourishing congregations".

1. Congregations that have a clear self-identity. They know who they are, they know what it is they're trying to do, and where they're going.
2. They have a committed leadership. They equip and empower leaders, they have leaders who stick around for the long haul, and leadership is a central part of how and why congregations flourish.
3. They have a desire to grow numerically, but they also desire to grow spiritually and organizationally. They measure. They count. They are accountable in various ways for the kinds of things they're doing at a congregational level.
4. They are a hospitable community. These are places that receive people well, that are warm places that people feel...