At the heart of why any church exists is to glorify God and to share God as revealed in Jesus Christ; thus worship is at the center of the congregation’s life. The church, of course, is more than worship, but without vital worship attendance, it is unlikely that members are growing and new disciples are being brought to faith. Worship attendance is also the one factor where improvement tends to help every other aspect of the church’s ministry.

There is another reason for focusing on worship attendance. After relatively strong attendance in the 1990s and a rise in attendance for five Sundays after the tragedy of Sept 11, 2001, attendance has been more likely to decrease instead of increase for most U.S. churches since 2002.

Churches that grow connect people with God, and compelling and inspiring worship is a primary means of connection.