"Unchurched" (alternatively, "The Unchurched" or "unchurched people") means, in the broad sense, people who are
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
but not connected with a
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Ch ...
. In research on religious participation, it refers more specifically to people who do not attend
worship service
A church service (or a service of worship) is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day ...
s. In this sense it differs slightly from the term '
nones Nones may refer to:
* ''Nones'' (Auden), a 1951 book of poems by W. H. Auden
* ''Nones'' (Berio), a 1954 orchestral composition by Luciano Berio
*Nones (calendar), or ''Nonae'', days of the Roman Calendar
*None (liturgy), the ninth hour of the trad ...
' which denotes an absence of affiliation with a religion and not an absence of attendance at religious services. The
Barna Group defines the term to mean "an adult (18 or older) who has not attended a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
church service within the past six months" excluding special services such as
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
,
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
,
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage ...
s or
funerals. Barna reports that there were 75 million "unchurched people" in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
as of 2004. Throughout history the word "unchurched" was a derogatory reference to people lacking access to culture or education or referred to inappropriate, improper or impolite behavior. It is no longer used this way.
Edward L. Ericson, a former member of the Joint Washington Office for Social Concerns, defines "unchurched" as anyone who refuses to join a religious organization "out of principle".
See also
*
Church attendance
Church attendance is a central religious practice for many Christians; some Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Church require church attendance on the Lord's Day (Sunday); the Westminster Confession of Faith is held by the Reformed ...
*
Nominal Christian
The evangelical Lausanne Movement defines a nominal Christian as "a person who has not responded in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and Lord"... e"may be a practising or non-practising church member. He may give intelle ...
*
Unchurched Belt
References
Christian terminology
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