A recent research showed that attending worship services caused positive feelings to the majority of churched adults in America.
In a study by Barna Research, titled "Encouraged, Disappointed, Connected - How Churchgoers Feel After Worship," the center gauged the emotions of U.S. adults after attending church, whether they feel encouraged, inspired, guilty or disappointed.
82% of practicing Christians, or those who identify as Christians and attended church within the past month, and 67% of churchgoers, Christians who have been in church for the last six months, said that they feel encouraged after attending worship services "most of the time."
78% of practicing Christians stated that they feel inspired "most of the time" while 65% of churched adults said so, after church attendance. Those who responded that they feel forgiven "most of the time" by joining services, comprised 77% of practicing Christians and 65% of churchgoers.
However, the survey also revealed that almost half of the churched adults feel disappointed after attending church.
42% of practicing Christians and 34% of churchgoers said they leave church feeling guilty "almost never." Those who replied that they feel it "sometimes" consisted of 29% Christians and 26% churched adults. 18% of churchgoers and 11% of practicing Christians responded that they feel guilty "about half the time."
62% of practicing Christians and 50% of churched adults said that they feel disappointed "almost never" after worship service attendance.
Further, the research stated that 77% of practicing Christians and 62% of churchgoers feel that they have connected with God "most of the time" after attending church services. Those who feel that they learned something new "most of the time" consisted of 71% practicing Christians and 59% of churched adults.
58% of churchgoers and 65% of practicing Christians said that attending worship services left them feeling like it was the most relevant experience they had for the week "most of the time." Those who responded that church attendance inspired them to change something in their lives are 55% churched adults and 62% practicing Christians.
The research is concerned that though most of practicing Christians and churchgoers expressed that attending church services encouraged them and enhanced their spiritual well-being, the gap between these groups is significant in numerous areas.
"Churched adults lag behind their more committed counterparts and are far less likely to say they feel connected to God or forgiven 'most of the time' following a church service," the survey added.
The study suggested that church leaders must have adequate understanding on how the churchgoers feel about attending services so that they will be able to apply appropriate approaches for people to better connect with God.
"As churches continue to adapt to digital and hybrid ministry, leaders should seek to understand how churchgoers feel after worship and strive to cultivate an environment that not only prompts fruitful feelings for attendees, but also offers opportunities for people to find a deeper connection with God," the study concluded.
Barna Research conducted the study on Dec. 5-18, 2019. Responses were gathered online, comprising of 1,606 American adults.
