Keep me praising ’til the break of day: an examination of the worship experiences of churchgoers in England

Abstract

Decline in church attendance in England is well documented, though explanations vary. One explanation is that worship services themselves may be unattractive; even when Christian belief (of some kind) continues, there is no perceived need to express this through worship. Religious experiences of former attenders are not easily accessible; here the focus is on the religious experience in worship of those currently attending church services. Religious experience is considered in terms of three types of personal, religious and contextual characteristics. There are five key findings: the quality of worship experience is directly related to a sense of belonging; compared to United Reformed and Methodist congregations, Anglican churches provide an exciting and spirit‐filled experience; Salvationists tend to have a more positive experience of worship than others—but are also more likely to be bored; some positive experiences are more likely for people who rarely attend than for monthly or frequent attenders; finally, those new to a congregation are substantially more likely than others to have positive experiences.