@johnclint really interesting as I read into some of the source material and also compare to my personal experience.

It felt awkward walking around the neighborhood for Halloween this year with another neighborhood dad, who is pastor of a church...

He has seen church attendance never bounced back after covid.

Our church has grown over the last few years, we recently had to move to multiple services because we couldn't fit everyone in with just one.

A Roman Catholic friend bemoans not finding any church with young families like his.

Our church is 40% kids and youth, with more young families joining regularly.

We meet on Sunday mornings. In a church building. We have liturgy, though most didn't grow up with it. The Bible is taught. We have communion. All the stuff the npr article says is pushing people away...but our church keeps growing, as does the church we grew out of as a church plant less than a decade ago. Since then we've tripled in size, despite covid.

I'm not a scholar in this area, I just find it really interesting to see the difference.