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Gary McIntosh and Charles Arn wrote a deeply insightful book several years ago titled What Every Pastor Should Know . As someone who values both research and real-life church application, I find the data in this book incredibly helpful. One of the most eye-opening sections focuses on church member retention — and the patterns behind why people drop out. The findings are not only illuminating; they’re actionable.

Two key discoveries from their research stand out:

82% of church members who drop out leave within the first year of joining.

Dropouts are not random. Most leave around the six-month or twelve-month mark.

In essence, new members seem to give the church a “trial run,” or what McIntosh and Arn call a “test,” at two major intervals — six months and twelve mon

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