I recently came upon a blog, lettersfromleavers.com, which is a compilation of letters from ex-churchgoers on why they left the church. I thought it was a very interesting concept, especially for an organization like the church who’s main goal is recruit members. It’s an invaluable research tool that gives them information on exactly why their members are leaving, and thus shows them how they can stem the tide.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all organizations had a resource like this at their disposal? Usually when someone quits a job, or decides not to renew membership in an organization, he or she may be asked to give a reason why. However in many cases the individual may not give the whole truth, or they may choose not to give a reason at all. But if somehow this information became available, think of how this could change not only the rate of member turnover for an organization, but also the quality of an employee’s work environment, and the amount of money spent on new-hire training.
Lettersfromleavers.com. A simple concept with the potential to have a far-reaching effect.
(Credit to Good Girl Lit for introducing me to lettersfromleavers.com.)
Author Rhonda Bowen 
Thanks for linking to the site. Your comments are appreciated!
Tim
LFL
Wow, Rhonda. This is really interesting. And, you make such great points about how useful this website is for many churches. However, I don’t think the letters will be looked at from that perspective.
As someone with Christian minister parents who grew up going to church every Sunday, I know there have been other similar resources available that could have been incredibly useful in understanding why people turn away from the church.
But, the response is often, “We don’t like this site, so we are going to ignore it.” Or, “Let’s draft a boring, standard letter that we can all print off, sign and send to someone we think can do something about it.”
Am I cynical of the church? Absolutely not. Are there churches taking a more proactive approach to community outreach? Absolutely. I just think there are too many not thinking about the church in anything but a religious standpoint. And, they can learn a lot from those churches that sometimes act as more than a house of God.
and,they can learn a lot from those churches……. .Like What can they learn.?