Oh crap I double posted. write on this one please  as it has my errors corrected and could someone report the other one so it gets removed? Thanks.

I'm almost always the youngest at 32 and the next youngest are peole in their sixies. 

At 73 I'm seldom the youngest.  Actually at my church it would depend upon the group - Bible Conversations is a small group mainly 60's and 70's, with one 90 year old

- Writers' Group:  early 50's to 80's

- Book Club:  early 50's to 80's  

- Church Council:  probably 20's to 60's  (with me probably the oldest)

- Committees - mainly 50's and 60's

- Choir - early 20s on up

- Social gatherings - all ages; some from infants to great-grandparents, others from young adults on up

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Mine is similar to what Seeler is reporting although our Board members tend to be older as well. A few younger folks are found in the choir. 

The churches I go to, both UU and UCCan, have children and youth, then a big hole around the twentysomethings, then the parents of said children and youth who are in their 30s and 40s. At 48 I am rarely the youngest adult at church events but I've come close at times.

Mendalla

Those experiences reflect the numbers, that a decline in church attendance started in the 60's and 70's took hold with Generation X, and really accelerated with the Millenials.

There will be regional and denominational outliers, but in general, that's what the studies are concluding.

Source: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/

Even though this is an American study, I like this chart because it's asking the same people over time - by generation, not age. So, we see that the Silent Generation has stuck with religion through the last 7 years. Everyone else is abandoning their religion. The Millenials, who were the least religious generation to start with, are still leaving their religions. The Boomers are actually leaving religion at a faster rate than any other generation. Religion isn't gaining ground with any generation.

And we know that in Canada, we're ahead of the curve compared to the U.S. in decline of the religiously affiliated.

All of this is saying exactly what people are saying here: Church is largely dominated by people in their 60s and over. Sometimes I see people who are almost mad at the older members for maybe holding on to power for too long, or keeping things stodgy, or similar complaints. From the perspective of an older member, you have to wonder that they're concerned that the new ways of doing things are leading to the declines.

I like to see the declining religiousity of Canada, but I think the UCCan occupies that important middle ground, with one foot generally in each of Christianity and reason. I wish I had an answer for you guys. Without you guys, everything gets more polarized.

....and just now, a JW came to my door. Nice young man. It's a pity he's a member of a cult.

For the record-I'm also the youngest on oour church board.

It just really hit me last night that what we are offering isn't what my age and younger are seeking/needing.

There are several young people (20s) in our congregation, but I am the only one who is there with any regularity.  Those who don't attend often are the kids of long-time, active members.

I'm also the youngest (at 29) on many committees, Council, and in the choir (except in Lent and Advent when we have guest artists join us from the university).  There are several families with parents in their late-thirties, but no singles and no young (-ish) couples without kids.

A lot of our membership is now in long term care facilities which makes attendance challenging.  Those that do attend are very varied from late-40s to late-90s.

At 50 i am well above the median age on Sunday due to large number of children. for events during the week I am often the oldest, and if not than I am only 5 years from being the oldest.
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i suspect that is because so many of our members including I, come from the downtown of Ottawa and other areas where the United Church excludes by policy many groups (i.e LGBT) or by practice, exclude (students, children,) so by default we have a large Sunday School, and many young adults / parents. I am sure we would have even more children, but for those without cars it is difficult to bus have way accross the city. our church use to be downtown, but moved 6 years ago, when our building became too expensive to fix, we asked to share or merge with other UCC, but the fact we includel LGBT and had many kids bothered the other UCC in Ottawa. .
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While it is very obvious in Ottawa that having an open membrship policy is healthy, i wonder about elsewhere. For example Tabitha, did your UcC become Affirming, or does it do nothing, or does it actually refuse to provide services like weddings to LGBT. does it have a Sunday School, or do people say there is no nead since there are no children. (like they say about people who use wheelchair, "no one comes in a chair, so there is no reason to meet in an accessible place, thus no one who uses a chair will come)
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Young adults were raised in schools that taught them it was wrong to exclude based on ability, sexual orientation, or age. Why would they attend a church that did. Any more than those in our generation would attend a whites only church?

As I look at the attendance of those who were present at our annual meeting on Sunday the demographics approximately break down as:

  3 = Under 30

  1 = between 30 and 50

12 = between 50 and 65

15 = between 65 and 75

12 = over 75

These numbers reflect why we are a dying church.

Ours might be similar, Beloved. 

Do your churches do anything to appeal to younger people, or do they do things to repell them, ( like bad organ music, or being heterosexual supremests

Hi...

We had a remarkable service on Annual meeting Sunday. It was led by the children and youth of the congregation. A remarkable demonstration of young minds ready to play a part in the congregation's life and work.

I scanned the room and noticed something wonderful. The whole spectrum of ages was represented with a fairly even distribution. The core community is aged between 45 and 65, with almost of all in this age group active in promoting the mission of the congregation. The very youngest person in the room was still in the womb.

George

i guess its good to have congregations that are older because...

older = more experienced

so embrace your seasoning, folks :3

and chansen, only 1 JW?  i thought they travelled in twos?  i bet the young man's feet were tres muddy...

Good point. I didn't look at his shoes.

I too was visited by a JW a couple of days ago.  She's got to be at least eighty - she was alone - wanted to invite me to a lecture about Jesus' death - ithey are running out of adherents I think - or it is fluke that I never see a young one knocking on doors. 

That's right, he invited me to a memorial for Jesus' death. I told him I didn't believe in the slightest, but that's it. It wasn't worth it to argue. I didn't feel like making him cry.

I was chatting on the phone with my SIL when my hubby answered the door last night.  I could hear him chatting to a lady.  A few minutes later he came and placed a pamphlet on my lap . . . I'm invited too, chansen.

I got my invitation too! - to the annual memorial of Jesus' death. - delivered by a mom and her preteen son.

Memorial for Jesus' death? Don't most Christians just call that Good Friday?

Haven't seen the JWs around in a while. Time to lock my doors and let the tarantulas out to play.

Mendalla

The JW's in my neighbourhood have a Kingdom Hall on a busy downtown street nearby. Surprisingly, there are quite a few people coming and going from there. A few older people, but many look about 30 and under. I don't know how many other Kingdom Halls there are in this city. It's like a storefront space with no windows. Right between a dayspa and a Japanese restaurant. They always have a table set up on the sidewalk in front with two people at it handing out pamphlets. I have to say, I've never gone into either of the businesses beside them because I'm usually hurrying by, don't really want to stop. Others seem to do the same. I stopped to talk to a man there once and he told me what he believes, I told him what I believe. He looked puzzled and had no idea what to say. He didn't know what metaphor meant, I remember that. We wished each other good day. Now if I see him as I pass by, he just smiles and nods. Actually, I've smiled. I think he just sort of nods, but he doesn't try to engage me anymore

Tabitha, most of our "liberal" or "progressive" boomers left. Some have started attending Unitarian or driving to other congregations but most just left. I think they were burnt out and frustrated by heel snapping. When 15 years after introducing inclusive language the old guard harps about it. It gets exhausting. Ditto affirm or other shifts.

Once they started to leave, then my generation did too partially through over burdening the next set of leaders partially due to the same frustrations

Then, the organization's structure was too big to be supported and vicious cycle continued

There are those trying new things but the heel biters still have power and so until that group dies off that wants and expects christiandom,i don't see revival happening.