A little difficult to estimate because different functions attract differing demographics.

This is a large United Methodist church in a university town that also has a strong Wesley Foundation and 6 other UMC churches. At a traditional 11:00 service, we probably have 100-200+ college students.

Very active high school age youth group, strong Sunday school for younger kids. Don't see that many youth at main services except in one of three youth choirs.

Fairly strong at all age groups and interests. I think this is fairly typical for UMC in NC. Seems true for many smaller churches I know, limited by population trends by locale.

not as large a population. They are attempting to build a strong Wesley Foundation on campus, offering activities numerous times weekly. The youth groups and the children's groups are big draws here too.

I wouldn't say the majority are under 35 but I would say that they are under 45. Families are joining our church regularly and there is quite a bit of growth.

We're a small Presby church in a historic area. I think our whole congregation numbers in the 160s.

unless by "historic area" you mean somewhere urban.

mainly white area (Historic New Castle, DE). Probably the age groups we're missing the most is the 50-65 yr old group and the teens.

40, I would get lumped in with the "younger" crowd at this point. Most of the congregation in our tiny UCC church are seniors.)

I am at a church where the new rector managed, through sheer ineptitude, kill off a thriving children's program. There was a subsequent large drop-off in both membership and pledges, dropping the operating budget by about a third. This rector is a brilliant preacher, but has no concept of church leadership or management.

We have a young child and are about to re-locate to another church because of the lack of services.

Most of the mainline denominations are declining in total numbers, and the average age is rising. Without young families brought into the church, the church will age itself out of existence.

of growing it's children's/youth program within the past few years. Ten years ago there was next to nothing, now there are activities almost every night of the week for kids.

With the growth of the program there have been a number of new families joining the congregation. I chose the church for that reason-the children's/youth programs. Without them we would have found a different church home.

There's a very active 20s-30s group.

I have gone to younger, "hipper" churches in the past... Of course, I was younger then.... Now those churches don't work for me as well. It's not as much about the age of the people as it is the message (which is probably a reflection of the congregation).

I'll admit the sermons at mine can be kind of young adult-oriented but there's usually something for everyone, and since they don't follow a lectionary like more traditional churches the speaker can talk about whatever they want, meaning more freedom in topics and personal insight. But I imagine many aren't too fond of the "college lecture" style of sermon, complete with people taking notes from the PowerPoint slides.

The hazard is that the preacher will just talk about his pet topics and not cover the whole of Christianity.

That's where you get your preachers who harp on abortion, gay issues, and patriotic militarism.

(I know your minister doesn't do that, but it's a real hazard, especially if you have a theologically unsophisticated congregation.)

In a church that follows the Common Lectionary (mostly Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran), today's Epistle reading was from Acts, the episode in which Philip meets the Ethiopian eunuch. Now neither non-Jews nor eunuchs were not allowed to enter the temple, but God tells Philip to go talk him. He turns out to be trying to understand a passage from Isaiah, which Philip explains for him. The eunuch then asks to be baptized.

That story would be a real challenge for someone who is against sexual minorities. It's one of the stories in Acts that breaks traditional taboos.

Even if the preacher chooses to preach on one of the other lessons instead, the congregation still hears it.

The Common Lectionary takes you through all four Gospels over a period of three years.