Apr 01 2025 60 mins
In this episode of Idaho Pulse, Bob Neugebauer explores the state of religion in America with Pastor Matt Henry of Friendship Celebration Church in Meridian. They discuss the historical trends in religious participation, noting how church attendance has steadily declined from the high point of the 1950s, when 60% of society claimed Christian identity, dropping to 40% among Boomers, 20% for Generation X, and just 10% for Millennials. Pastor Henry attributes this decline to two major shifts: the transition from modern to postmodern thinking and the breakdown of family structure in society.
The conversation examines how the Church has moved from being a “cultural insider” with central influence in society to a “cultural outsider” operating from the margins. Pastor Henry suggests this shift isn’t necessarily negative, as the Church has historically been most effective when functioning as a minority voice. He explains that the Church experienced an identity crisis when it began taking over parental responsibilities for spiritual formation, effectively outsourcing this core family function to religious institutions. Now, he believes, there’s a movement back toward recognizing that faith needs to be integrated into daily family life rather than compartmentalized to Sunday services.
Both men discuss how politics has become increasingly intertwined with religious identity, with Pastor Henry observing that “it used to be that your faith determined your politics, but now it’s so polarized that your politics determines your faith.” They express concern about how COVID-19 accelerated disconnection from religious communities, though Pastor Henry sees hopeful signs in younger generations who are spiritually open and seeking authentic relationships. The conversation concludes with reflections on discipleship versus mere church membership, with Pastor Henry emphasizing that true discipleship happens in small, intimate community settings rather than large institutional contexts.
Chapters
Chapter 1: Historical Trends in Religious Participation (1:41-5:12)
Bob Neugebauer provides a historical overview of religion in America from the 1950s to present day, noting periods of revival and decline. Pastor Matt Henry shares statistics showing the generational decline in religious participation: from 60% among older generations to 40% for Boomers, 20% for Gen X, and only 10% for Millennials, demonstrating a clear downward trend in religious affiliation.
Chapter 2: Modern vs. Postmodern Thinking (5:12-9:48)
Pastor Henry explains the fundamental difference between modern thinking (based on objective, foundational truth) and postmodern thinking (subjective, individualistic truth). They discuss how the removal of religion from schools in 1962 marked a turning point, with modernism representing standardization and structure, while postmodernism embraces a “cafeteria approach” to truth where individuals pick and choose what feels right to them.
Chapter 3: The Church’s Shifting Position in Society (9:48-16:07)
The conversation explores how younger generations distrust institutions, including churches, due to perceived hypocrisy and marketing saturation. Pastor Henry explains how the Church has moved from being a “cultural insider” with significant influence to a “cultural outsider” operating from the margins of society, which he suggests may actually position the Church to be more effective in its true mission.
Chapter 4: Politics and Religion (16:07-20:01)
Bob raises the topic of how political divides have affected religious participation, with Pastor Henry noting that “it used to be that your faith determined your politics, but now your politics determines your faith.” They discuss how some churches have “abdicated the authority of Scripture” to follow cultural and political winds, while the truth of God’s word remains unchanged despite societal shifts.
Chapter 5: COVID’s Impact on Religious Communities (20:01-25:11)
Pastor Henry reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected church attendance, revealing the importance of physical gathering for faith communities. He uses the metaphor of coals that cool when removed from fire to describe how some people fell away from their faith communities during isolation, while others realized the irreplaceable value of in-person worship and connection.
Chapter 6: Family and Community in Faith Formation (25:11-32:36)
The discussion turns to how religion was historically central to American identity and values. Pastor Henry explains how the Church’s identity crisis led it to take over spiritual formation responsibilities from parents, effectively “outsourcing” this core family function to religious institutions. He argues for returning spiritual formation to families while churches serve as support systems rather than replacement structures.
Chapter 7: Educational Choices and Worldviews (32:36-39:30)
Bob and Pastor Henry discuss the contrast between children educated in religious schools versus public education, noting differences in behavior and worldview. Pastor Henry explains how worldview fundamentally shapes how we view humanity, with the Christian perspective affirming inherent worth in all people versus more materialistic perspectives. They discuss the preschool at Friendship Celebration Church and plans to expand to kindergarten.
Chapter 8: Discipleship vs. Membership (39:30-45:19)
The final segment explores Pastor Henry’s vision for the Church moving from a “membership paradigm” to a “discipleship paradigm.” He explains that membership focuses on connection to an institution, while discipleship centers on following Jesus in authentic relationship with others. They discuss how small, relational connections rather than large institutional programs are where true discipleship happens, with Pastor Henry emphasizing that “Jesus didn’t disciple the crowds; he discipled the twelve.”