“Worship is like going to a mall,” Millard said. “There are all kinds of stores. Some people like specialty shops. Some like department stores. When you have variety, people can go where they like.”

It’s the conundrum of mainline Protestant denominations with declining memberships and shrinking budgets are desperate to solve: How to stem the decades-long losses and attract new worshippers.

The United Methodist Church, the third largest denomination in the country, thinks it could be closer to finding the answer. It commissioned an ambitious survey of nearly all its 33,000 U.S. churches to find out what its growing memberships are doing to keep congregations thriving.

Of those churches, the four key factors of vitality stood out as “crystal clear findings that are actionable,” according to the survey:
· Small groups and programs, such as Bible study and activities geared toward youth.
· An active lay leadership.
· Inspirational pastors who have served lengthy tenures at churches.
· A mix of traditional and contemporary worship services.

One of the successful churches is St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, which has seen its membership steadily grow over the years to nearly 6,200.

The church’s senior pastor, the Rev. Kent Millard, said it has offered both traditional and contemporary worship services for years. At a contemporary service, congregants kick back with doughnuts and coffee, a live band plays music and clips from Hollywood movies are shown to illustrate Gospel messages.

Religious scholars say the exhaustive survey is likely the first of its kind to try solving problems that for years have plagued mainline Protestant denominations like the Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Episcopalians.