When traveling to church, most people have company, but a significant number say they make the trip alone.
A new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found 1 in 5 Protestant churchgoers (19%) say they typically travel to church alone.
Most travel to church with their spouse (54%), while close to a third say their child or children ride with them (31%).
Fewer say they typically travel to church with another family member besides their child or grandchild (18%) or a friend or acquaintance (11%).
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
A small percentage say they travel with a grandchild (4%) or someone from their church who lacks transportation (3%).
"Many weeks, it's hard enough for attendees to get themselves to church, so it's not surprising few are stopping to pick up a neighbor," said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.
"The reality is, if every Christian driving or riding to church this week used the extra vehicle seats around them to bring other people, churches would likely not be able to contain the crowds."
Men (64%) are more likely than women (46%) to say they travel to church with their spouse, which indicates wives are more likely to go to church without their husbands than vice versa.
Women (36%) are also more likely than men (24%) to say their children travel with them to church.
African American churchgoers are the least likely to say they travel to church with their spouse (31%) but are more likely than white churchgoers to say they go to church with their children (40% to 24%).
African Americans (16%) are also twice as likely as white churchgoers (8%) to say they travel to church with a friend.
Younger churchgoers (22%) are the most likely to say they typically go to church with a friend.
Protestant churchgoers 50 and older (23%) are more likely than those 18 to 34 (13%) to say they attend church alone.
Childhood Church Trips
For three-fourths of current Protestant churchgoers (76%), a parent typically took them to church as a child.
One in 5 (20%) say they went with a grandparent, while 1 in 10 (10%) say it was another family member.
Few churchgoers say they went alone (6%), with a family friend their age (5%), rode a church bus (5%), or went with someone they knew primarily from church (4%).
Among those regular church attenders today, 6% say they did not typically attend church as a child.
"The legacy of grandparents taking their grandkids to church has been impressive," said McConnell. "Yet today far fewer churchgoers are taking grandkids with them—even when looking only at older attendees."
African Americans are more likely to say they were taken to church as a child by a grandparent (32%) or another family member (20%).
Regular Protestant church attenders in the West (11%) are more likely to say they typically did not attend church as a child than those in the South (4%). 
Aaron Earls is a writer for LifeWay Christian Resources.
For the original article, visit lifeway.com.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.
