There is no doubt that the consumer society has clearly invaded church life. People worship where they feel at home and where they see their own and their family's needs being best met. There is not necessarily a highly developed concept of contributing to the life of the church to go with this. These motivations are easy to grasp and to fail to be sensitive to them is to miss the needs which individuals and families are facing. It does mean that the larger congregation is often better placed to meet such needs and this has profound and discouraging implications for the smaller church.
People drop in and out with alarming ease.
If a church is marred by long running tension, erratic attendances are a certainty. People simply tire of politics and usually quit quietly. Unresolved conflict is a nasty disincentive and few want to stay, let alone worship, in an environment which is felt to be hostile or unsettling. This occurs frequently where the leadership is seen to be dictatorial. The truth is that acceptance and friendship without the bickering can be found in other places.