Much has been written about the declining roles of religious institutions in American life. Worship schedules compete with soccer games. Endless debate revolves around public display of religious symbols. Celebrities and pop culture have a wider and deeper influence than ever before. By most accounts, only 20 percent of Americans attend religious services on a regular basis. Apathy and irrelevance have led some to proclaim that religion is dead—or at least in need of life support.

Spirituality, however, is in cultural vogue. Enthusiasts borrow from a variety of faith traditions, picking and choosing those practices that are right for them. Perhaps this reflects our consumer-pleasing culture—we expect to get something out of our participation in a religious organization. If it is not meeting our needs, there is always the option is to seek fulfillment elsewhere, and not necessarily in a church, synagogue or mosque.

The popularity of cultural spirituality instead of faith-based practice may also be related to the decline of religious observance as a cultural norm. Many Americans are unaffiliated with any religious tradition, yet believe themselves to be spiritual. While most agree that old religious structures are breaking down, there is no clear picture of what is or should be replacing them. There are lots of options available. This is good news if religious institutions can adapt to accommodate the spiritual needs and biases of today’s unaffiliated seekers. Unfortunately, it is bad news if they can’t differentiate themselves or compete with newer, innovative efforts.

Cultural trends have changed expectations that members and newcomers bring to religious organizations. Our entertainment-saturated culture expects worship to be uplifting, entertaining and worth our time. From experience with our technical capabilities at home and at the work, we expect communication with congregational staff to be immediate through Web sites and e-mail.

One thing is obvious: The practice of religion has changed dramatically over the past generation. This change has been uneven between and within faith traditions. What has emerged are opportunities for reengagement in religious life and for doing things in a new way.