These changes in the institution of the family have been reflected to other institutions as well, as that of church. According to social researchers, religious participation has decreased over the years and young believers have considerably been shrinking in numbers over the last decade. Although the institution of church is the next most important institution after that of family, as it compiles some of the most important social values and accelerates the individual's socialization process, it has managed to loose its appeal. One of the most important advantages of the church is that it provides an important incubator for civic skills, civic norms, community interests, and civic recruitment. Religiously active men and women learn to give speeches, run meetings, manage disagreements, and bear administrative responsibility. In part for these reasons, churchgoers are substantially more likely to be involved in secular organizations, to vote and participate politically in other ways, and to have deeper informal social connections.

Although in a religious society like that of United States, the individual enjoys many advantages from his/her religious involvement, over the first two-thirds of the century, the latest research findings suggest that this is not anymore the truth. Contemporary citizens tend to judge negatively and suspect the intentions of the church clerics while sometimes they even denounce the church's efforts to improve social welfare. They interpret the role and practices of the church as that of a corporation that wants to exercise its power over its believers, in order to gain more power while focusing on increasing its revenues. Whilst criticizing the church intentions, the former church attendees are skipping Sunday service and the institution of church is loosing its "believers" who tend to receive and offer comfort and support through other institutions. Excused by their reduced leisure time, the profound changes in their social life and their willingness to survive in a global competitive environment, past churchgoers avoid their religious involvement. According to these, among other reasons, civic engagement has decreased over the years and believers tend to fulfill their need to get involved, socialize, perform, and provide help to those in need through alternative channels. In fact, as religious involvement is a crucial dimension of civic engagement, the observed trends in civic engagement are closely tied to changing patterns of religious involvement.