This article employs a most-similar case study of two congregations in order to explore the organizational features of congregations that impact religious participation. The congregations were as similar as possible in terms of theology, organizational history, denominational affiliation, market location, and adherent demographics. However, they differed in one key aspect: one was thriving and the other declining. Two key organizational features emerged through field research and subsequent analysis: differential provision of selective incentives and variation in emotional energy through the use of rituals. These findings are considered both for what they add to the understanding of religious participation in Mainline Protestant congregations, as well as a possible way forward to integrating approaches to religious participation that have differing micro-foundations.
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