Our church is very traditional. We visit two churches which are very contemporary. I SO wish our church home had a contemporary service. The music and message speaks to me so much more clearly than the traditional service.

WHat is your church service like? And do you like one style of service better than another?

<small>[ May 29, 2006, 11:25 AM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]</small>

I love our church. It's very family-oriented, with lots of children attending every Sunday, and lots of senior citizens as well. It's a very lively and energetic congregation.

The minister (a long-time friend of mine - I actually used to babysit him when he was shorter than me!) is very dynamic, with a wonderful sense of humour and a passionate desire to make sure everyone in the congregation feels at home at church. Even my husband, who alway hated going to church, enjoys his sermons!

The music is also dynamic, and ecelectic, with a main adult choir who sings everything from traditional hymns to African folk songs to Amy Grant stuff and everything in between. We also have a youth choir and cherub choir (4-7 year olds) who often sing the children's song just before the children leave the sanctuary to go to Sunday School. Then we also have a band (called The Stain-Glass Band) who play at special services, pageants and concerts.

The main quality of the music at this church is that it so beautifully ministers God's word to the congregation, picking up the themes in the Scriptures and the minister's sermons. So we always leave feeling well-nourrished and often with a bounce in our step (because the last hymn is usually a joyful one).

We drive 30-minutes to go to this church, but it's well worth the effort and time! We've tried going to churches close-by, but can't stay knowing what (and who) we're missing at our church.

<small>[ May 29, 2006, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]</small>

Dotsie
I wish I had a church that would combine both styles - traditional and contemporary, because there are times when nothing does it better for me than a traditional service (old hymns, lots of rituals) but I do also enjoy contemporary.

This is interesting that you post this now, because our church just moved into a new building (previous building served the community for over 118 years). So we have this thoroughly modern, new church. And "the powers that be" have decided to totally change the way we do church. Completely re-vamped - all new, all "contemporary" and "seeker friendly" - no old hymns, no traditional stuff.

Personally, for me, it's too much the other way. I see no reason that we have to throw out everything and everything about the service now seems geared to "performance". Are we there to worship or look good?

But, that's me - an old-fashioned sort I guess. It gives me little in the way of "soul" nourishment.

Now this past Sunday we visited a different church and took part in a lovely traditional Anglican service called "matins" - the old prayer book was used, and the responses were sung. It was nice. This church does this type of service once a month. I wouldn't want this every Sunday, but a traditional, old-style service once in a while is nice.

So here I am - lost in the sea of changes happening at my church, not quite fitting in and not knowing where I'll end up <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

This is interesting to me, because my boys go to different churches. My youngest (almost 15) attends the local Catholic church (my husband's side of the family is Catholic) and it's all rituals and tradition. This must be what works for Ryan, because he's attending regularly and likes it a lot.

My older son (19) is at a non-denominational christian church that has the latest in technology. They've got a live band and a large screen that shows the words to the music, and there's lots of laughter, and open arms. He's become a youth leader and really enjoys it.

My husband and I do not attend church. Dan was raised Catholic back when everything was done in Latin and it made no sense to him. He was an alter boy and attended Catholic school, but his family did it more as tradition than as a religious thing. He has no interest in going back to any church.

My grandma took me to a Baptist church when I was a child, then I attended a Methodist church as a teen. As I grew older, I stopped attending. I think I had a hard time with the hypocritcal aspect of the folks who went on Sundays and then were awful the rest of the week.

I think Church means so many different things to different people, and you just have to find what fits for you. Good luck!!

My church is a very contemporary seekers church and I love it! However, I believe we shouldn't count on one avenue for our worship experience. I also like the traditional music that my Emmaus community has and I like a small group for studying. We shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket, then we have a more well-rounded concept of God.

I took a friend to the alternative Sunday eve service, which is even more radical than the other services. When the music started, (a band) he leaned over and said are they going to start clapping and dance in the isles? And then they did - or at least tapped a foot. I'm sure it was a total shock at first, but he appreciated the enthusiasum and passion the participants had for the Lord.

An extra story - I was reading a children's Bible to my GS this morning and he was asking me all sorts of questions about the devil and Jesus. He said he was going to be good and was going to go with Jesus. One time after I explained how Jesus loved everyone, he asked me if Jesus loved his mom, dad, Gavin and last but not least, the Power Rangers.

Daisygirl

Eagle, I wish we belonged to the same church. It sounds like heaven on earth.

Evie, you and I have been struggling with church issues for quite some time. Did you visit this other church because you are shopping for a new church home? And if you jump ship from your old one, will you feel guilty for not sticking around?

Kathy, I can't believe you have two kids who go to church and you don't. That's amazing. Our kids grew up in the church. Every Sunday, festival, event, breakfast, dinner, etc., and now none of them go willingly. They go with us when we ask, but it's not worth the effort of trying to get them to go every week. I can't believe I ust said that.

Our church does not have a good youth group for them at this point in time which is a major dissappointment to us. Our oldest attended church, youth group, work camps, etc. through his senior year. He was even on the planning committee, but he no longer attends in college. I can't believe my kids are C and E's (Christmas and Easter's) and maybe a couple other Sundays thrown in. I pray they all draw nearer to God as they mature. I was also faily removed from my faith when I was their ages so there is always hope!

Daisy, I agree with your statement about putting all our eggs in one basket. Churches need diversity in every way to survive and bring in the younger generations.

I have read several articles about how mainstream traditional churches are having difficulty with church membership. But I think they need to take lessons from the churches that are growing like weeds. I find some of the leaders too stuck in their ways to want to make changes. Some won't even visit the nondenominational churches to see what they are doing to appeal to the younger generations. I'm not saying change and do everything differently. I think we need to study what's working in other places and at least try some different ways of worshipping that may appeal to the younger generations. Otherwise, we are going to go out of business when all the white haired people die. I mean no disrespect by this comment. I'm afraid it's true.

I'm curious...if your church is traditional, do you have many young members?

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Dotsie:
<strong>
Evie, you and I have been struggling with church issues for quite some time. Did you visit this other church because you are shopping for a new church home? And if you jump ship from your old one, will you feel guilty for not sticking around?

I'm curious...if your church is traditional, do you have many young members? </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">We were in the city for the day, and had to be there quite early, so I decided it would be good to worship at a different church. I say "different" and yet I stuck to "Anglican" <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> but our church seems so bent lately on removing all that is Anglican about it, that I wanted to see what another Anglican church was like.

"Jumping ship" - the church I attend now is not the denomination or church I was raised in, baptized in, married in or had my 2 children baptised in. I left that church when my kids were little, and for several years attended no church at all. To make a long story short, for the past five years I have been attending this one, and have come to love much about the Anglican (Episcopilian in the US) denomination.

It's not really a question of jumping ship anymore. I feel I've been there, done that and I'm not sure it will solve the problem. Plus, my son is quite settled in this church and his faith is what it's all about for me right now, and the only reason I keep hanging on. My oldest son has no use for church (incidentally, his church attendance would not increase with a contemporary church either - he just has no use for it)

And, we live in a very, very small town. The majority of the church going population is Catholic. The other denominations have a scattered attendance, and all are struggling.

There are just only so many people and so many churches to go around. I have a hard time rationilizing the concept of these "seeker-friendly" services with how many people are out there <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> It's like our church has auditorium-size dreams in a sardine can-size town.

Our church is primarily filled with "gray heads", and a small youth/family attendance. Sure it would be great to have more youth attending and I fully support programs for youth - in fact, I help out with our youth missions team which for a small group has done some great works.

But, I still believe a church can blend both contemporary and traditional, and that we shouldn't give one all away for another.

If the economic situation in our community doesn't improve, and with many families moving away to find work - all that will be left in this town are the "gray heads" - what will be there for them?

I've always been a young person with old values, and have never really fit in to my age group - so maybe I'm not giving the best perspective on this.

I've enjoyed reading the posts of those in the "contemporary" camp, gives me some objective look at what's out there.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Dotsie:
<strong>

Kathy, I can't believe you have two kids who go to church and you don't.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think it would be interesting to do a survey of church attendees to see whether they've come to the church as adults, or as children, and how often they've switched churches.

My kids went to vacation bible school and holiday services as children, but as they got to be teens and were faced with some serious decisions at school and in activites, they've chosen to be "straight edge" and follow their own moral paths with God. (Thank goodness!!)

I'm wondering, if you're bombarded with church as a child and it's a "routine" thing, maybe when you get older you just drop out because it doesn't have the same meaning as when you "discover" it for yourself as a teen or young adult.

Just a thought...