I'm curious to know what worship services women in our online neighborhood attend.

We have a couple churches in our area that are growing by leaps and bounds. They have very strong messages for sermons. The kind that knock you over the head and make you realize you better get busy living your faith. They have contemporary music, and many programs for people to hook into during the week. YOu get the feeling you're in a small town when you attend.

Unfortunately, the traditional churches in our area are having a tough time getting new members.

The younger people are attracted to the newer non-denominational churches. They are also attracted to the traditional churches that have made changes in the direction of the newer churches offering contemporary worship services and small groups. Make sense?

Is this going on in your neck of the woods?

I am confused by this issue as well. My husband and I have been attending a large contemporary church. The location and service times are convenient, but I don't see many people our age and there doesn't seem to be asw much serving of the needy as I've experienced in other churches. I miss the hymns and the feelings of being needed of a traditional church. The pastor is very dynanic and sermons are good though.
Decisions.
smile

A lot of churches have two Sunday a.m. worship services...the early service is contempory and the 11:00 service is traditional. I like both and find that there are times that I enjoy worshiping one way as opposed to the other. We have snake handlers in our county...as in Acts where Paul says people will take up poisonous serpents and not be harmed. I say more power to them. I'm not about to do it but if they feel it gets them closer to God...go fot it! I think, eventually, it must *might* get them closer to God. <g>

We attend a very traditional Church. I would say the majority is over 40 years of age. There are a few younger people and children. Only enough for one service.
Other Churches have two services and better attendance.
Maggie

Well, I just changed parishes today! How timely. We moved from a large. sprawling community type church that is very wealthy and builds a new church every 10 -15 years due to growth.

We now belong to a smaller, older church that feels more community oreiented because everybody knows everybody else. We know the choie master and his choir is superb. Traditional hyms with a upbeat tone. He plays in a band that is easy rock type music and owns a sound studio. His family is extremely talented in music and his natural abilities come out in the hyms.

The pastor is a little "dorky" personally but gives very inspirational services. He grew up in that church and attended the school. The principle of the school also attended that very school. There is a lot of pride int heir community and when you are in "you are in". Very small town attitude but not ina small town. We like the community aspect and the school so we made the change.

I've been searching for a church to attend for a long time. Churches close to home tend to be very traditional. With a gay son, I don't feel very welcome. So I've been going to a church that's a 30 minute drive away. It's a very small church, Christian, but somewhat New Ageish. I think it's where all the people who feel like societal misfits end up. They're my kind of people. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

Agate, I've noticed twice that you've mentined having a gay son. You are a dear mom to find a church home for him where he is comfortable. That speaks volumes about where your heart is. I'm glad he has you for his mom. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

It's called unconditional love and my guess is, Agate could teach alot of people about it.

Hugs to Agate...

JJ

Agate, I like the sound of your church. The conservatism of our local congregation sometimes drives me nuts. My ideal church would be one where anyone could walk in and feel comfortable and welcome.

I attend a sort of x-generation church. Very upscale with a coffee shop in the foyer and contemporary music. The children's department looks like Disneyland. The preacher is in his thirties and very dynamic. Every lifestyle is welcome and everyone pretty much does their own thing. Seating theater style with professional lighting so no one even knows if you're late. There are groups outside church for relationship building. It has grown from a storefront to two huge buildings and two smaller ones all connected via closed circuit TV. Lots of technology well used.

Part of the mission is to take the message to the world via the internet. Here's the website if anyone's interested. http://www.lifechurch.tv

smile

Julie, I aree with you. People have to feel like they are part of a family for them to become involved. Don't you think?

Lynn mentioned that when you are in, "you are in". I think that's fine for the people who feel "in", but what about the ones who feel excluded? I think churches have to be careful about that. Everyone should be "in", especially at church. Our church tends to have groups of people who may feel either, "in", or "out" and I don't like that.

Lynn, I don't intend to put down your church because I believe this is the way it is in most churches. I just think we need to be aware and try to make everyone feel "in".

I could put this in a fine whine but it sort of leads off from this discussion topic...going to church at the moment just makes me...sad, angry, emotionally exhausted...there are changes and gaps and I just feel angry that people have taken the easy choice of leaving instead of staying to sort things out...I haven't much time to participate in church life at the moment but I have in the past and I feel let down by this congregation when I needed them to be a quiet place of worship and support at this time in my life...I get more sustenance for my spiritual life from a quiet hour on the beach than I do from this church at the moment

Julie, wow! I can certainly understand how you feel about people jumping ship, and I have a few thoughts...

There are many churches with differing styles for many reasons. Everyone must go where they are fed. We have to be patient when others search. They are taking their faith seriously. For whatever reason their spiritual needs aren't being met.

When we show them love instead of our frustration and aggravation, they may choose to stay based on the spirit of the people in the church. We must remain Christlike.

Should people choose to leave, the church that remains needs to be certain their heart is in the right place so they can attract new members. We must remember people aren't attracted to a church of frustrated and aggravated people.

What upsets me is when people just stop attneding any church, but return when changes have been made that might have better results for them.

Trust me, there are times I feel better fed sitting at my kitchen table with my Bible, journal, and prayer list. And Julie, if there was a nearby beach, I'd be there!

I have been very involved with my church, seen all the warts and it hurts. Are there any churches without them? I'm seriously asking. Anyone in a church that they are really on fire about? One that they've been involved in and haven't witnessed out of the ordinary occurences?

Julie, I'm trying to convince myself as I talk with you.

One thing we have to remember is that churches aren't museums for saints, they're hospitals for sinners. An old minister once shared that with me.

Thanks for your thoughts, Dotsie. I needed somewhere neutral to have a whinge about this.

I think I have an different attitude to church than some of my friends...I have seen my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles stick with and work through all sorts of changes in our church...their "stickability" or faithfulness, if you like, is something I admire and hope to emulate.

I could leave our local congregation and go to one of the feelgood churches down the road, [anyone ever heard of Hillsong? It's a mammoth contemporary church in our suburb] like the rest of my peer group. But I don't believe it is the right action for me to take, and I think it would be letting our minister down.

I need a mature church and a mature faith that copes with the ups and downs of life, and the hard issues, without hypocrisy. Like marriage, I think it is important to stay and work things through. It is hard work, though.

The "church" involves our Christian family as a whole. We take advantage of many programs. I do mission and prayer with my traditional home church. We worship where family and friends are willing to go with us (usually contemporary). Our children go to a small, local Methodist church on Wed. evenings for dinner and fellowship - they have learned more there than at Sunday school elsewhere. This weekend a friend invited us to come to her local Baptist church. Home is where you hang your hat and church is where you hang your heart.

I know all churches need a core membership, but I think we need to be more accepting of people who choose to search for the sake of growing their faith. Julie, love to hear your thoughts on this.

Has anybody in here read any of Joseph Girzone's books? He talks about denominations coming together for the sake of the church and communities. I love his books.

Traditional churches are going through rough times with membership right now. I think denominations should ban together more. We should consider combining youth groups, focus groups, single's ministries, etc. Instead of having 4 churches doing all this work for the few people that show up, perhaps each church could take a ministry and offer it to all churches. Then the ministries would be a little bigger and everyone wouldn't be stretched so thin. Any thoughts?

I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school for 12 years. I married in the Catholic church, long whte gown etc. My sons were both baptized. After the passing of my husband, I made the move to Las Vegas and I'm sorry to say away from the church. Not from God, he is always with me, just the church. I bet you'd be surprised to know that there are 10 FULL yellow pages of churches in Las Vegas and the surrounding area. Theres every kind of Service, Denomination, and Assembly possible. I now attend a Christian church that also has a coffee shop, gift store, many outings and the people mostly married couples are from mid 30's to older that me. Lovely people and we do alot of volunteer work in local hospices etc. Its very much different from he church I grew up in but in so many ways much less judgemental and I feel free'r somehow.....