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.....