Church Attendance Way Down

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
When I first started going to the local fellowship church a few years ago, it was SRO there. The last few months, though, the first two rows of seats are hardly filled (that's around 20 people). I though at first maybe because of summer people were away on vacation and other summer activities, but each week fewer and fewer attend. The pastor has even remarked about it during the service. It seems to me it is really eating at him since he needs the collection money to build a real church building. Currently we are holding services in a rented venue.
 

In many churches around the country that seems to be the big problem,membership has been declining over the years.
When I first joined my church in 1994{ located right here in the city,}, membership was close to 1,000,those days are gone.Over the yrs, our members have died,left or moved away, at the moment I think its around 400. The only time the pews are packed are at Christmas&Easter or if a well beloved member has died. Its just the way it is
 
We have a couple of modern megachurches in this area that are thriving but many of the smaller churches are struggling to survive or closing their doors and selling their buildings for various types of development.

I don't know anything about your particular church but it seems to me that the main focus of the pastor should be the members and not fundraising for a building.
 

Aunt Bea said:
I don't know anything about your particular church but it seems to me that the main focus of the pastor should be the members and not fundraising for a building.
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I feel the same way. Perhaps people have stopped attending because they do not want to be brow-beaten every week about giving for funding the church building project. This pastor is obsessed with this dream of a church building. Ever see the movie "The Bishop's Wife"?
 
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Our church has no attendance problem. I go on Saturday evenings, if I can, just to avoid the Sunday morning crowd.

I have heard from others that their church is having attendance problems. The world is a changing place, that’s for sure.
 
debodun said:
"The Bishop;'s Wife"?
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I watch it every year during the Christmas holidays. it's one of my favorites.

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debodun said:
I feel the same way. Perhaps people have stopped attending because they do not want to be brow-beaten every week about giving for funding the church building project. This pastor is obsessed with this dream of a church building. Ever see the movie "The Bishop;'s Wife"?
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Just curious. Is your Pastor ordained? Did he study Theology and obtain a degree? Some Pastors call themself a Pastor, but really never went through the certification process to become an ordained minister or Pastor.

We had a fellow here in my county that opened his own church, but never even attended a college to study theology. He definitely knew the Bible and could preach like any other, but was never ordained, which no one has to be in order to preach. His problem was with the IRS. Need I say more?
 
debodun said:
I feel the same way. Perhaps people have stopped attending because they do not want to be brow-beaten every week about giving for funding the church building project. This pastor is obsessed with this dream of a church building. Ever see the movie "The Bishop;'s Wife"?
Click to expand...

First off, I am not a church attendee except for about a year when I was about 14 years old and went with my neighbor in Georgia with her to her church. I don't think that the collection plate for the Sunday services are really what attending there is really all about. The main way is with members tithing a certain percentage of their income every month. Tithing, not the collection plate, is mainly what it's all about. They need members for that reason, not just attendees. But. of course, the collection plate does help.
 
I have been back and forth about church attendance. For many years, in my late teens and early adult life, I just did not go.
About 15 years ago, I did find a small church, and started to attend. Went for several years. It was a small, close knot congregation. Then, about 6 years after I joined, the Pastor announced he and his family were moving out of state and another Pastor would take over. I really did not connect well with the new Pastor, and chose to leave.
I found another church, and went for a while.
But for the past several years, I have not been attending. Have wanted to, but never found one I bonded with.
 
Lots of things have changed for the younger generation. Probably fewer of them go to church, once they have reached adulthood. There are a lot of other things they don't do, also, that were nearly "sacred" to my generation, such as reading the newspaper. I get the feeling that if it isn't on electronic media, they aren't interessted. Church is probably part of the same phenomena.
 
I tend to joke that the last time I was in church, they called me names and threw water over me 🤣 No quite true. My parents were Presbyterian and dragged us protesting kids to the kirk every Sunday. Then we got kicked out to Bible class, where we would ague with the 'teachers' . No wonder when you have all this stuff and nonsense rammed into you that you question not only the value of going to church, but the truth of religion.

It's the same nearly everywhere. When I lived in England, it was normal for one vicar to serve up to four churches which took it in turn to host a Sunday service. Churches are being sold off and converted into apartments, restaurants etc.. The one in this village used to be an Auction house, but now it's abandoned and crumbling away.

A current trend here in Scotland is the move to Humanism, with Humanist weddings (as opposed to civil), Naming ceremonies (as opposed to christenings - none of my children were baptised) and funerals. These outnumber the combined religious ceremonies of the major churches.

Maybe church buildings will simply become memorials to a past way of life.
 
I am friendly with a couple who are in the church, I am
not sure which one, he is a minister/priest and his wife
helps him, they share a building with another different
church!

Things are so bad with very few attendees, that they and
the other people who hold services there are thinking to
join together their respective congregations.

I doubt that an arrangement like that won't last too long.

Mike.
 
I think that the "Self Realization" religions are trending right now in America although they've been around a long time in other countries, especially Asia. Self awareness, journey to Self Discovery, becoming your "Authentic You", Meditating on your Inner Self, use of crystals to be cleansed, are all appealing phrases and practices for many these days.

Many now don't want to walk into a biblical church and be told that there is the reality of sin nature in all of us for which we can be saved. That sounds too negative, too real, too raw, too ugly. They don't realize the joy that comes from being saved from the ugly truth of sin. And the freedom of turning that burden over to a Savior.

Bible believing churches focus on reaching out to others, that their bodies are the temple of the Lord and therefore we should take care of it...but not dwell inward or focus on it too much in a self-centered way.
 
Popular now and growing are biblical churches held in big auditoriums with the lights dimmed and music delivered by bands rather than choirs (although they have some lively choirs on rare occasions too). Large screen TV's flank both sides of the stage with words to the songs, scripture verses that follow the sermon, and a close-up of the pastor as he preaches in case you're too far in the back or you can't see around all the people. Dress is casual...very...jeans and a t-shirt works fine.

I have attended these churches and like them except that the parking wasn't enough and had to park a couple miles away and take a shuttle to get there. Then if you aren't early enough the auditorium is full and you have to go to an overflow room and watch it on a TV screen.

I'd rather stay home and watch Dr. Stanley's "In Touch" on my TV or online. No, he's not a typical televangelist. But I'm still looking for a smaller church to attend.
 
People IMO are by&large smarter / more educated today, than in the past. And , likely less naive , as such less likely to believe , or need to believe stories, and use these stories as a crutch to prop up their lives. They do not need the guide for their own life.

Add to this all the unnecessary death, natural devastation & such that we see everyday , and their "faith" is strongly tested.....doubted.

And the biggie IMO, is the now global,... priest scandal Start messing with folks children,...and keeping those folks on your side, in your "fold" is not going to happen.

I personally know two guys & their wives that were devout Catholics . Both of them just completely walked away from the church/religion because of the aforementioned.

My mother suggested religion/church in my youth, but never was 'over-the-top' about it. I tried, but it just never took hold with me. My feeling has always been,....Considering all the religions that there are, they can't all be right , therefore, IMO they're all wrong, and just selling their agenda.

I think the beginning of the end [of religion] with me was, when a innocent little six year old girl [neighbor] was diagnosed with leukemia , and died shortly after. I asked my mother why, she said of course that she did not know, I remember asking something in the direction of why God would do this, again she did not know.....that was when I started doubting, having a hard time believing ......I was about eleven at the time.

Last time I was in church was at my friends wedding ..........that was 40+ years ago.
 
rgp said:
I personally know two guys & their wives that were devout Catholics . Both of them just completely walked away from the church/religion because of the [priest scandal]...I think the beginning of the end [of religion] with me was, when a innocent little six year old girl [neighbor] was diagnosed with leukemia , and died shortly after. I asked my mother why, she said of course that she did not know.....that was when I started doubting, having a hard time believing ......I was about eleven at the time.
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I agree with you regarding the Catholic Church. I'm not Catholic nor do I attend any church right now but I can still be a Bible believer, a Christian, and not belong to any particular denomination, nor agree with their doctrine, nor attend church. God is watching the Catholic Church...and you'd best believe He's not pleased. He's also watching you and me and everyone and all churches.

Why God allowed a young girl to die of Leukemia and other good people to suffer is a sticking point for many. But here's the thing. Regarding death, God doesn't look at death as a bad thing. The world is full of sin. To take that little girl out of this sinful world and bring her Home is beautiful, loving, and peaceful for her for eternity. We are all just passing through this life which is just a speck compared to eternal life beyond.

There are over a hundred different reasons listed in the Bible as to why good people suffer. I shared in the thread "Are There Angels" as to why I am grateful for the pain and suffering I went through beginning 3 months ago. And why God allowed my accident to happen. It's nothing compared to some people but it's the most suffering I've ever experienced in my life. He humbled me, so He could get my attention and so He could show me His presence. He still is showing me, teaching me, and showing me His love. I've never experienced anything like it.
 
Lara said:
I agree with you regarding the Catholic Church. I'm not Catholic nor do I attend any church right now but I can still be a Bible believer, a Christian, and not belong to any particular denomination, nor agree with their doctrine, nor attend church. God is watching the Catholic Church...and you'd best believe He's not pleased. He's also watching you and me and everyone and all churches.

Why God allowed a young girl to die of Leukemia and other good people to suffer is a sticking point for many. But here's the thing. Regarding death, God doesn't look at death as a bad thing. The world is full of sin. To take that little girl out of this sinful world and bring her Home is beautiful, loving, and peaceful for her for eternity. We are all just passing through this life which is just a speck compared to eternal life beyond.

There are over a hundred different reasons listed in the Bible as to why good people suffer. I shared in the thread "Are There Angels" as to why I am grateful for the pain and suffering I went through beginning 3 months ago. And why God allowed my accident to happen. It's nothing compared to some people but it's the most suffering I've ever experienced in my life. He humbled me, so He could get my attention and so He could show me His presence. He still is showing me, teaching me, and showing me His love. I've never experienced anything like it.
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"Why God allowed a young girl to die of Leukemia and other good people to suffer is a sticking point for many. But here's the thing. Regarding death, God doesn't look at death as a bad thing. The world is full of sin. To take that little girl out of this sinful world and bring her Home is beautiful, loving, and peaceful for her for eternity. We are all just passing through this life which is just a speck compared to eternal life beyond. "

OK then, why are we born to this life at all ? If we are truly "his children" and he wants the best for us.......why not just keep us all "home" in the first place? Why does he not just make us all behave ? Stop killing each other, stop all war, end all weather disasters ,etc?

We're just on opposite ends, and i just respectfully disagree.
 
rgp said:
OK then, why are we born to this life at all ? If we are truly "his children" and he wants the best for us.......why not just keep us all "home" in the first place? Why does he not just make us all behave ? Stop killing each other, stop all war, end all weather disasters ,etc? We're just on opposite ends, and i just respectfully disagree.
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All good questions rgp. God did not want to create Robots. He wanted us to choose on our own to Love and Obey Him just as an earthly father wants from his children. He wanted us to have a relationship with Him. So he created us to make our own choices between Good and Evil (devil and temptation).

Unfortunately, man chose the devil's tempting offer to eat from the tree of knowledge which God said not to. Thus the Old Testament is riddled with sinful atrocities and God's harsh discipline as He tried to get mankind to choose Good over Evil...to love and obey Him. Yes, God could have just made Man to be be good but that would just make them robots. He finally, in the New Testament, instead of punishment He offered forgiveness to all who believe along with teachings of love and obedience...also kindness, patience, joy, faithfulness, gratitude, and peace
 
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