The Surprising Reason Why More Americans Are Not Going To Church

The Atlantic via msn ^ | 08-2016

[Salvation]

Why don’t you attend a local RCIA class and find out about the Catholic Church?

[Mrs. Don-o]

You to need the Church. Why would Christ say to Peter that was “building His church,” if we had no need for it?

I ask you that!

[Salvation]

There might be a story similar to yours here. Coming Home Network

[Vision Thing]

Something as personal as Faith needs no public gathering.

When two or more are gathered in His name, He is there. Yes, Jesus said Our Father is pleased when we pray to Him privately, but the disciples and Apostles achieved so much more when in pairs and grouped together.

[Shadow44]

I don’t go to weak, mealy-mouthed, post-modern churches. If I go, I want it to be solemn, with a sense of sacredness permeating the air.

You rarely see that, and while not all young people would go back to Church if they found such, I think more than you would expect would.

[Utah Binger]

We worship from our front deck at the natural cathedral across the way. If we need a service we invite a few Freepers like Jim Rob to come for a visit. Nothing more needed...That is except a nice $50 monthly donation to FR. Better than any church IMHO...

[Secret Agent Man]

Do you know even why this country exists?

[Salvation]

It’s the community who helps build our faith. Right?

[Secret Agent Man]

No, but the bible does talk about believers getting together to worship. Itis a good way to get strengthened for the rest of what faces you in fhe world out there. Kinda like how some people feel about certain social media places.

[Resettozero]

Twenty-seven percent of people in the survey say they’re attending services more often than they did in the past, cutting against the country’s overall decline in religious practice. This was most common among evangelical Protestants, three-quarters of whom say they go to church at least once or twice a month. Half of the people who said they’re going to services more often explained the change in terms of their beliefs: They’ve become more religious; they found that they need God in their life; they’ve gotten more mature as they’ve aged.

Pretty decent article.

Most evangelicals I know attend a Christian fellowship at least once each week just because they want to join together with other believers in Lord Jesus Christ. Also, for my family, to partake of the Lord's Supper to show unity of the body of Christ until He appears again, and not forgetting what Jesus asked us to do in remembrance of Him.

[GreyFriar]

Sunday morning children’s soccer league games. Those are big here in the DC area.

[TexasTransplant]

It is My Soul ... Not the Church’s
I prefer to maintain it that way, I go to functions from a variety of denominations and I guess that is because I am used to Military Services...
Your Post/Thread made me think and at the moment the best I can come up with is I don’t want to join a club or be limited or have to choose one over another, I pretty much enjoy and appreciate all of them .. including some (that I did in the past) think were odd.
In the end I am sure I will know and I don’t fear that end.

[Ouderkirk]

I stopped going because all of the mainstream denominations got infiltrated by communists and sodomites

[dsc]

“Something as personal as Faith needs no public gathering.”

Participation in what is now called a “faith community” is good on many levels.

[originalbuckeye]

Ditto. There is too much moral relativism, at least in Western Christian churches. JMHO, from my experience.

[Vermont Lt]

I left the church when a diddler bishop assigned his homo/diddler to my parish.

No church that believes in the bible would all that to happen. Yet, they did.

[Grams A]

We go to church on Saturday and Wednesday evening. Great rock band sings/plays Christian music and minister has great Bible study sessions. People seem to attend in whatever they have on at the time and attire ranges from professional to shorts and a tee shirt. Pizza and choice of tea, coffee, lemonade and water are available. Huge crowds. You can feed your soul and family. Our week is not complete without it.

We did go out to dinner last night after church to celebrate a family member’s birthday. Passed by table after table of “families” waiting for their food and all of them were on their separate iPhones. No interaction at all between individuals beyond sharing the same booth. The disconnect would appear to extend to all parts of the family.

We always join hands and pray when our food is served. Had a young Black waiter tell us that he appreciated seeing this as so few people do and it means a lot to him.

Our family has always had a rule - no electronic devices out and/or turned on when we are together. The rest of the world can wait.

[Utah Binger]

It’s the community who helps build our faith. Right?

LOL as a fifth generation Utahan, I have had all the community I need, thank you very much. Proud of the heritage; had my fill of the sanctimonious dogma. And in my opinion all organized religion is the same.

[Jacob Kell]

Ah, out of the frying pan and into the fire. :-)

[Salvation]

Because of that alleged abuse doesn’t mean that the entire church has gone caput. And that goes for many churches.