If not Sunday, when?

*and evening services.

vampirequeen I have been in a church similar to Milliedog’s. We had about 400 people attending each Sunday, over two services, plus children. There were enough children for five children’s groups and a youth group.

Our ministers would pick a book of the Bible and preach through it, with different books being used at the morning on evening services. The books came from both the Old and New Testaments, so over a period of time they did preach on much of the Bible.

Milliedog

There are around 130 worshippers on Sunday mornings at our church - many young families. Our pastor preaches what's in the Bible, our music is fairly modern with the odd hymn and there are lots of clubs for children and teenagers and a toddler group. I love it.

Just wondering which bits of the Bible he preaches from. Not being a troll. It's a genuine question. Does he preach the entire Bible or just bits of it?

So is there another time churches could put on a service which would be better attended?
There are services on other days in the week.

If not Sunday, when?
Easter Sunday is the most important day in the Christian calendar.

nanna8 She must be. What you said about a revival sounds wonderful.

Our church was nearly full last night for Holy Thursday Mass.
it holds about 1000 people comfortably, it will be standing room only today for the 3pm Good Friday service,
It is a thriving parish.

One of the people in my church spent years in China telling people about Christianity. She especially worked with Uyghurs until she was expelled from the country after a short imprisonment. She now still works with Uyghurs and Afghani Moslems who have fled to my country, telling them about Christ. Several have converted. I think she is incredibly brave ,very dedicated lady.

Our minister works hard to look after four churches. We, as a congregation that has dwindled, take on a number of tasks to support the church. My faith sustains me.

if you had been born in Afghanistan you’d be Moslem

In spite of severe persecution in Afghanistan for anyone who leaves Islam, there are thousands of people there who have converted to Christianity, mainly from Islam.

www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/afghanistan/

Saggi

Churches are irrelevant …what you do or don’t believe is your business …not for somebody to dictate to you ….merely by walking into a church you are being dictated to. Belief is belief ….between you and whoever you believe in. Just remember if you’d been born in Afghanistan you’d be Moslem…it’s a dangerous lottery is religion.
Taught mine to have nothing to do with it….and they haven’t ….not one has been in prison …not so much as a parking ticket. They are all moral upright people …who work …pay thier bills and attend school. They do not need a sky-god!
They have their own morals…which they practice . They have and never will be brainwashed by religion….thier common sense guards them against it.
Your belief or non belief is for you to deal with ….between you and your god!

if you’d been born in Afghanistan you’d be Moslem

It’s an interesting fact that unlike the other main religions, whose worshippers are mainly clustered round the place where the religion started, Christianity has spread widely and is practised on every continent. According to Wikipedia, it is growing fastest in Africa, Latin America and Asia. It’s even growing in China, though from a small base.

merely by walking into a church you are being dictated to

I started going to church in my late 20s (before that I was an agnostic) and I never felt that. I went as part of looking into Christianity, and after several years of investigation I decided it was probably true.

As they say, nothing is certain but death and taxes 🙂

Saggi

Churches are irrelevant …what you do or don’t believe is your business …not for somebody to dictate to you ….merely by walking into a church you are being dictated to. Belief is belief ….between you and whoever you believe in. Just remember if you’d been born in Afghanistan you’d be Moslem…it’s a dangerous lottery is religion.
Taught mine to have nothing to do with it….and they haven’t ….not one has been in prison …not so much as a parking ticket. They are all moral upright people …who work …pay thier bills and attend school. They do not need a sky-god!
They have their own morals…which they practice . They have and never will be brainwashed by religion….thier common sense guards them against it.
Your belief or non belief is for you to deal with ….between you and your god!

Churches are irrelevant - not for Christians. They are holy places.

They do not need a sky-god. Unfortunately for them and you, they do. Very helpful now, and essential later.

Just remember if you’d been born in Afghanistan you’d be Moslem
I think that is forced on them?

But I appreciate you have your own views.

Our church has a thriving congregation, all ages. It is very active in the community and runs a junior church during the Sunday Eucharist, which is at 10.45.

Brought my DC up to have minds of their own and decide for themselves which is how it should be Callistemon and as you say, teaching your children to have nothing to do with religion is in itself brainwashing.

They have and never will be brainwashed by religion
Taught mine to have nothing to do with it

That in itself is brainwashing.

Taught mine to have nothing to do with it

Brought my DC up to have minds of their own and decide for themselves.

Sunday can be a busy day for antiques dealers as there are often auctions, antique fairs or car boots to attend in the constant search for stock. I dont go to many of the above nowadays because of mobility issues (unless I go with another dealer). However many USA online auctions take place on (what is for us) sunday evening.

If I have nothing of that kind on I sometimes do photo shoots am. In the afternoon I try to chill and not do business.

Churches are irrelevant …what you do or don’t believe is your business …not for somebody to dictate to you ….merely by walking into a church you are being dictated to. Belief is belief ….between you and whoever you believe in. Just remember if you’d been born in Afghanistan you’d be Moslem…it’s a dangerous lottery is religion.
Taught mine to have nothing to do with it….and they haven’t ….not one has been in prison …not so much as a parking ticket. They are all moral upright people …who work …pay thier bills and attend school. They do not need a sky-god!
They have their own morals…which they practice . They have and never will be brainwashed by religion….thier common sense guards them against it.
Your belief or non belief is for you to deal with ….between you and your god!

vampirequeen

Callistemon21

Spuddy

I never go to church for any reason as I'm a life-long Atheist. Three-quarters of England are!

The statistics do not back that up.

Are you just thinking of Anglicans?
Even that claim is wrong.

I've just checked the England and Wales Census figures for 2011 and 2021
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/religion/bulletins/religionenglandandwales/census2021#:~:text=This%20coincided%20with%20an%20increase,%25%20(7.7%20million%20people).

In 2011 14.1 million people declared themselves to have no religion. In 2021 this had increased to 22.2 million which is 37.2% of the population.

For whatever reason, the Christian faith is dying out.

Perhaps people are no longer automatically saying CofE when asked their religion or maybe people are truly losing their faith.

I put RC on the 2011 Census, prefer not to say on the 2021 Census and will be putting no religion in 2031.

Spuddy said 75% are atheist.

In 2021 this had increased to 22.2 million which is 37.2% of the population.
That is most definitely not 75%.

Perhaps people are no longer automatically saying CofE when asked their religion
Why would anyone automatically say C of E if they are not?
Only England has an established church anyway.

Other faiths are available.

Do I miss church? Yes and no. I stopped going to church. Church was community, a north star, friends, ritual, spiritual cleansing. I felt grounded.

I myself, raised Lutheran (parochial school) and a Methodist for the last 45 yrs ceased going to church 20 yrs ago - that was because of my work at the time.

The reason many have stopped going to church is because the doctrine has changed from the Bible scriptures to the messengers bringing politics into the sanctuary. Politics don’t belong there.

The Christian faith in SOME churches (Southern Baptists) are practicing white nationalism worship, and following an idol named Trump. They even bring guns to church. Those churches are full every Sunday.

Other church denominations are splitting over other political issues (same sex marriage, LGBTQ…) There's so much unrest in the Christian church right now - that’s why church attendance is plummeting in the US. People are being turned off. Smaller congregations are barely hanging on.

The MAGA movement is a cult-faith of its own and why this country is divided. Families are divided, friendships are divided, workplaces are strained.

As far as when to go to worship? I do it on my own time, privately, quietly, gently. My family and friends are united - we are so
grateful to be together in grace and spirit and have each other.

There are around 130 worshippers on Sunday mornings at our church - many young families. Our pastor preaches what's in the Bible, our music is fairly modern with the odd hymn and there are lots of clubs for children and teenagers and a toddler group. I love it.

I have conducted services on Sundays at 930 11 2 3 and 730 Saturday at 7 and 9 Wednesday at 2 and Tuesday at 1030 All well attended

grandtanteJE65

missdeke

Where I live the vicar runs the churches in at least 4 villages and services are spread between them. The church in our village is always open should anyone want to visit it. Personally I am not a churchgoer as I don't believe in organised religion of any sort, although I appreciate the beauty and history of many churches. Surely if you are a true believer actually going to church shouldn't really matter, private prayer should be sufficient.

No, private prayer is not enough. Christ enjoined on his followers that they should pray together and form a fellowship.

As I said I'm a non-believer, but I accept your beliefs as your own, if it's not enough for you, then it's not enough. I just don't understand it.

Callistemon21

Spuddy

I never go to church for any reason as I'm a life-long Atheist. Three-quarters of England are!

The statistics do not back that up.

Are you just thinking of Anglicans?
Even that claim is wrong.

I've just checked the England and Wales Census figures for 2011 and 2021
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/religion/bulletins/religionenglandandwales/census2021#:~:text=This%20coincided%20with%20an%20increase,%25%20(7.7%20million%20people).

In 2011 14.1 million people declared themselves to have no religion. In 2021 this had increased to 22.2 million which is 37.2% of the population.

For whatever reason, the Christian faith is dying out.

Perhaps people are no longer automatically saying CofE when asked their religion or maybe people are truly losing their faith.

I put RC on the 2011 Census, prefer not to say on the 2021 Census and will be putting no religion in 2031.

At my local Baptist church the Sunday morning service is well attended and the worship is modern and informal. Evening services were not well attended so they stopped. There is also an expanding fellowship that meet on a Wednesday afternoon, made up of mostly older retired people, some who struggle to 'get moving' in the mornings or prefer the more traditional hymns etc.
Since September we started running Messy Church once a month after school on a Tuesday and regularly cater for 40+ children and their parents/carers. Each of these modes and times of worship are equally valid- it doesn't have to be a Sunday.
However the principle that everyone needs 'a day of rest', at least one day in seven when they don't work, is important and shouldn't be eroded. But try telling our pastor that!

I used to go to Church. But i don't go anymore because I have Amd and might fall. My balance has completely gone and i look forward to alzheimers disease in future.