Church?

[bcipam]

ive deepest respect for people that really feel this force of spirituality,im not trying to be bloody minded but i stopped going to church as soon as my parents let me off the hook,is it a dying phenomenon?what is the average age of church goers?and do people tend to do more for charity these days which is prob worth a lotta weight in the great scheme of things,and almost like a religion,if you see what i mean.......

Its interesting my folks live in Mississippi. My dad attends a very old methodist church. Very traditional. I would say the average age is 65 - 70 and the congregation is dying.

My Church has a huge youth ministry. The average adult age I would say is 35 - 40. It's a very young church. Where I live (Southern California) many churches are active youth ministries. It's become very popular here to be Christian. CHruch have made it a point to approach services with a youthful viewpoint. Look at the worship music. Downright Rock or Alternative!

Here in Orange County we have several mega churches - Rick Warren's SAddleback is one and my church - COast Hills is another. Churches are growing not slowing, at least here where I live.

[Dianyla]

Well, since cycling is one of my religions... then as far as I'm concerned a Sunday ride counts as a sacrament.

[slinkedog]

I am a consistent church-goer. I, like Pam, attend a non-denominational Christian church. I, like many of you, grew up Catholic, but was drawn to the message of my church: that God loved me and wanted to be close to me; that he had dreams and plans for me that he wanted to make real in my life. I didn't feel condemned for the mess I had made of my life, either. I found my Catholic church to be rather rigid and impersonal, but in hindsight, I wonder if I had been willing to become more involved, if I might have felt differently.

In any case, I love God, but in many ways I don't understand him. I went through a time in the last year where I was very frustrated with the "Christian-ese" answers to the hard questions of life. A few months back I was in a meeting with a guy from a church in So. California who was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. This guy could take the most complex idea and make it like crystal. We were discussing what are some of the major turn-offs for people regarding church, and one of them was patness, or the idea of having a bunch of pat answers for everything. He said, "God puts a premium on mystery. It's okay not to understand him. We've got to become comfortable with that idea." That was a watershed moment for me. I felt free to be comfortable with not understanding the whys and wherefores of everything.

So, that's where I'm at on my personal spiritual journey. Faith seeking understanding. I believe, but I don't get it all yet. It's a good place and I'm having fun seeking.