Rather than starting a new thread, this one will do. Are you a member of a church? Do you attend church regularly? If so, why? If not, why not? Since the pastor of a small church up north, near our camp, got sick and moved to Michigan, I have not attended church regularly, or hardly at all. I am a Christian, and I do participate in Bible studies whenever I find someone interested in doing so, but I haven't come across one with any longevity to it. I research Bible topics on my own from time to time, and I read Christian books and watch Christian movies, but I haven't been attending an organized church. Previously, I had been a deacon of a Baptist church here in town, and I taught the Wednesday Bible Study, but the pastor decided to weigh in on the other side of a local political issue, so I quit. I wouldn't have considered it appropriate to bring my side of the issue to church, so it didn't seem at all appropriate for the other side to be presented in the foyer. No one once so much as inquired as to why I was no longer attending church, so I don't suppose I was missed. There's another Baptist church in town that I have attended a few times and I like the pastor well enough. He used to lead a Bible study in our cafe when we ran one several years ago, and I attended a wedding in his church a few weeks ago. But I haven't felt the urge to get up on a Sunday to attend church, and maybe that's wrong of me. Now that they have a large meeting space at the Pir2Peer Recovery Community Center, they're letting a new church use the large meeting room on Sundays since Pir2Peer doesn't have anything scheduled for that day, so maybe I'll give that one a try. On second thought, maybe I'll feel it out first to be sure that it's not Pentecostal. Oh, I don't think the Pentecostals are going to hell or anything, but I'm far too old for that kind of enthusiasm.
I know a guy who is struggling with problems associated with addiction, and with forgiving himself for things that he has done. He is a Christian, so I'm thinking of asking him if he wants to participate in a Bible study. I think he needs more of the spiritual aspect than we can offer through the recovery center.
Not a member of any congregation. I don't go to any building for worship services as I don't believe that such offers me any benefit. I like being an independent thinker and the freedom it offers. Also, I don't always play well with others.
Well, update here: Since returning to Colorado (northern this time), the last time we attended a church service was Christmas Eve 2019. Before that, we attended (once) a local Cowboy Church Service, but found out that many people in attendance weren't interested in anything related to the word "cowboy" whether it was rodeo and/or ranching. They simply wanted a much smaller attendance than local mega churches had. So, all thru 2020 and 2021, as well as now, we watch a Sermon on tv. A Pastor, by the name of Pastor Rick (So California) is on every Sunday. So, we haven't been attending a church service, but watching a great Pastor (Rick) on tv each Sunday AM, is good enough for us right now. Once we move, we'll look for another church to attend.
I've spoken of my not attending my local Methodist churches anymore. I am so soured on organized religion, and I think that "wanting more" is a good thing, as long as I use it to move forward versus giving up. I, too, want a Bible study group. I believe that is how we are meant to worship. I disagree with this thing where we walk into a building every Sunday to be preached at. That is not "fellowship." We aren't participants, unless we sing. I found a Saturday group in Charlottesville (about a 1/2 hour drive) on Meetup.com, but when I looked recently to get directions the listing was gone. It looked like they only had 3 regular participants. And my mistrusting butt always worries that some of this stuff is merely a marketing front put forth by larger churches. But I still keep my eyes open. All that being said, I always have to watch my own motives. I enjoyed those churches I was a part of because I felt a sense of belonging and of being needed (people's motives for attending church are a larger subject, and it's not always to get spiritual needs met.) But then that wears off. And some people get under my skin. And sometimes I feel put upon. And it's all too easy to be critical (although church organizations do use people.) I'm famous for diving into the deep end of stuff and then getting rapidly tired of it and moving on, whatever it may be. We had a highly dysfunctional pastor, then I returned when the new guy was hired, and then COVID put an end to it for me. I'm surprised I lasted the 8 or so years there that I did.
I have probably attended 50 or more churches in my life. I have only actually belonged to one denomination--United Methodist. Like @John Brunner, I became very disillusioned with Methodism but a couple decades ago not recently. I currently attend a small Roman Catholic church nearby where my wife is administrator, but I am not a member and probably never will be. For much of our married life, we attended at least two services every week at two or more denominations. I have settled on Catholicism in part to support my spouse, and in part as I have found it the least judgmental toward other religions and denominations. I understand that was not always so, but has been the case in my experience. In various Protestant services I have attended, they refer to Catholics as "non-Bible believers", but in every Catholic service I have attended, there have been readings from OT (non Psalms), Psalms, NT (non-Gospel) and Gospel, whereas I have attended the so-called Bible believer conservative Christian services where the only reading was one verse from the OT and the entire sermon was based on one verse. As I have mentioned before, I am intolerant of Intolerance and pretty much accept all religion as important and valuable, but not all religion is suitable for all people.
I've been a member of catholic church for a few decades, in and out trying unity churches, same with unitarian church and my last good standing church type place was Science of Mind aka Religious Science and that was in the 80's and my last church was City of Angeles who was ministered by O.C. Smith, he was great and when he suddenly died, no more church. I have the principles engrained but they have been shaken with this covid baloney. Hope our lives return.
Since covid I have avoided most all gatherings in any enclosed areas but do attend out monthly outdoor shooting matches, if possible, to do so.
Since covid, it sounds like more and more are picking up guns and getting rid of prayer books...I do neither.
Since covid, it sounds like more and more are picking up guns and getting rid of prayer books...I do neither. (I doubt you would fit in very well with us, as stated not for everyone) Now celebrating almost 14 years of these activities. With 2-3 Sunday services. We only want those who want to be there. We are very low key and do not push anything on anyone. We wished to be different and did so with a majority vote from members, not for all but we like it and are a very close-knit group, we also have church service weather permitting monthly on horseback on a Wed PM, followed by team penning and team roping on Friday pm we went after those that would never attend a church and got many of them by being different, well-behaved dogs are also allowed in services and a few usually are there, we are a very outdoor based group also a monthly predator hunt sponsored. We have never had anyone hurt or really any negative issues other than from a guest of a member who was asked to leave and banned from returning due to her anti-gun and hunting views, we do not tolerate any negative at all and do very well with almost 1000 members now we have had to expand 3 times due to space issues, all members are required to submit to very thorough background checks, no exceptions there and we do have a well-trained security team present.
I've been guilty myself of being a passive Christian and non-church goer much of my life. But through the years I have attended dozens of churches and gotten a good feel for both Catholic and Protestant environments. Despite my subpar church attendance, I've grown into a passionate, active Christian over the past 25 years via my own personal studies. And as my faith and commitment grows, my desire and need for worshipping God with a Church family becomes more evident. I don't particularly need a weekly sermon in some church building because I watch two a day on YouTube. I don't need shared prayer with others because I pray to the Lord abundantly each day on my own. And I don't need the Sunday group singing because I get my own Christian music fix each night before going to sleep. I don't even need a church to give my tithe money to since I've chosen other Christian organizations to receive my support. Who needs church or organized religion these days when so many of the churches are teaching or practicing false doctrines anyway? And of course there's all those flawed hypocrites filling the churches. Well, for some reason, when I do visit a good church now during my life of travels, it always uplifts my spirit. It just feels right, and I understand better now why that's the case. I don't go to church just to get something out of it, but to worship God and fellowship with the Church family that I'll see in heaven. I go there to give, rather than receive, but like giving a present or doing a kind deed, I ultimately benefit from the act. From personal experience, I'll maintain that one doesn't need organized religion or church attendance to be a saved Christian since my own faith walk has grown most through individual worship and studies. But, the more serious and passionate I become with my faith, the more I recognize that worshipping God and fellowshipping with other Christians is a good and powerful thing. It's what we're called to do. It entails more though than just spending an hour each Sunday in a designated building. It includes engaging with other small groups for Bible study, ministries, and social affairs - all of which build relationships and shape our character. We can't do that at home by ourselves. I like the way world famous Pastor Rick Warren included involvement with the Church as 1 of our 5 purposes in life. For anyone who's not watched his all time greatest sermons, you'd do well to catch this one:
Sounds good Ken. There's not much help here for recovering addicts or for mental health patients, I know a lady who has turned to her Christian faith to help her overcome her mental health issues.