I think Church’s have major responsibilities to communicate the gospel message. We need to remember that it was God’s kindness that saved us. Church’s shouldn’t focus too much flaws and focus more potential. The challenges churches face in today society is how to change with the times so that they can meet human needs without losing a sense of mission and without compromising the central Christian message. Christianity is often misunderstood. Much of the misunderstanding with the local Christian church lies in its inability to be seen as "good" within the local community. The Church by definition is a collection of Christian believers from all over the world and from all times who are bound together by the shed blood of Christ and his resurrected presence. What happens week in and week out in the 4 walls of our churches should be shared with the surrounding community in one way, shape, or form. Churches should feel like a free place that is open to anyone who needs them in any way. It could be simple gestures like offer a public bathroom with a shower during business hours to anyone who needs it. Have church members bring canned foods to service every Sunday and start an open pantry for the local community. It’s these simple things that we take for granted that can have a major positive impact on our local community. Even as we proactively look for ways to reach out to those outside our 4 walls, let’s…
There are many non-believers that are discouraged by its local churches. Many members of a church act one way when inside of the church building and another as soon as they walk out of the door. For a non-believer, this is just confirmation that they do not want any part of a religion that is hypocritical. Also, many leaders of the church live a lavish lifestyle while citizens of its community struggles to provide food for their families. Why would I want to join an organization that takes my money every week so that they can drive nice cars and live in big houses while I can’t even pay my rent? These are common circumstances that we see and as Christians, it’s our job to eliminate this type of view of our faith.…
One reason for the decline in Church attendance is that religion is just simply “changing” and isn’t actually declining but changing into a more “privatised form”. This means fewer people are going to church to practice their religion and are staying at home to practice or just feel like they have no need to go to church to practice. This explains the predicted number of attendance to fall to “87,800” in 2050.…
are the reliability and validity of the instruments described? Did the researcher examine the reliability and validity of the instruments for the present sample?…
This morning I attended a weekday mass at All Saints Catholic Church. The church itself is relatively large from what I saw. The exterior had many well-tended trees and bushes, with a sign pointing to the office, and a cross about six feet tall out front by a cement walkway which led to the entrance. The building itself was a taupe color with dark brown roofing and glass doors leading at the entrance. As I walked through the glass doors I was not greeted by anyone, so I followed what everyone else was doing. I noticed a holy water font in front of the doors leading directly to the room of worship. I watched as the casually-dressed Parishioners, all aged at least sixty-five years, and mostly white, middle-class women dipped their fingers into the font and then made the sign of the cross, before entering the worship area.…
Some Christians assemble for communal worship on Sunday in the churches, but some just stay at home and keeps the relationship with God – keeps on praying and studies the words of God.…
People have abandoned organized religion in growing numbers. Even if they continue to be members of a church, their participation in church activity has declined. Traditions have also weakened. For example, there was a time when almost all shops and businesses were closed on Sundays, preserving the day for sermons, rest, and introspection. Today, shopping centers are mostly open as usual, and Sunday is increasingly devoted to business and personal affairs, not to church.…
According to Morrill, in the Christian tradition, assembly is one of the most important ways that we can connect with Christ. In his Encountering Christ in the Eucharist, he argues that “ The community of faith can only exist through the sharing of that faith, which is focused in its ritual form of worship” (Morrill 21). As a young child I would grow impatient when my mother spent time after Church, with what I viewed as nonsense prattling. Now that I am older, I can see the importance that community is to the Church. Church communities are not only formed when the assembly is participating in the liturgy or service. Additionally, the ways that a Church community fellowships with each other outside of service also builds a sense of community…
In contemporary society loyalty to a particular community has to be earned. With the contemporary ethos of individualism people focus on their personal needs rather than the needs of their traditional communities. People are looking around for the 'right' congregation in which to get involved - one that meets their needs, expresses their faith in culturally appropriate ways and addresses their concerns in meaningful…
In the past couple of decades the rise in non-denominational churches has been increasing greatly and are said to be the second largest group of Protestants (Moore, 2011). It is said that most that break off and become apart of this fast growing belief come from a protestant upbringing. The study shows that more people are determining on where to worship by how they like the nursery, if the worship music is good, is it close to home, rather than I am a Catholic I need to go to a Catholic Church. As of 2010, four percent of Americans fall into this non-denominational group (Thumma, 2010).…
As I walked into The Door Fellowship Christian Church the first thing I noticed was it was not the typical church I am used to, I was walking into a building. A building they called church, there were no sacred objects such as statues, cross, nor…
Looking at the Protestant way of thinking about it that places of worship should be plain and simple. I can see many reasons why people do believe in this thought. One reason could be because they think that god does not have to be “bribed” or given these big expensive gifts to appreciate his followers and the people. That merely showing your commitment to him and well being should be enough to gain your love or that you already have his love. God in my point of view is not someone to judge someone by his or her wealth but by his or her actions. Meaning that wherever you worship in a church, at home in your bedroom, on the street in an alleyway with beer cans on the floor is good enough to show your respect and thanks. He does not think of you anymore by showing him and giving him gifts with great wealth. You might be quite poor and cannot afford to do anything quite so big and bold and might just want to do your own prayer at home or anywhere of your choice, which is still fine.…
On Sunday morning at 9:30am in the town of North Branch Michigan at the St. Peter and Paul Catholic church, I was observing with a notebook and pen, in the back of the church sitting in a pew for an hour when the church service finished. I was observed that all ages and genders attended, kids to the elderly dressed tenderly, and everybody is very kind spoken inside and outside of the church.…
and wells up constantly within us,” as said by Paul Ramsey. However, the reasons why people…
Pinson, J. Matthew. Perspective on Christian Worship: Five Views. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2009.…