Not religious but love feeling at Church

Gloomendoom

Jackieboy wrote: »

Is there a reason your church doesn't like children to worship with their families?

Whenever I have attended Baptist churches, the children have been separated like Tory describes.

I have found that there is a lot more standing up for quite long periods involved, which may be one reason. TQ did also mention that the sermons may not be suitable for children's ears although I haven't noticed any difference between them and typical C of E sermons.

cazs

Not exactly the same thing I know but I find myself very affected by some of the singing, eg at Xmas listening to O Holy Night can make me a bit teary though I know it's wholly illogical.

Gloomendoom

cazs wrote: »

Not exactly the same thing I know but I find myself very affected by some of the singing, eg at Xmas listening to O Holy Night can make me a bit teary though I know it's wholly illogical.

That is my wife's favourite.

Newly_retired

So this thread seems to show that churches are valued, for their calm, beautiful buildings, nostalgia, music, etc, that in general people want to attend, but maybe only occasionally, want to be left alone, do not want to be roped in to do any jobs or join any groups.
So this is a recipe for decline of the traditional church, as its committed members get older and less able.

Renewal, especially more family friendly informal services, or happy-clappy style worship, or charismatic outpourings, will attract many, especially younger people. Equally they may alienate those who value calm, beauty, tradition. It is a wonderful church that can cater for both types. But which will last? Which will produce future leaders, ministers?
Hopefully there is room for both, and fortunately both can foster peace, love, support for those who need it, community activities.

Jackieboy

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I think that things in the CofE must be different to my experiences. The services you mention are as strange to me as teaching children on their own is to you. The children are there for the first part of the service but it seems strange to me to have them sitting through a sermon lasting about 40 minutes. When do they have Sunday school if not during the service?

I don't think I'd be all that happy to sit through a 40 minute sermon myself! Some clergy are good at public speaking but, IME, they aren't in the majority.

Not all children who go to Sunday School are the children of people who are worshipping at the same time - my parents never went to church but I went to Sunday School for many years. For those who are, I still don't undertand why they'd want to do this away from their children. In your church, at what age to the children join the general congregation for worship?

My experience doesn't just cover CofE services, by the way but also RC, Baptist and others. Did you ever say what denomination you belong to? It's always interesting to learn how other people do things.

Gloomendoom

Newly_retired wrote: »

Renewal, especially more family friendly informal services, or happy-clappy style worship, or charismatic outpourings, will attract many, especially younger people. Equally they may alienate those who value calm, beauty, tradition. It is a wonderful church that can cater for both types. But which will last? Which will produce future leaders, ministers?
Hopefully there is room for both, and fortunately both can foster peace, love, support for those who need it, community activities.

We attend a happy clappy progressive church when we are in Australia as my sister-in-law is a member. They certainly seem to have got the recipe right as numbers have risen from a few dozen to several hundred and are still rising. The congregation is young. They still rely on a huge team of volunteers to run things though.

It's not really my cup of tea and some Sundays we sneak off to the Scottish Presbyterian church just down the road for a bit of peace and quiet. One Christmas we did happy clappy, dour Presbyterian and familiar Anglican cathedral in one day.

Torry_Quine

Jackieboy wrote: »

I don't think I'd be all that happy to sit through a 40 minute sermon myself! Some clergy are good at public speaking but, IME, they aren't in the majority.

Not all children who go to Sunday School are the children of people who are worshipping at the same time - my parents never went to church but I went to Sunday School for many years. For those who are, I still don't undertand why they'd want to do this away from their children. In your church, at what age to the children join the general congregation for worship?

My experience doesn't just cover CofE services, by the way but also RC, Baptist and others. Did you ever say what denomination you belong to? It's always interesting to learn how other people do things.

Yes some aren't good at preaching for more than a short time. 40 mins is approx it can be longer.

My experince isn't limited to one denomination as I go to different ones on holiday and its always the same so maybe its a Scottish/English difference?

Once they are in the third year of secondary school, so from age 13 they don't have seperate teaching on a Sunday. There is though something for them on a weekday evening.

You haven't said when the children go to Sunday school, presumably that's as well as the service then?

wapow

It is normal for energy sensitive people to feel this way in certain places/areas.


As a side note, your aura needs strengthening.


Regards

Anoneemoose wrote: »

As the title says, I am not religious at all and don't believe in God, however, when I have attended church for anything, I always feel calm and comforted.

We normally go to a Christingle service on Christmas Eve at a church near my mum's, but we didn't this year and I really missed it. I know part of that will be because it is a tradition and it didn't happen, but another part of it is because I really like being in the church itself.

Does anyone else feel the same or is it hust me??:D

coolcait

I think a couple of people have alluded to this already, but I find a calming atmosphere in churches even when they are empty.

Even though I wouldn't describe myself as particularly 'religious', I've sat in many churches, of many denominations, over the years, and ended up feeling at peace with myself.

Whatever the reasons 'why' I end up feeling that way, it's a good feeling.

Anoneemoose

wapow wrote: »

It is normal for energy sensitive people to feel this way in certain places/areas.


As a side note, your aura needs strengthening.


Regards

Well, this thread zoomed off on a tangent before I could keep up! :rotfl:

I do get the feeling that 'I am not the only one' who feels the way I do and that is good to know. Not that I was bothered that I felt the way I do, I was just curious.

However, I am slightly intrigued as to how you could know I need my aura strenghthening, whatever that means!

Thank you for all of the comments on the thread..I think I may attend a service at my mum's church soon. I couldn't (illness) commit to attending regularly.