Are Church Pews in Your City Full?

Used to be a church.
Is now a community centre.

We've all been on a wild ride lately. I've stayed tuned to hurricane updates twice now with Helene and Milton. The disaster photos, and photos of needed clean up later is so hard to watch. Hearing about loss of life is dreadful. 

I live in Ontario, Canada, and today October 8, 2024, we are having our own tropical storm--a mix of on again, off again rain, and hail. 

I've also been on a wild ride where my feelings go while reading a book I've been blogging about. I encourge you to check out the posts on this new blog which are conveniently numbered as I attempt to write in a bit of order as I go through the book and process my thoughts. 

I picked up this book because I keep hearing that church attendance in North America is dwindling. I've tuned into some online church services and seen empty pews too. 

My Story

My husband and I have been spotty in our church attendance. I write some of the reason in the new blog. I attribute it to me trying to manage my increased Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Just showering, some days, is exhausting. 

You could say I can't get up to be at church for 10 or 11 am due to ME/CFS, or you could say I'm chosing not to. Not every day is the same.  I do have spurts of energy. My ME/CFS is in the mild to moderate range. I am not bedbound. 

Backing away from in-person church attendance isn't just a personal choice for my husband and me; it's happening across many denominations and locations. I'm on a journey to uncover the reasons behind this trend and explore how churches are planning to address it. This is also a personal pilgrimage, as I'm searching for what will work best for us personally, moving forward.

One issue I've noticed is that every church in our area holds services at times like 9:30, 10:00, or 11:00 AM. For those dealing with chronic illness or reversed circadian rhythms, this poses a real challenge. I first noticed this with older teens and university students who struggled to get up for Sunday services. I wondered what shift workers do to get to church. This makes me wonder: 'Why aren't there more options?' 

Troubling Trends 

Much of the world took to online interaction during the pandemic. Many still work from home. In person business meetings are rare saving the cost of flights and hotel stays. Office space can be reduced as more professionals work remotely. 

Perhaps the rise in online church broadcasts plays a role in the decline of in-person church attendance. It’s certainly easier to enjoy a coffee in your pajamas while watching from home, and you don't even have to tune in live—you can catch the service whenever it’s convenient.

These are all valid reasons for the decline in church attendance. But the book highlights more troubling thoughts. Many adults are now questioning or rethinking what they truly believe, even challenging the role of rituals. 

Historically, much to pastors' chagrin, people have asked, 'What’s in it for me?'—and that hasn't changed. Now parishioners are asking, "What will it cost me in time and energy?" 

Some people openly admit they now question whether they want to return to church and be around others whose views they feel are fundamentally different from their own on many levels. It’s a dilemma that I think many are quietly wrestling with. 

They are also asking if the Christians they once knew are people they even want to associate with. I've noticed a real divide in people, especially during COVID. Some were staunchly anti-mask, questioning whether churches should even shut down, while others abided by imposed rules. Some pastors lost their lives due to Covid due to their stubborness. Churches have been fined. 

This divide extends beyond just public health views—it raised deeper questions about values and who we feel comfortable sharing spiritual space with. And in the US, politics has carved an even deeper chasm.

Questions to Ask

All this aside, perhaps, the more important questions should be, 'How can I best keep my relationship with Jesus/God renewed and refreshed? Where, how, and when can I nurture my soul? Is a church service on Sunday the best way to do that? What does God want me to do?

A New Season, A New Blog

I'm excited to announce the launch of yet another blog! 

I considered adding the new posts here to save time, but after some prayer and a timely email I received, I felt led to create a dedicated space on a new Blogger platform. This new blog dives into the growing conversation around the deconstruction of Christian faith. If you're curious about why church pews are becoming emptier, why your own desire to attend in person might be fading, or what others are doing in response, I invite you to tune in and explore these topics with me.

The new blog is here

Reporting on Visitor's Stats and Thank You to Readers

Ruthven

Before I write a new post on a new theme, I thought I'd pause to say thank you to all who have visited this blog. I've kept it up because it still gets 'views'. And, it's a great place for me to express myself. 

Here are the latests stats. And this is only from 2011. (I started this blog around 2008 and rebooted it in 2011.)

Back in the early days, I had access to more analytics Blogger offered with the simple click of a link. I was able to see what visitors had typed into the search bar to arrive here. I was able to see what part of the world visitors were from. That gave me insight into what topics to study and write on. But as blogger evolved, the tool was changed and tracking analytics became complicated. So now, I can only guess how visitors arrived here and from where. 

The world has become self-serve. The makers of these apps seem to assume everyone is a tech guru. I'm just not that interested in learning more technical stuff these days! So I will enjoy what I do have access to and understand and pray no more big changes are made to Blogger. 

I've seen this blog grow and evolve since 2008 as I've ploded along on my own evolving faith journey. The journey of writing posts has been a rewarding one--my own little place on the Internet where I can attempt to encourage women. My hidde ministry.

I've had seasons of not adding to the blog. The pandemic was part of that. The special project I got involved with in 2021 was part of that. The brain fog from #CFS has added to it. I've contemplated packing it up. I've asked God for insight. The fact that the blog still gets views after all this time is a reminder of why I continue. 

It’s not just the numbers I'm grateful for, I'm grateful for the personal space it offers me to reflect and express myself and to share about the new things I've learned.

Your support means a lot and has kept me going!