Are there Simply Too Many Church Options?

A Mennonite Church

Are there Simply Too Many Options?

Much like the overwhelming selection of 100 to 200 cereal options in a grocery store, the variety of church styles today is vast. When there was just one community church, it served as a central hub for worship, social life, and support, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose. Now, with so many churches offering different styles of worship, doctrines, and approaches to community life, it can lead to fragmentation.

This diversity likely stems from the desire to cater to different preferences and spiritual needs. While I won’t delve into the history of how each denomination or individual church formed its unique format, I will say that my husband and I have visited many different types of churches over the years and now have a few thoughts and opinions about them.

(We job transferred three times and in each new location, we visited a number of churches before choosing one.)

We all worship the same God, but do it differently.  Of course, what matters are the basics. But atmosphere matters too.

As I lay in bed last night mulling over this topic, I reflected on a number of church settings I've visited:

1. Church plant using a school auditorium: (We visited more than one of these). 

My be hot without air conditioning, uncomfortable chairs, and strange acoustics. Heavy reliance on parishioners to set up, tear down, and help with childcare or teaching. There’s constant pastoral pressure for more involvement and outreach, making it feel temporary.

2. Church in large facility: 

Generally a very nice space with rooms for every activity. Still some pressure to volunteer. Cliques form between long-time members and newcomers, making it hard to connect. While it feels like a proper church, the larger crowd can leave you feeling like a spectator, unsure how to meet people or fit in.

3. Church in a movie theatre (with or without popcorn): Not a feeling of full church experience. Feels temporary. Fun for a while. 

4. Church startup in shared facility: Feels copycat. Often use same format as larger churches ie. standard worship team approach. Same popular worship songs. Full church feeling not possible. Pressure for outreach, giving, participation. (There will be no Cubbie Bear club in this church as my son participated in when he was five.) 

5. Church in a commercial building with satellite feed but on-campus worship team: Feels like something's missing in the full church experience. People don't inteact which is okay for introverts who just want to sit in church. 

Spectator feeling. Unsure how engagement works. Offputting when someone from the main campus talks about activities there when you never plan to attend the main campus yourself. I was asked, "Are you a Creeker?" (Church was named Creekside.) I didn't know how to answer. 

6. Church in large renovated facility from the same denomination you were brought up in and found to be legalistic: 

Since you know the kind of thinking of some of these people, you fear getting to know these people. You wonder if the same old beliefs are there hidden by the new makeover.

7. Old church building: You can't help but smell old person on the cushioned seats and you wonder how often they're cleaned. You hear creaky floors. It's all new to you so you're skeptical. The music drags and the music is a little off key and uninspiring.

8. Small church meeting in rented facility: This church may have moved around a bit trying to find home. Interaction is good as prayer requests are taken from those seated. Intimate, but too intimate for some who are unsure of their commitment. 

________________________

Valid considerations:

Believe it or not, I’ve experienced every type of church described above. Choosing a church can be complicated. What should we look for? Most churches preach the Word, and if they don’t, we’d spot that quickly and move on. But the way the message is delivered can vary—some are more historical, others focus on life application, some are entertaining, while others are more conversational. And, though atmosphere isn’t everything, it definitely plays a role.

When there are many church options available, people might feel less inclined to commit to a single congregation. Instead, they might move from one church to another based on preferences like worship style, preaching, programs, or even social connections. Some research polls I came across recently mentioned some people attend more than one church regularly. I'm not against this buffet style of faith practice, I just wonder which church gets to count you in its attendance tallies? And, this kind of transient engagement may weaken the overall sense of belonging and accountability in church communities. 

Aging Out 

The church we switched to in Winnipeg was marketed as being for the under-40 crowd. It wasn’t designed to attract people like my husband and me, who had been Christians for years and were nearing 50. We often felt like the older ones in the room, unsure of where we fit. We liked the conversational style of delivery by the pastor and unique inventions such as having coffee time half way through the hour and having something called church in the round where seating was put in circular form.

I might have been 50 here. 

Attending this church until we moved again, we did wonder—where do people in their 50s go when they age out of these youthful churches?

In the subsequent churches we visited, it was much the same. The focus seemed to be on young families. I found myself longing to reconnect with those I grew up with in my youth group—people my age now. Where were they? Why do we seem to become irrelevant after 55?

Now, let me share another story. After our move, I had to rebuild again. Craving connection, I joined a daytime ladies' group at the Pentecostal church we chose. There were three study topics, and I chose one on friendships, thinking, ‘This is my chance to meet some new friends.'

By then, I was in my early 50s, and I sat eagerly waiting for the chairs to fill up. But one by one, women much older than me started arriving, most with silver hair. I was taken aback, feeling disappointed by the age gap. It wasn’t the connection I had hoped for—I had wanted to meet women closer to my age, but instead, I found myself in a room full of grandmothers.

Me around age 58.

Boomers Backing Out

Yes, I'm a boomer. Last night I read an article saying boomers are the highest group backing out of church over the last few years. It was eye-opening to read cause here I thought I was the only rebellious one stepping back. 

The articles offered many reasons for this trend, but my guess is that boomers are simply tired. I've held over 25 different volunteer roles in the church over the years. I was a young adult leader, a nursery worker,  Sunday School teacher, a Bible study leader, a home group host, the list goes on. 

Boomers raised our kids in the church, and now that they’ve grown, they’re forging their own spiritual paths. Many are no longer involved in church in the same ways we were taught to expect, despite the adage about training a child in the way they should go to prevent them from straying.

Some of us have health challenges, as I've mentioned. Some are invisible illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and more. 

But mostly, those of us who have been in church a long time, have heard it all. It's all repeat to use. 

A stop along the way of our third move.

Others Have their Own Feelings

I came across a comment on a blog about this topic from a 70-year-old man who expressed his discomfort with worship leaders wearing torn jeans and sneakers while jumping around on stage like it’s a rock concert. Although he enjoyed band concerts in his youth, he felt this approach was disrespectful. For many, there’s a sense of sacredness associated with church; many my age long for transcendence in our worship experience. And, as another person commented, we aren't into what my mom called 7/11 worship songs--singing the same seven words eleven times.

More recently, a church startup trying to mimic other churches has employed inexperienced musicians and off-key singers as their worship team. Instead of leading shorter songs, they play worship anthems—tracks from popular Christian music you might hear on the radio. For many of us, this music feels new; the lyrics are unfamiliar, and the songs often drag on for too long because the original track is playing in the background. Some just stand there waiting for the painful music time to finish. Others only show up after the worship music segment has finished. 

What Next?

I know that God has told me not to sweat the small stuff, not to feel guilty if I need to miss church. And, God has told me it's okay to not know what is next in my spiritual journey.

He has urged me to cultivate my own spiritual growth, stay connected online with others, to pray, and to be the church where and when I can. 

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! 

Navigating Faith and Fatigue: Trusting God Through Tests

This is a followup to my last post on Invisible Illness and God's goodness. 

Based on a collection, over time, of my physical response to fatigue, compared to many others, I'm in the mild category of chronic fatigue. That means I have many good days, but if I over-do it physcially or mentally, I may fall into Post Exertional Malaise (PEM). Ongoing PEM moves me into the moderate category. 

My PEM often arrives 12 to 24 hours after I've overdone something and lasts for a day or two. That something could include yardwork, housework, an exhausting social encounter, working out too hard at my exercise class, or a combination of such. 

When in a bad bout of PEM, I find simple tasks such as making dinner, changing a bed, folding towels, sitting to write, and so on, taxing. The answer is to pace myself and plan for rests and recovery. 

Mind Management 

When I found myself missing church due to PEM I felt some guilt. I wondered if i was making excuses for not going to church. Then a gentleman on a CFS forum said, perhaps God says resting in bed, for you, is a form of worship. Imagine that! 

Once he said that, I enjoyed curling up in bed with my mind focused on God's peace instead of guilt. 

I do want to go on enjoying life as all women do with invisible illness. On good days, I sometimes tell myself I made it all up. I don't have CFS. 

But then I have a funk again. I MUST count on the Lord to guide me. And, my part, is to dedicate myself to trusting God enough that I choose to listen for his nudges instead of quickly making decisions on my own.

MY TESTS

We are hosting a backyard party this weekend. I know the important thing is to have energy to greet guests and allow them a good time, but I have a tendancy to over-clean both the outdoor gardens and the indoors and fancy things up. And now, that kind of work is exhausting.

Planning this gathering seems to be a test. I sense God is suggesting these areas of testing:

• Stress management. Will I resist overdoing everything? 
• Pacing. Will I sit down and rest when He tells me to, or will I keep moving and use up my energy?
• Asking Him for help. Will I say even quick prayers to ask him for help with areas I am tempted to worry about?
• Creativity. I'm keenly aware of how creative God is. Instead of moving ahead with my crazy ideas, will I pause and ask if the crazy idea is from him or simply one more thing that uses up my energy. (Think of adding golf cups to some artificial turf we have to make it a putting green.)

Proverbs 17 says, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”

Why would he test me? What about my heart is being tested in this health challenge? What about hosting a party am I being tested with?

I believe He wants me to learn a new way of living that causes me to rely more on him for every little detail. He wants it to work out. He doesn't plan for my disaster. He wants me to practice pacing myself. And if I do it right this time, I will have proven I can do it again.

Don't we all want God to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" As a response to listening for his nudges and following through with them?

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:23

Benefits of Tests

God’s testing with invisible illness is an invitation to do life with more ease as I choose to slow down. Tests are opportunities for growth and a more intimate relationship with God, and ultimately character development.

With any test or health situation you're facing, remember: God understands your limitations and loves you regardless of how much you do, how often you pitch in to help others, how clean your home is, and how often you physically attend church.

Maintaining your faith walk can look different at different stages of life, and that's okay. What matters is your heart and your intention. So be kind to yourself and rely on the Lord for strength. Jesus invites us to bring our burdens to Him and find rest in Him. I love that. 

Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”