• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

church structure

J_B_

I have answers to questions no one ever asks.
May 15, 2020
1,312
380
Midwest
✟113,553.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
I have no doubt the Gospel will be preached until Christ's return, but there is also no doubt that traditional church attendance is in rapid decline. Do you see this as a temporary trend in history's ebb and flow? Or is the church undergoing a more or less permanent change in the way the Gospel is dispersed?

For much of history, the church complex (synagogue, temple, whatever) was not A community center, but THE community center (with maybe the market square as a major competitor). Now it seems that sitting in a church building and expecting people to show up for worship on Sunday has become a rather foolish thing to do - at least in terms of spreading the Gospel. Or maybe that always was foolish? That's not to say people went to the church because they were more religious in the past. In many cases it was simply because they were more dependent on the church. For example, I know in the early Americas the Lutheran pastor was often the only educated person in the community, so he performed more than pastoral duties. He was lawyer, teacher, clerk, etc. to the community.

Regardless, do you have any thoughts on what future church structure might be?
 
  • Useful
Reactions: Shane R

Shane R

Priest
Site Supporter
Jan 18, 2012
2,365
1,209
Southeast Ohio
✟656,350.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Widowed
I've thought about your initial post a lot. I have many thoughts but some of them need to marinate longer.

There is one thing I've learned and am thoroughly convinced of: most churches are addicted to their building and it's an unhealthy thing. The building was almost always built at the zenith of the church. There were 400 people and 40 in the choir, 90 kids in the Sunday school, etc. Now there's just 40 people and the old place is getting kind of run down. There may or may not be the money to fix it but there's no energy from the congregation to do the work. Everyone still sits to the back and you can't hear if anyone is singing the hymns or not if you're in the chancel. If a visitor shows up, they think, "Where are the people?" Because the church looks empty at 15-20% of its capacity. They should downsize but they won't; it's too uncomfortable.
 
  • Useful
Reactions: RileyG
Upvote 0

RileyG

Veteran
Angels Team
Site Supporter
Feb 10, 2013
28,493
17,146
29
Nebraska
✟533,763.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Celibate
Politics
US-Republican
I've thought about your initial post a lot. I have many thoughts but some of them need to marinate longer.

There is one thing I've learned and am thoroughly convinced of: most churches are addicted to their building and it's an unhealthy thing. The building was almost always built at the zenith of the church. There were 400 people and 40 in the choir, 90 kids in the Sunday school, etc. Now there's just 40 people and the old place is getting kind of run down. There may or may not be the money to fix it but there's no energy from the congregation to do the work. Everyone still sits to the back and you can't hear if anyone is singing the hymns or not if you're in the chancel. If a visitor shows up, they think, "Where are the people?" Because the church looks empty at 15-20% of its capacity. They should downsize but they won't; it's too uncomfortable.
I wonder if that is more common in rural areas? Especially those with an older population?
 
Upvote 0

Shane R

Priest
Site Supporter
Jan 18, 2012
2,365
1,209
Southeast Ohio
✟656,350.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Widowed
I wonder if that is more common in rural areas? Especially those with an older population?
Your digging into the metrics of a piece I'm currently writing. I have folks ask me all the time, "Where are the young people?" And there are several fairly obvious answers to the question.

Firstly, we need to define 'young people' and I find they usually mean anyone under 50. So I ask these folks how many siblings they had and they reply 4 or 5 or 6 or whatever the case is, but it's always more than 1. Then I ask them how many children they had and the answer is 1-3. Mmhmm, now let's think for a minute: just from that response you should expect less than half of the young people there were when you were in that demographic. Now, how many of your children still live in the county? Typically 0-1. And how many go to church? Uhh. Well, you see pastor, uhmm, well. . . Sports!
 
  • Like
Reactions: RileyG
Upvote 0

J_B_

I have answers to questions no one ever asks.
May 15, 2020
1,312
380
Midwest
✟113,553.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Firstly, we need to define 'young people' and I find they usually mean anyone under 50. So I ask these folks how many siblings they had and they reply 4 or 5 or 6 or whatever the case is, but it's always more than 1. Then I ask them how many children they had and the answer is 1-3. Mmhmm, now let's think for a minute: just from that response you should expect less than half of the young people there were when you were in that demographic. Now, how many of your children still live in the county? Typically 0-1. And how many go to church? Uhh. Well, you see pastor, uhmm, well. . . Sports!
Yeah, I've been through all that as well. And the apathy you mention is all about me.

The Divine Service will always be needed. But beyond that, I think the LCMS needs to engage with the community rather than doubling down on the place of worship. Maybe a revival is in our future (though I'm not sure this type is the right kind of revival).
 
Upvote 0