Should we value weekly attendance in church?
The easy answer for me on this, believe it or not, is yes we should value it. At the end of the day someone who makes an effort to be with the community week in and week out even if the “program” isn’t at its best, the person is not at their best, or the person sees value in giving time to the community when they are not sure about what they will “get” in return, is something I can truly appreciate.
The hard answer is no we shouldn’t. At least not as much as we used to. The effort to show up to something planned for you each week due to a facebook posting, or twitter or email is not what it used to be. I believe that at one time showing up weekly was a huge endeavor, from getting there, to the extent you spent time with people that day, due to the fact that it was hard to connect during the week and there were no other options for community. But today that is not the case and it actually becomes easy to just come on Sunday’s and not really take part in other ways. One hour in and out and done. And then believing that you are a major contributor because of this “attendance.”
The complicated answer is that it is both. Our community prides itself on being able to connect outside of our Sunday night gathering. Whether it’s an organized study, dinner, a bbq or breakfast at Bons there seem to be spaces available to connect during the week. But what also seems to be the case is that many feel that if they connect with someone during the week, they have done their bit and don’t need to go to the larger gathering. And still there are a few in our community that come Sunday and have not moved into relationships outside of that and act in the same way. They feel like the church is not doing a good job connecting people, and yet they are not involved in those connecting spaces.
I am not sure where I am going with this, because I am actually writing this from a place of freedom. This isn’t a major problem, but I think I am working this out as we begin organizing ourselves for the Fall with our weekly gatherings at little nest starting on the 13th, a book study going on, girls group, and other random activities.
At the end of the day I value relationship and those who are my friends, the ones I count on the most, journey with me in all spaces, public, social, personal and intimate and avoiding one puts a stalemate in the relationship. And for me, attendance is valuable… if you are investing in the community, in all spaces.
Tags: attendace, church, spaces, the open house, Vancouver
Attendance is a means to an end, and has value only in so far as it achieves that end. So yes, it can have great value. It seems that part of the challenge for leaders in evaluating is to measure the end in such a way as to include those who are achieving thw end via different means, and not count those who are practicing the means without achieving the end.
I think the hard answer to this question is actually ‘yes’. Truth is, with so many other consumptive choices competing for our time, it is very easy to devalue regular church attendance. Mid-week Home groups and Saturday BBQ’s are great, but it’s fairly weak ecclesiology to call that ‘church’ (and I write this as an Anapabaptist, not a High Church Anglican).
But this question is probably more pastoral than it is theological. When people choose to show up to church sporadically, maybe the question we should be asking them is ‘why’?
I do agree with you Kyle, both attendance and relationships are important from the church perspective. But personally I value relationship more than anything especially at this stage in my life.
I do see the danger when we put too much emphasis on church attendance, especially if you are in a church which is part of a certain denomination and they are really hung up on “the numbers”, and sadly the numbers are not really telltale signs of what is really happening.
I found that some of my most valuable relationships are built outside “church”, and sometimes it happens at the most unlikely places.
we are having our very first ‘craft retreat” next month, and a few of us women are going away with our own craft projects, while we spend the weekend indulging in our hobbies, we know that we will be able to open ourselves in ways we are usually not able to.
(I am a dreamer…..)
By the way, the owner of Libby’s Cafe ( TOH used to meet there) has opened up another coffee shop in Port Coquitlam, I just found out that your church used to meet there. She told me because TOH used the shop on sundays, her husband is now willing to close shop so he can attend worship. You did leave an impact on these people !!