2006-11-02 06:58:46 · 14 answers · asked by dtsk1824 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
Have parishioners volunteer to play their drum set, bass guitar, etc in the church band. You can meet an hour before mass each Sunday to go over the music, and just jam it. Pick music that is upbeat, modern, and interesting. A lot of churches are doing this, including mine, where I'm a pianist at one of the masses.
2006-11-02 07:09:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are a few basic reasons people stay away from church.
1 Inconvenience. They are busy, have to take care of things, lots of bustle and hustle.
Answer: Make it really convenient. Offer breakfast or lunch, even if only simple stuff. Try to make a time when everyone can sit and eat and talk and share. Offer babysitting. Try to offer things people need- script (gift certificates for local stores sold at face value, but making a small profit for the church), stamps, etc.
2. Disillusionment. People are not seeing that church is fitting their needs- their lives are just as bad as before. Church is not meeting many needs.
Answer: Stop promising that everything will be great right now, and start working on building a church community where people help each other. In a small church, you ought to be able to have a time during the service where ushers or others try to actually talk ot everyone and try to learn about their real current needs- home services for the elderly, legal advice, etc. Ideally, the ushers, etc. would then briefly meet with an assistant pastor or such and compare notes- can we or anyone in the church help any of these needs? Ask the congregation for volunteers to help, then help coordinate the volunteer and the person in need.
4. People are not feeling re-energized after church.
Answer: Dedicate at least a part of each service to sheer emotion. People should leave with a huge smile and a spring in their step. They should feel great about themselves and serving God- that their problems are real, but temporary and that God really does love them regardless of how things look.
This last is a big reason certain churches grow like crazy- they make people feel good about themselves. Certainly emotions are overplayed and people resent being manipulated over and over- but there are some good solid reasons why an atmosphere of joyfulness is good!
2006-11-02 07:15:53 · answer #2 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if any of this will help you, but I'm Catholic, and these are some of the things we do that I believe gives people an extra incentive to attend!
We have volunteers that right before the sermon will take all of the small children downstairs to teach them about the sermon, but in a more fun and simply way. This way, parents don't have to worry about their child fussing and get a little bit of free time!
We also have donuts and coffee in the basement/dining hall after church is over. We all get to chat and no lines waiting for breakfast!
Getting people involved, such as choir, reading passages, passing out bulletins and maybe playing an instrument helps us too. We have a bunch of things you can volunteer to do during the mass. I know that if I have a responsibility, it always motivates me to attend.
If possible, offer a few different times Saturday and Sunday. Something like to go late Sunday morning versus early. And some don't like to get up at all - so Saturday evenings work the best!
Also, during Christmas, our church gets together with a local nursing home and asks every person there (who doesn't have family) what one thing they want for Christmas. They put a paper ornament on the tree for each senior with the item they want on it. Then we can pick 1, 2, 3... of the ornaments, buy them, and wrap them for the seniors. It's always nice to know you're making a difference in someone's life.
I guess the main thing is to get out the word that everyone is welcome and they won't feel belittled even if they don't come all the time.
Hope this helps! :)
2006-11-02 07:10:13 · answer #3 · answered by Courtney 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I know this may be highly unorthodox (no pun intended) but some sort of direct reach out program might help. You know what I mean ? Like actually feeding the poor, remedial job skill tutoring, and most of all save the going to hell if you're not Catholic bludgeon for the old timers. Nothing is more off putting then metaphysical blackmail. Be like Jesus. Offer help to all, not just those who are in the club. When you are fair and loving to the world assembled, your pews will be filled.
2006-11-02 07:16:37 · answer #4 · answered by derstrudelmonkey 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would hold a special service featuring a priest that HASN'T sodomized young boys. This will be such a rare treat that Catholics from all over the eastern United States will drive there to see what a moral Priest looks like. I would suggest you make sure you rent a LARGE hall since many Catholics have never seen a real life moral priest in their lives. This will draw quite a crowd.
2006-11-02 07:09:37 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. Curious 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Set something up for young people (remember the folk masses in the 1960s?) or some kind of outreach program (host AA & other 12 step meetings).
2006-11-02 07:14:41 · answer #6 · answered by Buffy Summers 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sure and why does Revelation describe her precisely in with the worldwide empire of fake faith?Revelation 18th financial disaster you recognize what's complicated to swallow once you shuttle to different international places and spot human beings residing in pasteboard packing boxes down interior the valley. And this great Catholic church on good of the mountain looming over them. I went interior one in Honduras and it had the partitions lined in gold the statues lined in gold,and outdoors on the stairs the detrimental ragged hungry human beings begging for money.the place interior the Bible did it say to take from the detrimental and be wealthy? And yeh they'll say we offer this we offer that yet they take plenty greater desirable than they provide.with the aid of fact of it is at some point they gets carry of destruction.Jesus became detrimental and he had no the place to place down his head and he by no potential begged for money John 10th financial disaster he taught his disciples to no longer beg to be self reliant. examine a million Timothy 4:a million-6 the reason for celibacy interior the 1st place became they did no longer desire the clergymen to marry and according to risk their different halves would get an inheritance,it has no longer something to do with the Bible the Bible condemns this action and thanks to this maximum of youthful ones have been abused. I lived in a city close to Mexico,they tore down an previous Catholic Church and it became packed with little toddlers bones,the place that they were carried out away with via the nuns.i understand those issues firsthand,my own stories no longer in basic terms with the catholics yet with lots of the fake faith companies of today. examine their history.learn Pope harmless or any of the Popes in history for that remember.properly he became some distance from harmless. Ezekiel 28:2-2-9 The pope says he's infallable it is an occasion of what's going to ensue to those that sense that way.Matthew 23:9 became Jesus a Catholic? the place is the be conscious interior the Bible ? you're coaching words of guys no longer from the scriptures they tutor the traditions of guys Colossians 2:8, Matthew 15:3 Mark 7:thirteen and that they are international and that they did so call carry forth the be responsive to Christ in the process the conquistadors. in case you examine this history there have been thousands and thousands of harmless human beings killed and slaughtered with the aid of fact they does no longer persist with their teachings.i think Jesus taught this too.
2016-10-03 05:21:49 · answer #7 · answered by shimp 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not up to you to increase the interest of others in God, that's God job and He does not need your help. Pray & fast is all we can do. He hears our cries. He will speak to you if He wants to use you for something, don't ask man his little opinion about God. Psalm 127:1-2.
2006-11-02 07:05:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Invite people when you meet then.
Hold fun events.
Mail people invitations to church things like that
Ask people to invite their friends and family and so forth
2006-11-02 07:01:10 · answer #9 · answered by John 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Free lunch after Mass?
2006-11-02 07:00:12 · answer #10 · answered by GRUMPY1LUVS2EAT 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋