Newspapers are Becoming Websites. Are Churches Next
If people do not have the "home" concept in their heads using it as a selling point will not work. Planting the same old kind of church will burn resources and not accomplish much is the link's point. His profession is wrestling with this problem.
I'll put my own spin to what he wrote. Assuming theology is important to people is not today's reality. People are interested more in making the world better than in talking about heaven. They are more interested in societal improvements than in larger church attendance.
The author does not have a clear model in mind as to what the new church should be, it just can't be the same one with hymns and a sermon followed by coffee. Newspapers found themselves suited quite well to becoming websites. Advertisers found this works for them. With the virus halting church gathering churches are developing the skills needed to livestream their church services. If churches were not required to spend so much money on their buildings they might find more effective ways to be "church."
I read an article about the growth of "Dollar" stores. It has happened because there are more really poor people who cannot drive to malls. To me, this dramatic change in income distribution opens the door to the Christian faith just like it did for "Dollar" stores.
Today this growing demographic cannot afford cars to get to work, cannot shop at reasonable places, cannot afford day care for the children and cannot afford increasing rental rates. This demographic has had the largest drop in church attendance and Christian belief.
If a large swath of the faith dropped abortion, homosexuality and its other grievances and said, "Our purpose is to improve the lives of those with low incomes" I think its future would be brighter.
The Catholic Church, and probably all Christian denominations, will not become online, Internet-based, streaming services. The whole idea goes against Mass and the Sacraments.
ReplyDeleteCatholics need to congregate, pray, worship, listen to scripture, listen to sermons, receive the Eucharist and meet with other people who are there. As Christ said at the Last Supper, 'Do this in remembrance of me. Eat my body, drink my blood and you shall have eternal life.' This can't be done online even if you have bread and wine on hand at home. They are not the Eucharist and never will be.
In Fargo this past Sunday, a deranged (my hypothesis) man attacked a priest and 2 parishioners before the Latin Mass in the afternoon. He wielded a trumpet as a weapon.
As for newspapers, the Fargo Forum is dying. Now down to 2 weekly paper editions, a substantially reduced advertising base and a tepid online subscription, they need to completely change their business model or they will be wiped out.
As for the Catholic Church, 2000 plus years of attacks from within, from without and from the devil has not killed the Church.
Matt "As for the Catholic Church, 2000 plus years of attacks from within, from without and from the devil has not killed the Church."
ReplyDeleteThat's just what the Pagans said, they had been there for much more than 2,000 years. If you want to predict where the church is going, or what it will be like in the future, follow the money. It's better than guessing based on what you personally prefer.
The empirical evidence, for a truly scientific approach, dictates that the Catholic Church has incredible staying power. Then there is the Faith of a billion Catholics.. I know you wish it dead but you would not be scientific in your approach. If one followed the money, the Church would have died a thousand deaths between 1 A.D. and 2020 A.D.
DeleteAs for the pagans, can you provide a quote from any pagan to substantiate your claim?
It is one thing to demand physical proof from others and another to demand it of yourself.
It is interesting to note what parts of a person's argument you choose to attack and which you choose to let be. One has the idea that you can offer no argument to the rest of my post.
Jon Jul 8, 2020 at 5:59 AM, “That's just what the Pagans said, they had been there for much more than 2,000 years.” To which Matt replied in his 8:22 AM, “As for the pagans, can you provide a quote from any pagan to substantiate your claim?” I can’t off hand directly quote a “Pagan” but none is needed. What I can offer is a pagan-esque quote apparently from a red—lettered bible verse cited by Matt in his July 7, 8:13 PM post namely, “Eat my body, drink my blood and you shall have eternal life.” So you see the Church could not kill paganism since it lives on in NT scripture and in the practice of the RCC version of the sacrament of Holy Communion i.e. transubstantiation. For, “The origin of the Catholic Church is the tragic compromise of Christianity with the pagan religions that surrounded it. Instead of proclaiming the gospel and converting the pagans, the Catholic Church “Christianized” the pagan religions and “paganized” Christianity.”(1)
Delete(1) https://www.gotquestions.org/origin-Catholic-church.html
Ardy B: The fact that you can't provide one quote from a pagan. You need to do your research as you need to quote at least one to have an argument. Same for Jon.
DeleteThe Eucharist is not only the antithesis of pagansim, it is the underpinning of Christian teaching. Pagans may drink animal blood or even the blood of their enemies but the Blood of Jesus would not be on their menu.
Your reference to a Catholic bigotry website is revealing as much about you as the source. Even if one were to give some credibility to your source, it fails in that even the non-Catholic Bibles have the exact quote I provided about the Eucharist. So, the bigot shows that even his Bible has the same quote which he believes is pagan-esque.
We don't have "church planters".
ReplyDeleteIf members move to an area with no member churches, they (the laymen) will gather others like minded people, then contact the district office of that area there is an interest in forming a new church. Meetings are held. If feasible, they are then placed on a mission church basis, aided by the district, with a constitution, financing for a structure, and an ordained pastor, until such time they are self sufficient.