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I guess I belong to one of those "rare" growing churches. We've gone from 45 members in 1982 to 6,000 today. We had 200+ baptisms in the last church year (Oct.-Oct.). We have several hundred youth, and hundreds of young families. There are several in our area experiencing the same. To be clear, I live in a state and area that is growing rapidly, as far as overall population.
I guess I belong to one of those "rare" growing churches. We've gone from 45 members in 1982 to 6,000 today. We had 200+ baptisms in the last church year (Oct.-Oct.). We have several hundred youth, and hundreds of young families. There are several in our area experiencing the same. To be clear, I live in a state and area that is growing rapidly, as far as overall population.
If you're not comfortable saying where you're from on a message board, I understand completely...but may I ask what area and perhaps what denomination? Is your pastor well-known?
I guess I belong to one of those "rare" growing churches. We've gone from 45 members in 1982 to 6,000 today. We had 200+ baptisms in the last church year (Oct.-Oct.). We have several hundred youth, and hundreds of young families. There are several in our area experiencing the same. To be clear, I live in a state and area that is growing rapidly, as far as overall population.
I think I can tell you why. From what you've shared about your church it's very involved in helping the community. Your church seems to practice what Jesus taught. Sounds like a good church for young families who are looking to do more than sit and listen to a sermon.
I think I can tell you why. From what you've shared about your church it's very involved in helping the community. Your church seems to practice what Jesus taught. Sounds like a good church for young families who are looking to do more than sit and listen to a sermon.
That's what I was thinking to about the Dones and Nones. I understand the Dones, they are fed-up with the negative energies involved with the little social interactions in church settings, but they still hold their religion as part of their identity. I don't understand the Nones though. How can someone hold "no particular religion" without being theist? If their theism doesn't have any rules, etc... Isn't that their religion? I guess it doesn't have a name though.
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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Originally Posted by LuminousTruth
That's what I was thinking to about the Dones and Nones. I understand the Dones, they are fed-up with the negative energies involved with the little social interactions in church settings, but they still hold their religion as part of their identity. I don't understand the Nones though. How can someone hold "no particular religion" without being theist? If their theism doesn't have any rules, etc... Isn't that their religion? I guess it doesn't have a name though.
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They would be called atheists, or at least, agnostics.
They would be called atheists, or at least, agnostics.
I think a lot of the Nones still (either pretending gnosticism or confessing agnosticism) believe in God and perhaps even in Jesus... some might believe a little in Buddha, etc... But I guess they are "None" because they don't have a name for their beliefs nor a weekly group to join.
It's interesting how some folks can't distinguish between an overall pattern and anecdotal or local patterns. If the overall pattern suggests that religion is on the decline, trying to debunk it with the growth of your mega-church is a lot like someone taking you to an affluent gated community in 2009 and saying, "See? There is no recession!"
(I actually remember someone on a different forum saying, during the Christmas season of 2008, "Last time I went to the mall, the parking lot was full, so how can there be a recession?")
At any rate, you cannot judge national and global trends based on what happens down the street from you. If it were that easy, we wouldn't need the media any longer (including the news on the internet).
"Whaddya mean there have been 20,000 fatal car accidents last year? There've only been five accidents, none fatal, and they all happened at the intersection with the blinking yellow light in the center of town!"
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