Church Research

Juanita · Guru

RE: Church Research

daisy · Guru

supergrover wrote:
Corey wrote:
it is funny how many of us raised as Catholics have been turned off by the exact same elements.
i totally get what kelly means about that empty and hollow feeling.
as a kid church was all about being fake smiley, surface chit chat, everyone glaring if a kid made so much as a peep. it always just seems so fake to me. everyone trying to look like the perfect church going family.
when i met dave we started going to his church (congregationalist). i'm guessing that is not common in other parts of the country as it is the church the pilgrims founded when they got here and we live in pilgrim country.:)
totally different experience. everyone is very warm and inviting. the $ pressure is non existent. they pass a plate at service and you either give or you don't. noone pays attention at all. there is a more rocking type of service, nobody cares if someone is walking their fussy baby up and down the aisle, etc.
i don't necessarily think it is a northern vs southern thing. i think it just happens that we happen to have a huge amount of Catholic churches in this area.
edited to say oops wrong thread;)

-- Edited by Corey on Wednesday 25th of January 2012 04:27:48 PM
The last Catholic Church we were members of- we had preprinted envelopes and would receive statements about how much we'd paid in on any cgiven cycle. We'd also- mid mass- have to fill out a card once a year with how much we would give and that would be on the statement.
very $$$ driven. Big turn off.

yup we have the envelopes too - i dont use them though.

daisy · Guru

daisy wrote:
supergrover wrote:
Corey wrote:
it is funny how many of us raised as Catholics have been turned off by the exact same elements.
i totally get what kelly means about that empty and hollow feeling.
as a kid church was all about being fake smiley, surface chit chat, everyone glaring if a kid made so much as a peep. it always just seems so fake to me. everyone trying to look like the perfect church going family.
when i met dave we started going to his church (congregationalist). i'm guessing that is not common in other parts of the country as it is the church the pilgrims founded when they got here and we live in pilgrim country.:)
totally different experience. everyone is very warm and inviting. the $ pressure is non existent. they pass a plate at service and you either give or you don't. noone pays attention at all. there is a more rocking type of service, nobody cares if someone is walking their fussy baby up and down the aisle, etc.
i don't necessarily think it is a northern vs southern thing. i think it just happens that we happen to have a huge amount of Catholic churches in this area.
edited to say oops wrong thread;)

-- Edited by Corey on Wednesday 25th of January 2012 04:27:48 PM
The last Catholic Church we were members of- we had preprinted envelopes and would receive statements about how much we'd paid in on any cgiven cycle. We'd also- mid mass- have to fill out a card once a year with how much we would give and that would be on the statement.
very $$$ driven. Big turn off.
yup we have the envelopes too - i dont use them though.

ah, just remembered the perfect example - when i was younger and still in religious ed, they used the envelopes as a way of taking our attendance at mass...and if we missed mass, we got points deducted from our religion grades - and you had to maintain a certain "GPA" to get confirmed.

daisy · Guru

daisy wrote:
daisy wrote:
supergrover wrote:
Corey wrote:
it is funny how many of us raised as Catholics have been turned off by the exact same elements.
i totally get what kelly means about that empty and hollow feeling.
as a kid church was all about being fake smiley, surface chit chat, everyone glaring if a kid made so much as a peep. it always just seems so fake to me. everyone trying to look like the perfect church going family.
when i met dave we started going to his church (congregationalist). i'm guessing that is not common in other parts of the country as it is the church the pilgrims founded when they got here and we live in pilgrim country.:)
totally different experience. everyone is very warm and inviting. the $ pressure is non existent. they pass a plate at service and you either give or you don't. noone pays attention at all. there is a more rocking type of service, nobody cares if someone is walking their fussy baby up and down the aisle, etc.
i don't necessarily think it is a northern vs southern thing. i think it just happens that we happen to have a huge amount of Catholic churches in this area.
edited to say oops wrong thread;)

-- Edited by Corey on Wednesday 25th of January 2012 04:27:48 PM
The last Catholic Church we were members of- we had preprinted envelopes and would receive statements about how much we'd paid in on any cgiven cycle. We'd also- mid mass- have to fill out a card once a year with how much we would give and that would be on the statement.
very $$$ driven. Big turn off.
yup we have the envelopes too - i dont use them though.
ah, just remembered the perfect example - when i was younger and still in religious ed, they used the envelopes as a way of taking our attendance at mass...and if we missed mass, we got points deducted from our religion grades - and you had to maintain a certain "GPA" to get confirmed.

eta: just to clarify, so not only was this church attendance pressure, but it was donation pressure..who in the world would hand in an empty envelope?

Juanita · Guru

daisy wrote:
daisy wrote:
daisy wrote:
supergrover wrote:
Corey wrote:
it is funny how many of us raised as Catholics have been turned off by the exact same elements.
i totally get what kelly means about that empty and hollow feeling.
as a kid church was all about being fake smiley, surface chit chat, everyone glaring if a kid made so much as a peep. it always just seems so fake to me. everyone trying to look like the perfect church going family.
when i met dave we started going to his church (congregationalist). i'm guessing that is not common in other parts of the country as it is the church the pilgrims founded when they got here and we live in pilgrim country.:)
totally different experience. everyone is very warm and inviting. the $ pressure is non existent. they pass a plate at service and you either give or you don't. noone pays attention at all. there is a more rocking type of service, nobody cares if someone is walking their fussy baby up and down the aisle, etc.
i don't necessarily think it is a northern vs southern thing. i think it just happens that we happen to have a huge amount of Catholic churches in this area.
edited to say oops wrong thread;)

-- Edited by Corey on Wednesday 25th of January 2012 04:27:48 PM
The last Catholic Church we were members of- we had preprinted envelopes and would receive statements about how much we'd paid in on any cgiven cycle. We'd also- mid mass- have to fill out a card once a year with how much we would give and that would be on the statement.
very $$$ driven. Big turn off.
yup we have the envelopes too - i dont use them though.
ah, just remembered the perfect example - when i was younger and still in religious ed, they used the envelopes as a way of taking our attendance at mass...and if we missed mass, we got points deducted from our religion grades - and you had to maintain a certain "GPA" to get confirmed.
eta: just to clarify, so not only was this church attendance pressure, but it was donation pressure..who in the world would hand in an empty envelope?

oh dear gussy!

i would NEVER have passed that class

too much pressure, lolol