If you were a regular church-goer before the pandemic, how do you feel about returning to church?

[Anonymous]

We kept up with online service and have been meeting (virtually and IRL) with friends from church. I personally don't need to go to service in person and I like the convenience of online service.

But, I really value the Sunday school program, and value my child being part of that community and known to members of the church. So, I'm ready to go back as soon as Sunday school resumes in person. My church has not yet said when that will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here --

Just for the record, I'm not any of the PPs saying that you need community for spirituality or worship.

But, riffing on that for a bit -- what do we mean when we talk about community in the context of religion or spirituality? Our church is a large one with a sense of bustle and activity and perhaps even "eliteness" in some sense. That part has always left me cold. I do think, however, that the church community can be a force for good and can be caring when members find themselves in need of aid. But I also know those things can be found elsewhere. What do you value in your faith community? What are you looking for that you might not find there? What are other communities where you've found those things?

OP I really relate to your post. Lifelong church-goer (father was a minister, no choice growing up) but in adulthood found my way back when I was able to make that choice. Have kids that loved church, it's seeing friends and activities and youth group. Of course all that went away. To your original questino, yes, I'm having trouble getting back to getting up on Sunday mornings and going, bc it's just the service and not stuff before (we have Sunday School, but it was really just a group that liked to sit around and catch up with each other!). They became my 3am friends: you can call any of these people at any time and ask any favor and we have done that for each other (3am, husband rushing to ER, can you take my kid? Yep). I think by seeing these people 1/2 times per week for 2 decades built up that community like no other. Jobs, people in/out. Happens in church too, but not as much for me as my co-workers.

I have a group of 4/5 friends who are this community for me. And a larger group of people, younger and older, that care about me, my kids as if we were family (none of our family lives in the area). I have people that are my emergency contact for school etc. I'm not sure I would have this without finding it in an organized religious community.

Now to get back to organized church services is another thing. It's gotten too easy to stay in pj's and not go!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here --

Just for the record, I'm not any of the PPs saying that you need community for spirituality or worship.

But, riffing on that for a bit -- what do we mean when we talk about community in the context of religion or spirituality? Our church is a large one with a sense of bustle and activity and perhaps even "eliteness" in some sense. That part has always left me cold. I do think, however, that the church community can be a force for good and can be caring when members find themselves in need of aid. But I also know those things can be found elsewhere. What do you value in your faith community? What are you looking for that you might not find there? What are other communities where you've found those things?

OP I really relate to your post. Lifelong church-goer (father was a minister, no choice growing up) but in adulthood found my way back when I was able to make that choice. Have kids that loved church, it's seeing friends and activities and youth group. Of course all that went away. To your original questino, yes, I'm having trouble getting back to getting up on Sunday mornings and going, bc it's just the service and not stuff before (we have Sunday School, but it was really just a group that liked to sit around and catch up with each other!). They became my 3am friends: you can call any of these people at any time and ask any favor and we have done that for each other (3am, husband rushing to ER, can you take my kid? Yep). I think by seeing these people 1/2 times per week for 2 decades built up that community like no other. Jobs, people in/out. Happens in church too, but not as much for me as my co-workers.

I have a group of 4/5 friends who are this community for me. And a larger group of people, younger and older, that care about me, my kids as if we were family (none of our family lives in the area). I have people that are my emergency contact for school etc. I'm not sure I would have this without finding it in an organized religious community.

Now to get back to organized church services is another thing. It's gotten too easy to stay in pj's and not go!

It sort of sounds like you got what you needed from church (a few dependable friends) so don't need church any more. Is that right?

[Anonymous]

We are back at our wonderful Presbyterian church! Sunday school is outside for the young kids since they aren't vaccinated yet.

It feels great to be back and we are at normal numbers for the summer.

[Anonymous]

Online is more convenient

[Anonymous]

We've been back at church since June 2020. (Until recently it was very limited capacity for social distancing). It didn't affect our desire to attend at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been regular church-goers and active in our church community for 20 years. During the pandemic the church did youtube services, but I just couldn't get into them. Now in-person services are starting again and I have zero interest in attending. It's not that I've lost my faith in God or some higher being that is loving kindness, but I just don't see the connection between that faith and church services or activities. Does anyone else feel this way or have you ever felt this way? How did you journey forward?

I’ve always distinguished between faith and practice. And services are only part of practice. I don’t think skipping it means anyone is less faithful. But I do miss that part. I am eager to return because I think that there’s value in the community and can’t yet due to a health issue.

If you are a Christian, you need to read the New Testament. Meeting together is absolutely an important part of the faith.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been regular church-goers and active in our church community for 20 years. During the pandemic the church did youtube services, but I just couldn't get into them. Now in-person services are starting again and I have zero interest in attending. It's not that I've lost my faith in God or some higher being that is loving kindness, but I just don't see the connection between that faith and church services or activities. Does anyone else feel this way or have you ever felt this way? How did you journey forward?

I’ve always distinguished between faith and practice. And services are only part of practice. I don’t think skipping it means anyone is less faithful. But I do miss that part. I am eager to return because I think that there’s value in the community and can’t yet due to a health issue.

If you are a Christian, you need to read the New Testament. Meeting together is absolutely an important part of the faith.

Without the expectation of seeing the same people every week and making an annual pledge donation, a lot of people might stop going and become spiritual but not religious, or atheist.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t attended mass regularly in a year and a half. I was sick with Covid for 5 weeks in the spring of 2020, so I’m fairly traumatized and have no interest in being anywhere inside for an extended period of time - restaurant, movie theater,
gym etc. I do miss going to mass with my kids. Our Sunday school program is supposed to start up again in October. I’m looking forward to it, but realize that I should have no expectations bc of the virus. Then again I don’t look forward to going back to a crazy life of running around with the kids on the weekends. I’ve been praying via Zoom with fellow parishioners which I have enjoyed and has more than made up for mass.