I have written in the past about how fewer people are attending mass at all and/or on a regular basis. I kept wondering what people are looking for from their church and why is it they are not apparently finding it. Either their needs have changed or the churches aren’t meeting them.
I think people come to church services for a number of reasons. One important reason though is they want a sense of community and a reassurance that there are others who believe and who are trying be better people. To take this a step further, they are looking to be in relationship with others who have a similar view of the world.
I might even go to say that they are looking for intimate relationships. Intimate in that there is an implied sharing where those who attend reveal themselves as believers and as humans on a collective journey. So do churches foster this opportunity in what they do? Do they create an atmosphere of trust, safety, welcoming and honesty? Do people feel comfortable being who they are and expressing themselves? Is there a purposeful effort to create an atmosphere of emotion and reflection?
The other possibility is that people should want this and maybe unconsciously know they need this, but don’t want to invest themselves. They are unwilling to take the risk to open themselves to others and their faith and so when they go to services, it’s like watching bad TV for them. There are no stunts, the action is very predicable and the actors are not of star quality.
I have suggested that churches should be more intentional about building social relationships. My suggestions have been countered with the idea that people have enough to do in their lives already and don’t need the church to provide them with more things to do. The make their friends on the soccer sidelines, ice arenas and neighborhoods and won’t be interested in coming to low social risk events to meet people who attend the same church.
So where does all this amateur analysis leave us? People aren’t coming to church because they have no personal connection, when they do come there isn’t enough done to emotionally engage them and they have their social needs met with other institutions and won’t participate in social activities at church so as to create personal connections.
I guess I think something needs to change or things will stay on their current downward trend. I am thinking there either needs to be more attempts to turn strangers (who sit next to one another) into friends during the service – maybe take a minute or two before the service and have everybody say hi to one another. I also think the leader must make his or her own emotional investment in the service. They must create an intimacy by fully revealing themselves.
