Effects of the recession on religious attendance

SimpleSam06

Title says it all, so what do you think it will be? Increased attendance with the hard times ahead, or reduced attendance on the basis that its pointless? I ask because I was talking to a priest the last day, and he didn't seem unduly concerned about the recession. When I asked him why he felt that way, he said "wolves at the gate bring the lambs to the shepherd".

Rev Hellfire

I think the hard times will have to get a lot harder before we see any significant change in church attendance. Sure there'll be some people who will seek comfort in the church and church affiliated charities will probably see their client-base increase. Not that we'd wish anyone such misfortune mind you.

Now a nice plague would do the trick I think...

PDN

Our attendance has increased by about 10% since the recession kicked in. But we we've been growing steadily for a number of years anyway - so it's hard to know whether you can attribute anything to the recession.

One noticeable change is the proportion of Irish first time visitors is exceeding that of non-nationals. That is different from what we've seen over the last few years.

Dades

PDN wrote: »

One noticeable change is the proportion of Irish first time visitors is exceeding that of non-nationals. That is different from what we've seen over the last few years.

Would I be right in saying you serve free tea and biscuits?

lottodrink

There's a recession??:pac:

Húrin

Given that most Irish people are functionally non-religious not for well-considered philosophical reasons but simply on account of drifting away from it in the sea of consumerism, it is obvious that some of them will rediscover meaning in churches when consumerism becomes much less of an option.

Galvasean

Once people's lives to suck watch them come crawling back..

ShoulderChip

PDN wrote: »

Our attendance has increased by about 10% since the recession kicked in. But we we've been growing steadily for a number of years anyway - so it's hard to know whether you can attribute anything to the recession.

One noticeable change is the proportion of Irish first time visitors is exceeding that of non-nationals. That is different from what we've seen over the last few years.

what do you mean by our attendance?

are you a priest?

Fanny Cradock

Galvasean wrote: »

Once people's lives to suck watch them come crawling back..

That's why we Christians instigated the financial crash and recession.

DublinWriter

Meh. Colour me cynical, but I think you'd need to have a big firey crucifix in the sky to appear to significantly increase church attendance.

I take with a pinch of salt the anecdotal tales of increased attendance as reported by people on this thread as such reports are hardly objective.

I remain unconvinced until I see some Nielsen ratings!

PDN

ShoulderChip wrote: »

what do you mean by our attendance?

are you a priest?

I'm a pastor of a church.

DublinWriter wrote:

I take with a pinch of salt the anecdotal tales of increased attendance as reported by people on this thread as such reports are hardly objective.

Well, were having to start another service at 9.30am because we can't cram any more seats into the building to accomodate the increased numbers. I don't think that's subjective.

And no, we don't serve tea & biscuits. It's the devil of a job getting the crumbs out of the carpets.

DublinWriter

PDN wrote: »

Well, were having to start another service at 9.30am because we can't cram any more seats into the building to accomodate the increased numbers.

How many people does your building normally hold?

CDfm

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Title says it all, so what do you think it will be? Increased attendance with the hard times ahead, or reduced attendance on the basis that its pointless? I ask because I was talking to a priest the last day, and he didn't seem unduly concerned about the recession. When I asked him why he felt that way, he said "wolves at the gate bring the lambs to the shepherd".

I doubt it will have much affect on attendences.

Nowdays -masses are more meditative. If it gets people thru the recession.

eoin5

People are more prone to hope and fear in those (as opposed to these) tough times. If we ever get to that stage again there will be a lot more impressionable people to enlist, but I think were very far from that point. Were not exactly talking penal law and mass rocks yet

c-note

in "o brother where art thou"
theres a scence where ulyses everitt mcgill, prays to god that his life may be saved.
he is spared, and his companions cry "its a miracle"
he calls them fools to be beliving in such things when theres
a "scientific explanation"..
his pals remind him that moments earlier he was praying:

everitt : Well any human being will, cast about
in a moment of stress. No, the fact
is, they're flooding this valley so
they can hydro-electric up the whole
durned state...
true.


the poorer you are, the more you pray.

PDN

DublinWriter wrote: »

How many people does your building normally hold?

450

aggresso

There is a misconception that the economic boom caused the decrease we have seen in the last couple of decades. I reckon that the causal link between the two goes the other was: i.e. that the decrease in religious belief and practice went a long way to permitting the economic boom.

I'd be very surprised if the crash will have any large number of people coming back into the main church (the bishop of Raphoe is working like a titan to prevent that). Our pastor friend is probably of one of those evangelical groups that always do well outside the soup kitchen.

I doubt it's anything to worry about.

PDN

aggresso wrote: »

There is a misconception that the economic boom caused the decrease we have seen in the last couple of decades. I reckon that the causal link between the two goes the other was: i.e. that the decrease in religious belief and practice went a long way to permitting the economic boom.

I'd be very surprised if the crash will have any large number of people coming back into the main church (the bishop of Raphoe is working like a titan to prevent that). Our pastor friend is probably of one of those evangelical groups that always do well outside the soup kitchen.

I doubt it's anything to worry about.

Ha ha. Considering a good proportion of our membership are professionals then the recession must be worse than we thought if it's soup kitchen time. I blame Mary Harney if doctors are taking the soup.

CDfm

PDN wrote: »

I blame Mary Harney if doctors are taking the soup.

Doctors taking the soup.Things must be bad. Do you have any scientists?

SimpleSam06

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

That's why we Christians instigated the financial crash and recession.

Ah good, somewhere we can send the bill.

taram

Well one of my friends lost her jobs, the other couldn't get one after college, and in the resulting time they had to think about things, both re-discovered religion and a year on are both quite dedicated to their churches.

I on the other hand when had time baked pies. Mmmm, pie.

Zombrex

Húrin wrote: »

Given that most Irish people are functionally non-religious not for well-considered philosophical reasons but simply on account of drifting away from it in the sea of consumerism, it is obvious that some of them will rediscover meaning in churches when consumerism becomes much less of an option.

Are you saying that people stopped going to church because they wanted to go shopping instead ... ?

Most of my friends just have lies in ... I wouldn't really call that "consumerism" (don't most shops only open at 12 noon on Sundays?)

Galvasean

Wicknight wrote: »

Are you saying that people stopped going to church because they wanted to go shopping instead ... ?

I think he was referring to material goods replacing the space once filled with religion.
Like you know when you buy something nice, you get that warm fuzzy feeling?

rainbow kirby

taram wrote: »

I on the other hand when had time baked pies. Mmmm, pie.

'Sup fellow pie-baker. Meaning can be found through pastry, not faith!

Húrin

Wicknight wrote: »

Are you saying that people stopped going to church because they wanted to go shopping instead ... ?

Most of my friends just have lies in ... I wouldn't really call that "consumerism" (don't most shops only open at 12 noon on Sundays?)

Come on Wicknight, I'm obviously talking about how the Catholic Church's cultural hegemony was replaced by that of consumer capitalism and its values.

Dades

CDfm wrote: »

Doctors taking the soup.Things must be bad. Do you have any scientists?

The scientists were only there to test the soup, not drink it. :pac:

Zombrex

Húrin wrote: »

Come on Wicknight, I'm obviously talking about how the Catholic Church's cultural hegemony was replaced by that of consumer capitalism and its values.

we have always been consumer capitalists, and I'm not sure consumer capitalism has "values" ... so again I'm not following what you mean.

Or you simply making a "shopping is the new religion and the high street is the new church" type analogy? If you are the first thing I would say is that those things don't equate.

PDN

CDfm wrote: »

Doctors taking the soup.Things must be bad. Do you have any scientists?

Very few. The odd microbiologist or two. More lawyers, accountants, teachers engineers and IT people. Must be something to do with the left brain / right brain thing.

Or maybe the scientists figured out we're putting the brainwashing potion in the soup?

aggresso

PDN wrote: »

Or maybe the scientists figured out we're putting the brainwashing potion in the soup?

No. They're just trained to think critically, rather than memorise a whole load of stuff that's set out for them.

Zombrex

aggresso wrote: »

No. They're just trained to think critically, rather than memorise a whole load of stuff that's set out for them.

don't take the bait, don't take the bait, don't take the bait .... too late ... :pac:

pH

aggresso wrote: »

No. They're just trained to think critically, rather than memorise a whole load of stuff that's set out for them.

You mean this stuff?

We Believe:

• In the verbal inspiration of the Bible.
• In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
• That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.
• That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.
• That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
• In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.
• Holiness to be God's standard of living for His people.
• In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.
• In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
• In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
• Divine healing is provided for all in the atonement.
• In the Lord's Supper and washing of the saints' feet.
• In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.
• In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked.