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as we're coming out of Covid (!) how is your church coping?

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  • 02-04-2022 2:34pm
    #1
    martinedwards
    Registered Users Posts: 2,043 ✭✭✭


    we're finding we're down from about 100 to about 60 physically in the building.

    a fair few are joining online at home, so actual "attendance" is likely 75 plus some international folk who drop in for old time's sake.

    from my viewpoint at the front (worship leader) the biggest demographic drop area is the young families, and they're starting to come back.

    we have fewer passengers... more of the active folk, so maybe a time of pruning before new growth (Hopefully!)

    how has your church fared?



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    #2
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,671 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    About the same in terms of numbers, perhaps down to about 50%. Some of these might be viewing Mass online via the streaming services, if they have IT equipment. One positive is the number of young families from a diverse background that are attending the Mass.



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    #3
    homer911
    Registered Users Posts: 5,113 ✭✭✭homer911


    Overall slightly down, but quite a few new folks have joined, so I would say its quality if not quantity. Financially, church giving has kept up largely through people taking up standing orders. Expenses down slightly. Rental income now making a comeback. We moved all our activities for young people online initially, then an extra family-type service after our main service with families socially distanced and now back in person - this has been hugely beneficial keeping families engaged. (I've heard a number of stories of churches doing nothing for children over most of the last 2 years which does not bode well).

    We started livestreaming before Covid but went more professional when it hit and made some investments. I surveyed our users and most seemed to watch our services on smart TVs which was a surprise to me. All said the sound was more important than the picture.

    Most folks are still wearing masks even though its officially optional. Not easy to sing with a mask on!



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    #4
    Jellybaby_1
    Registered Users Posts: 900 ✭✭✭Jellybaby_1


    I'd say our numbers are halved attending. We have quite a few elders without computers or internet who are feeling very forgotten. Don't know yet what the financial situation is but expecting a bad end of year report. I agree with Homer, it is essential to ensure all youth/children's groups continue because to lose them means zero future, regardless of how much rental income a parish receives.



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    #5
    Thinkingaboutit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,182 ✭✭✭Thinkingaboutit


    More people attending now at the morning Low Mass. The priest gave least possible to the authoritarian measures, but the attention from AGS was polite, a contrast to Athlone, which must be a place where they sent bent Gardaí. Given people screaming from flats in Shanghai we can plausibly look forward to a return to COVID measures.



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