I'm not a Telegraph reader nor do I like where the present stream inside the Church of England is heading us towards. The collar isn't about being collared
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I'd have thought you'd be delighted that someone in the Church is trying to get a new generation of church goers to go through the door. What's the alternative? Doing the same as they've always done, alienating would-be worshippers? Being a staid, po-faced institution has already seen the decline of the number of churches; why do you think they are closing? Where I work, I see two former churches. One is now a charity shop, the other a buddist temple. Why have they closed as churches? Because lesser numbers want to get bored half to death listening to an old codger droning on.
@jackieash Are you actually within the institution? Are you actually dealing with matters concerning parishioners on local level? I'm sure that you wouldn't insult all of us then. Yes, it's indeed insulting to think that the actual message of the Gospel goes neatly into Tiktok postings. It doesn't. Why are churches closing? That's because near to no-one is actually fighting for what there was before and all are now just lazily thinking that having faith is all about self and one's own needs. I'm all for female priests but this stupidity is a bridge too far. We need to gather the wagons around instead of actual stearing into the abyss of non-religious groupies. I can point to several mainly methodist outreach programs that don't go for the easy picture but actually work
@val70 No, no no. The reason why churches are closing is because attendances are falling, across all denomitations. And no, I haven't insulted anyone. That sounds more like I've hit a raw nerve. If Tik tok leads to more people attending your services, I don't think you'd be complaining too much. Give it a go.
@SpudMuffin Courtesy, mind you, it's related to the classical concept of the Graces (Charites) in Greek mythology, goddesses of beauty and charm, and the mystical idea of God's infinite courtesy, as described by Julian of Norwich
@jackieash Nah, I'm just living the good life here. I'm sure that you're young and experienced enough to be fooled. Go ahead. You have your day and that will pass too. Give it a go. I'll be still here working away at actually helping people
@val70 So you admit free thinking hurts you? Wow, that is a confession and a half. Maybe it's your type of "christianity" and "faith" that has helped to drive people away from the church? I see you haven't really answered the question about why churches are seeing numbers continuing to fall, rather you gave a mealy mouthed answer "people are too self centred", which does nothing to reverse the trend. Open your mind and accept new methods. Your "god" would thank you. Is it not about spreading the word? Tik tok is one such way to do it. You're welcome.
@jackieash And as a member of the Church of England I posted this because I know that TikTok on itself won't make a difference. Only being radical in the sense that Christ was. Young people aren't children
@val70 Well then, ask the lady vicar why the C of E is going down this route. No one actually knows if tik tok or other social media will help. But it can't do any harm. What is there to lose? Nothing! What is there to gain? Who knows! :)
@jackieash It's seriously about resources. To go out all day on the street won't harm, and perhaps help more. I'm speaking from experience here. There are far better results in getting people off the street than taking them from the net. I know of people who are teachers and their only bible groups are filled with ex-pupils of theirs only. Even moms who were pupils of the teacher bring their kid along to these online events. I know from years of experience
@val70 Surely the point is that you attract as many people as possible by any means possible, and going online and using social media can only help. I see many representatives of various churches in the street and they struggle to get any attention at all. I can't see anything wrong in going online to attract people to attend, and that is what the point of all this is. As we said earlier, churches are closing because fewer people are interacting with them. It is not a new problem, either. Look at the lyrics of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" about "Father McKenzie". Churches were struggling to retain attending people then, and it has continued to decline.
@jackieash Nope, that's not the idea. The attractional church model is struggling because culture has shifted, making its consumer-focused, entertainment-driven approach less effective as people seek authenticity and deeper spiritual connection, not just a reflection of secular culture or flashy events. Key reasons include a spiritually open but skeptical audience (especially younger generations), the move of church exploration online, the unsustainability and cost of constant programming, and a failure to equip members for mission, leading to members outgrowing the model and non-believers finding it inauthentic or unfulfilling
@val70 The point is that the "traditional" way of attracting and retaining generations of church members is no longer attractive and that is why church membership is continuing to drop. And the reason? The message is not getting across. Social media is just a way of opening the door to new generation of would be members and new ideas, which it needs to survive. It might not be the "traditional" way, but new traditions can take shape.
@jackieash Well, that's again saying the same thing. I mentioned what my position is and gave you the most recent information from within the bunker. The attractional church model as shown in the orginal picture is no good, actually bad because it wastes energy and money
