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As with many Christians, I have been deeply hurt by churches in the past. However, the church, locally and world-wide, is the Bride whom Christ loves (I speak as a Reformed Protestant), and I am called to love it too. It’s not just a matter of feeling; it’s also a matter of commitment. Moreover, there are simply no examples in the Bible of Christians being “lone rangers,” living as Christians without being part of a local church.

With the above said, of the family members with whom I am in touch on anything resembling a semi-regular basis, four adults (I think), including me, still go to church. I was raised in a very nominal Christian family. I think that this may have had much to do with our irregular church-going when I was a child, and the non-existence of the church in the lives of most of my family members today.

I believe that I was only actually saved six years ago, at the age of 29, largely through *directly participating* in the ministry of Evangelism Explosion. Saved through evangelism training– who would have thought? (Not that I think that’s the way to go!) I had very little stability in my Christian life (and *no* solid understanding of the importance of the church for Christians– I’m convinced there is a relation there) until I came to a healthy, warm Reformed Baptist church that taught its members about what the Bible has to say on the crucial role of the local church in the Christian’s life.

I have never been the same since that time– and all for the better. If only more of my family members would come to see their need for Christ *and* also find a church with such careful, thoughtful teaching on the *role* of the local church for Christians!

Our fellowship is now gathering with local friends for a meal, a chat, some prayer.. nothing churchy. No fixed place, time, or agenda. But that might change.

The Internet, as well, is providing welcome access to resources, ideas, spiritual creativity, encouragement and many new “virtual friends” around the globe – a participative “virtual ecclesia.” This, to me, is the most exciting new development in global faith – a truly horizontally connected global ecclesia – without walls, denominational barriers, or hierarchical layers.

I think, within a few generations, the definition of “church” will be radically different from today’s understanding. In a good way – in a fulfilled way – in a gathering way – in an organic, comprehensive, universally compassionate and non-exclusionary way. In the Jesus way.

Most of all though, I have not had, from the “churched”, a real indication that the god they make so many claims about even exists. Put simply, I’m scared of going to a church. I’m scared that I won’t find God there.

My children – daughter started going back to church in her mid 20′s and is continuing with her newest boyfriend at a new church. My two sons do not go to church.

My sister and 2 of my three brothers go to church regularly. Their wives do not go. My third brother seems to hate “religion”.

From what I can tell, one or two of my co-workers actually goes to church, the rest don’t.

I miss the great experiences I’ve had at the churches I have attended. It never occurred to me that that was a season and not going to be a permanent condition. But it was a lovely long season. And now I cannot think of a single church that I would be able to attend and commit to in some way. I hope this ‘season’ ends as well – maybe this is a refining time for the body of Christ and the Lord is cleaning up all this mess we have created in all of our denominations.

My father was a Baptist evangelist/led many to Christ through active witnesses/his siblings and families, except youngest brother, attended until their deaths or still attend/ mother attended until terminal illness prevented – she remained faithful to her Lord/ loved the television ministers

Two sisters/myself: Oldest sister, husband, children, and grandchildren all regularly attend baptist church of our parents and our childhood/ all are college graduates(including the children’s husbands and wives)/ all serve within the church in some form (several of grandchildren identified as intellectually gifted)/three of the adults participate in county jail ministries

Younger sister: She, husband, two daughters-their husbands and children attend same church as older sister/sister very committed to serious Bible study, teaching, witnessing to people she encounters, and jail ministry; oldest daughter became disillusioned when her church youth-worker dad committed adultery and left the family for the other woman after 15 years of marriage to their mother/she has not attended church in her adulthood-nor does her husband or two children

MYSELF: Attended Baptist church of childhood until married a Methodist and moved to husband’s nearby Methodist church/ very active in teaching Bible prophecy/husband was lay-leader- taught classes/two children received Christ there/ we moved to neighboring Methodist church with large youth ministry/ third child born-died while there/older members resented our input (husband lay leader….both on church committees) since we were new members/later relocated to my hometown due to mom’s terminal illness and to put two children in better school/mom died weeks afterwards/I had begun teacher college at night-husband and two teens cared for our 8-month-old/chose Baptist church uptown -soon became aware of discord in that church- grieved heavily over loss of mom–all too much- took sabbatical from church to recover…husband and I never again went full-time/teens both kept attending/daughter still attends there with her family-husband is youngest deacon for that church/she teaches kindergarten and church classes…he is bank executive and teaches church classes/our son married a church goer/now divorced-shares custody of daughter/ stopped going to church during the marriage / healing is coming- emotionally healthier than he’s been in years/youngest daughter attended same church as older siblings/ received Christ at a young age but did not join church and was not baptized/she’s in her 6th year on scholarship at University of Alabama-student assistant with Women’s basketball team/has done house church in her home/has been baptized and affiliated with a non-denomination church there/attends and participates with Baptist Student Union/at age 23..we seldom see her…communicate often by text/ diabetic with an insulin pump since age 10/intellectually gifted and a leader

Maternal side of my family is made up of relatives who all attend Baptish church. My husbands father attended Methodist church until his death/ mother stopped going years before/sibblings and families all attend regularly

I know we are in serious and changing times. God is growing a body of faithful followers who will see the ‘harvest’ is in serious jeopardy. Christianity is not just about ‘assembling yourselves’. It is about taking the strength gained from the ‘assembling’ and moving out to serve and effect the world.

My father’s side of the family has never been religious and that includes him. There was some incident before I was born where some pastor said something which offended him and he has rarely been back to church since. When I do try to invite him he either turns me down or else shows up and openly displays and attitude of “is it time to go yet?” throughout the whole service.

Both sides of my wife’s family are Baptists. Her mother regularly attended church until she died. One of her aunts still attends church while the other one watches Jerry Falwell’s son on TV and counts that as church attendance. Her cousins rarely show up for church other than Christmas and Easter.

If I see any sort of culture emerging in my area it would definitely be post-Christian. Looking around at other people my age (mid 30′s) and younger I just don’t see that many of them choosing to go to church. The general mindset seems to be that as long as you are basically “good” then you get to go to heaven. If you believe anything more theologically precise than that then you are seen as being judgmental, narrow, hateful, etc.

The churches in my area are a very mixed bag. We have some mainline protestant churches which are barely holding on and others within the same denomination which are growing; this growth is tremendously high in some cases. There are very conservative Baptist churches which scream (sometimes literally) about missions and bringing in the lost but yet have remained the same size or shrunk over the years. Churches that preach the gospel plus some form of works based salvation are common throughout all of the local evangelical denominations and some of these grow while others shrink or are stagnant. As much as I hate to admit the fun factor seems to be key to growing a congregation around here. All of the largest churches in my area have at least one service with contemporary music and casual dress and the growing churches also feature this sort of thing.

What has been sad to read in many of the posts is the sense that the church has almost chased people away and that people feel that they are better off without the community of the Body of Christ. The church is not about the building, the “institution”, or the pastor. It is first and foremost about Christ and His community. While I have many issues with most of the denominations, including my own, I would still seek out the community of believers because I believe we are called to live in community.