 Posted Thursday, April 24, 2008 4:41 AM
|
|
|
|
Last night, I attended a CS church in a large metro area (population probably 500,000) and there were FOUR people in the pews at the Weds Evening Meeting. FOUR! (Five if you count the usher.) This area is known for its youthful population and I was very surprised to see such a modest gathering.
For a time, I know that CS churches were waning and I'm wondering if that is still true.
Anonymouse
|
|
|
Posted Thursday, April 24, 2008 12:51 PM
|
|
|
|
| The CS Church is continuing to shrink.
|
|
|
Posted Friday, April 25, 2008 1:35 AM
|
|
|
|
| [Moderator's note: message deleted by IleftCSin74's special request]
|
|
|
Posted Friday, April 25, 2008 8:28 PM
|
|
|
|
| Moderator's note: This is Post #14494, by "A watchful Christian Scientist." It was originally posted in the "Christian Colleges" thread. This is my first posting to this page. I am a Christian Scientist. I happen to know a lot about the church in Pasadena, CA of which Mark speaks about. I know his facts to be incorrect and exaggerated. The church, at the time it was built in 1910 sat 1220. Today, after a major renovation back to its original beauty now seats 900 since some pews were removed. We have a nicely balanced membership of seniors and middle-aged people and young people and a somewhat active Sunday School. Are Sunday attendence adverages about 110 and about 70-80 on a Wednesday evening. We have ample funds to meet our needs and I can assure Mark that no one is throwing in huge checks into the church coffers on Sunday. By the way, Mark, we don't take a collection on Wednesday nights. You need to read your Manual more thoroughly.
Your stepdad did a wonderful job of reading. As a matter of fact, his readership is what attracted me to attend the Pasadena church. And your mother does much good in this church and blesses many people with her kindness and love.
I do wish you would be a bit more gentle about comments regarding your mother. She's a very loved member of this church.
Signed, A watchful Christian Scientist
|
|
|
Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 2:59 PM
|
|
|
|
| [Moderator's note: message deleted by IleftCSin74's special request]
|
|
|
Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 4:34 PM
|
|
|
|
Guy (or Mark),
Then, what do you make of the effort by the Mother Church to host a lot of youth conferences called Spiritual Activist Conferences. In April TMC had conferences in London, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Houston. It 's hard to tell from their website www.tmcyouth.com how many young people between the ages of 12 and 30 attended. Does anybody have any ideas of what they are trying to accomplish and whether it can succeed?
Steve
|
|
|
Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 7:21 PM
|
|
|
|
| From what I can tell, it is just another name for Christian Science Lecture, but they have several going on in the same afternoon. I even saw a buffet line!!!!!
|
|
|
Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:23 PM
|
|
|
|
| [Moderator's note: message deleted by IleftCSin74's special request]
|
|
|
Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:28 PM
|
|
|
|
| [Moderator's note: message deleted by IleftCSin74's special request]
|
|
|
Posted Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:31 AM
|
|
|
|
The Church has been resting on its laurels for some time, probably way too long. Is it too little, too late? Actually, the CS Church made a big recruiting effort in the 1990's and early 2000's under the leadership of Board of Directors Chairman Virginia Harris. The Church started selling S&H in secular bookstores and started marketing it as a self-help book for a host of everyday problems (marriage, finances, relationships, you name it). It also courted New Age seekers. For some details, see the "Mainstreaming the Church" section of my article, Christian Science: Attempting a Comeback which was published in 2001. The CS Church continued to decline despite Virgina Harris' efforts.
|
|
|
|