Christians: How do you feel about churches appealing to more casual and modern crowds?

[smahala1991]

Like a more relaxed and casual atmosphere, the kind of church where everyone can dress casually, the music is more contemporary. It welcomes different types of people than most traditional churches. In my area, we do have many of these styles of churches, but most people still prefer to stick to the more conservative traditional style of churches. In my opinion, I like the style, but there are a few things I don't care about, such as encouraging people to stand and jump around. A lot of people can't do that. The more modern churches are also centered more around things religion should avoid, such as finances. They tend to offer classes like Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover and heavily ask for donations. The more modernized churches, however, are more eager to help people through food banks and clothing donations.

[BCRanger10]

I can't stand contemporary or modern "worship", because it's hardly worship at all. It's entertainment, entertainment that just has Jesus attached to it. To me, it seems more like the "invisible friend" trope that atheists blabber about rather than the revelation of a Divine Person, which one will more readily find in traditional worship.

True worship ought to plant deeper seeds in one's soul by being reverent and distinct from the world around them, by calling them to a different way of life and lifting their heart and their mind to God. The music ought to have a more sacred character to it. And if a man can't be bothered to out on a nice suit or a woman a dress, sit still for one or two hours on just one day of the week, and reflect on the greatness and majesty of God, their own sinfulness, and the price paid for their redemption, then I have to wonder what it says about what exactly a given church is aiming for and expects of its congregation.

[SaoirseS]

I work with a lot of clergy from Christian denominations, a few Rabbinates, and those of no particular faith but who believe in God in planning and conducting funerals. In my area, there are still a lot of churches that conduct traditional services, play traditional hymns. Some services are (and have always been) more spirited, such as Pentecost and Bethel AME services. Some ministers have told me they realize changing with the times is becoming an essential to acquire new members and retain them, so they are at least open to ideas to make services more meaningful to younger congregation members.

As far as dress goes, almost anything clean goes, from three-piece suits for men to dresses and fashionable hats for women to bib overalls. I think most congregations would rather their flock come as they are than to not come at all, so I see a lot more casual at church funerals. I think part of it is the current cost of dress clothing, particularly for men. I didn't realize how much men's suits worth owning that don't fall apart after two wearings cost until I got married last year. I think I almost fainted when I went with my husband to buy one. There are a lot of people that simply can't afford to drop the equivalent of a mortgage payment or more on a Sunday suit, or would rather put the money toward food, health insurance, and other necessities.

[jennifer_bloom]

I like a modern form of worship combined with a traditional view of religion. I’ve met Christians who say you do not have an obligation to serve or seek God because Jesus paid for your sins and I’ve met Christians who harass you for not going to church when you say you prefer to be religious at home and I had a pastor who was hostile and hateful towards me every time I expressed an opinion he disagreed with. I also got blacklisted from church parties because I said God cured me from all these diseases without medication and they thought I was lying. And I had my reputation ruined at three churches when guys I rejected went on a slanderous false witnessing campaigns against me to punish me for embarrassing them through my rejection of them. The bible says the very elite will be persecuted by rebellious believers because Jesus was persecuted by rebellious believers.

[LemiaOfThunder]

its cool