Use of Church Buildings and Day of Week to Meet for Worship

[Sudsy]

America’s aging houses of worship face a stark choice: sell, redevelop, or pray for a miracle.
https://slate.com/business/2023/07/chur ... erian.html

It is a story replaying over and over in cities across the United States, where older churches have been hammered by neighborhood change and maintenance costs, coinciding with a national trend of plummeting religious attendance across faiths. Over the past decade, the share of Americans who attend weekly services at a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple has fallen to 30 percent, after hovering for half a century at 40 percent. Overall membership has fallen even more precipitously, and less than half of Americans now say they “belong” to a religious organization. A pair of studies has suggested that thousands of U.S. churches close each year (though a smaller, significant number are founded).

It's not just in cities, rural churches have the same problems. It does present opportunities for churches that are growing or expanding to new areas. I know of numerous Anabaptist churches that are using churches that were no longer needed by other denominations, in cities and towns and rural areas.

We have an Anabaptist group (Mennonite of some sort) that recently bought a bowling alley that they made into a church building. I am curious what those renovations look like but not bold enough to drop in and see. I wonder if they kept a couple bowling lanes for entertainment. I would not be surprised that a Pentecostal church might, considering all the accommodations they are making in their church buildings.

[RZehr]

It's not just in cities, rural churches have the same problems. It does present opportunities for churches that are growing or expanding to new areas. I know of numerous Anabaptist churches that are using churches that were no longer needed by other denominations, in cities and towns and rural areas.

We have an Anabaptist group (Mennonite of some sort) that recently bought a bowling alley that they made into a church building. I am curious what those renovations look like but not bold enough to drop in and see. I wonder if they kept a couple bowling lanes for entertainment. I would not be surprised that a Pentecostal church might, considering all the accommodations they are making in their church buildings.

Be bold.

[Josh]

The Oneness Pentecostals around here frequently buy up derelict church buildings and do renovations to them. They’re popping up all over the place lately and seem to have won quite a few concerts in our middle and high school. I feel their young people when I see them in town give off a good testimony.

[ohio jones]

We have an Anabaptist group (Mennonite of some sort) that recently bought a bowling alley that they made into a church building. I am curious what those renovations look like but not bold enough to drop in and see. I wonder if they kept a couple bowling lanes for entertainment. I would not be surprised that a Pentecostal church might, considering all the accommodations they are making in their church buildings.

Be bold.

Better yet, be bowled.

[Sudsy]

We have an Anabaptist group (Mennonite of some sort) that recently bought a bowling alley that they made into a church building. I am curious what those renovations look like but not bold enough to drop in and see. I wonder if they kept a couple bowling lanes for entertainment. I would not be surprised that a Pentecostal church might, considering all the accommodations they are making in their church buildings.

Be bold.

Better yet, be bowled.

Well, I drive by this new church often and I think I will stop in sometime on a week day if a car or two are in the parking lot. I have done bolder things. It must be my age.

[cooper]

One of my biggest complaints about Plain Anabaptists and their church buildings is that they only use the auditoriums a few hours per week. (The majority only use the rest of their buildings a few hours per week as well. A minority use the rest of the building as a private school. Daycare use is not needed as mothers are taught to stay at home and care for their families.)

I wish Anabaptists would let other congregations use their buildings at a different time on Sunday without seeing it as a threat. (Mormons in Utah have up to 6 congregations meeting at one building on Sunday.) Doing so would be much better stewardship of resources IMO.

I was reading Cumberland Valley history and was surprised to read the (now) Cumberland Valley churches met at Reiffs and Clear Spring on alternating Sundays for several years after the split. This was surprising to me since the split was so acrimonious.

[Ernie]

One of my biggest complaints about Plain Anabaptists and their church buildings is that they only use the auditoriums a few hours per week. (The majority only use the rest of their buildings a few hours per week as well. A minority use the rest of the building as a private school. Daycare use is not needed as mothers are taught to stay at home and care for their families.)

I wish Anabaptists would let other congregations use their buildings at a different time on Sunday without seeing it as a threat. (Mormons in Utah have up to 6 congregations meeting at one building on Sunday.) Doing so would be much better stewardship of resources IMO.

I was reading Cumberland Valley history and was surprised to read the (now) Cumberland Valley churches met at Reiffs and Clear Spring on alternating Sundays for several years after the split. This was surprising to me since the split was so acrimonious.

The Weaverland and Groffdale conference have been doing this for nearly 100 years in some buildings in Lancaster.

[JayP]

Even Norte Dame in Paris eventually needed an update. And that tower in Pisa needs a level.

[Judas Maccabeus]

America’s aging houses of worship face a stark choice: sell, redevelop, or pray for a miracle.
https://slate.com/business/2023/07/chur ... erian.html

It is a story replaying over and over in cities across the United States, where older churches have been hammered by neighborhood change and maintenance costs, coinciding with a national trend of plummeting religious attendance across faiths. Over the past decade, the share of Americans who attend weekly services at a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple has fallen to 30 percent, after hovering for half a century at 40 percent. Overall membership has fallen even more precipitously, and less than half of Americans now say they “belong” to a religious organization. A pair of studies has suggested that thousands of U.S. churches close each year (though a smaller, significant number are founded).

It's not just in cities, rural churches have the same problems. It does present opportunities for churches that are growing or expanding to new areas. I know of numerous Anabaptist churches that are using churches that were no longer needed by other denominations, in cities and towns and rural areas.

One of our congregations just bought one, Presbyterian, I think. I heard the price and it struck me as almost a giveaway.

We also have one meeting in a renovated former fire station. I understand it is working well, but I wonder if it had fire poles, and they left it in place. We have another meeting in a former Polish National Catholic Church. That needed a bit of repair, but is working out well.

My home church was once a German Reformed church. It was massively renovated by others. Now we use it 6 days a week, school and church. We are totally out of space.

[Judas Maccabeus]

One of my biggest complaints about Plain Anabaptists and their church buildings is that they only use the auditoriums a few hours per week. (The majority only use the rest of their buildings a few hours per week as well. A minority use the rest of the building as a private school. Daycare use is not needed as mothers are taught to stay at home and care for their families.)

I wish Anabaptists would let other congregations use their buildings at a different time on Sunday without seeing it as a threat. (Mormons in Utah have up to 6 congregations meeting at one building on Sunday.) Doing so would be much better stewardship of resources IMO.

I was reading Cumberland Valley history and was surprised to read the (now) Cumberland Valley churches met at Reiffs and Clear Spring on alternating Sundays for several years after the split. This was surprising to me since the split was so acrimonious.

The Weaverland and Groffdale conference have been doing this for nearly 100 years in some buildings in Lancaster.

I know of at least one OGBB old conference and OGBB (New Conference) congregations that are alternating.