I agree. If you look at Southeast Christian's prime membership growth, it was back when Southern Bapist Churches and the Archdiocese of Louisville were both lead by (in many people's opinion) very wishy-washy, don't offend anyone with the truth type of leaders. When the Southern Baptist Convention had it's revolution and later when Archbishop Kelly retired and Archbishop Kurtz assumed the leadership role of the Archdiocese, the growth of Southeast Christian slowed dramatically. The damage was already done to the Archdiocese of Louisville, several Catholic Churches were closed and many others don't have near the number of parishoners they used to. The joke is that Southeast Christian is Louisville's largest Catholic Church due to the thousands of baptized Catholics who now go there instead.

 

Not meaning to side track this Bert but I would describe the SBC change as a takeover rather than revolution.

We will disagree to a degree. The way the message is delivered always matters - at Mass or in life. I don't even see how that's debatable. The "fire" or "passion" keeps people engaged. Again, I'm not sure how that's debatable. Take two people talking - one is droning on in a monotone voice and the other is enthusiastic and engaging. What person has a better chance of getting the message across?

 

Boring priests , as good as they are as human beings and as devoted as they are to the Church, without question have a negative impact on the Mass especially to those who are wavering or just getting into the faith.

 

You're looking at it through the lens of someone who is already passionate and fully devoted to the Church no matter what - you! I'm saying take a step back and let's talk about what MAY be hurting the cause of retaining and/or acquiring younger parishoners. You're already where we want people to be. Saying "do what I do" isn't always enough.

 

But if it was because of boring priests the church wouldn't have been around for more than 2000 years. That's not why millennials are leaving IMO. That's what's debatable. I think it has more to do with them being a generation of instant gratification. I think it has more to do with their disconnect between science and religion. I think it has more to do with their political beliefs versus their religious beliefs. I think it has more to do with what they learn and hear in high school and college or from the media about the church. I believe all of these reasons have a lot more to do with millennials leaving the Catholic faith than boring priests. It's not about how the message is being delivered to them, it's about other messages that they're getting from other sources. I recently saw an article on why young people are leaving the church. It said 50% or more of those interviewed who have left the Church had stopped believing in what the Catholic Church teaches and that they did not like the Catholic Church's rules and judgmental approach. It's not because priests aren't dynamic enough.

Is it just millennials? I thought church attendance was down in general.

 

The mini-doomers are actually much better about attending Church than Mr. and Mrs. doomer. We find a mass and priest we like, where love is the message, then they are gone. We are not hellfire and brimstone kind of people nor do we want to be involved in a cult-like environment. When the church, any church backs up and takes their message too literal and too self-serving, we are lost. I only offer this, as I wonder if this is how others feels who have wandered away from church but not away from God.

Is it just millennials? I thought church attendance was down in general.

 

The mini-doomers are actually much better about attending Church than Mr. and Mrs. doomer. We find a mass and priest we like, where love is the message, then they are gone. We are not hellfire and brimstone kind of people nor do we want to be involved in a cult-like environment. When the church, any church backs up and takes their message too literal and too self-serving, we are lost. I only offer this, as I wonder if this is how others feel who have wandered away from church but not away from God.

Here are some of my thoughts.

 

If you aren't squirming in the church pew and it ain't getting a little "uncomfortable", at least every once in a while, then it's because of one, or a combination of 3 reasons.

 

1. You are living the perfect life...and, well since we know that's not happening for anyone we have to discount that as a reason reason. However, with that said there are actually some that think they ARE living an almost perfect life and don't need to do anything more, so I guess in a way it is a reason.

 

2. You are completely tuned out. That's a very likely possibility for some.

 

3. The pastor isn't doing his job. Re: Joel Osteen. (I'm sure that will spark some comments).

 

Fact is, we ALL SHOULD feel uncomfortable from time to time because we all fall short and need to be reminded, hopefully spurring us to better. With that, being told how much we all fall short and being beat over the head with it at every turn with every sermon is a sure fire way to not have a congregation and not grow the church/individual place of worship as well.

 

This has been mentioned previously, but it bears to be mentioned again...it's not ALL about what the church can do for you, it's about what are you doing for the church, and in essence, Christ. Christ came...he served...he was called to Heaven, and he left us instructions, called the "great commision". Most on here probably know what that is, but if you don't I will let @Hatz (or someone else) explain it as he can probably do it much more eloquently than I, but essentially it calls for us to serve, so now it's our turn. So serving is about being selfless and doing for others. As a comparison, look at the very first post and see what millennials are saying. I don't "feel" this, I'm not "getting" that...me me me, I I I. We are going more and more toward a culture (I think) that doesn't understand indivdual self sacrifice and doing for others because many are so wrapped up in themselves and "whats in it for me" attitude.

 

Now, with that said I am going to disagree slightly with RTS. The church needs dynamic speakers/worship leaders. The church (speaking more along the lines of individual worship facilities here) also should offer things to it's members that are interesting, fun, and help draw and retain membership and help meet some of the needs of it's congregation. If speaking the word of God was enough (and I'm not saying it shouldn't be but we have to live in the real human world here) then setting out 5 gallon buckets in the middle of a plowed tobacco field with a Pastor preaching from the bible should draw thousands every Sunday. But we know that's just not happening, at least not in this country anyway. Now I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of "mega churches" but having a nice facility (nice, not "opulent") that offers a variety of activities/groups for it's members is not only fine, but needed. There's a line there for sure, it may be wider for some and thinner for others.

 

Anyway, those are my opinions.

I am a millennial, and I am a practicing Catholic. I go to church every Sunday and every once in a while during the week (I should probably go more often, but often a little more sleep before work wins out). My opinion, much like others here, is that people want to be spectators as opposed to being participants. People naturally want to "get" something out of the service (which is not a bad thing), but the primary reason for being there should be to give of ourselves in worship. I have talked to many friends and family who have fallen away from the church because "they just don't get anything out of it". I truly believe that you get out of your faith what you put in. It is like anything else in life, the more you know about something the more you will get out of it. For example, I put in a lot of time researching NFL players before my fantasy draft because I want to win the championship. Each week of the season I spend a little too much time researching the match-ups because I want to win. I love fantasy football because I put a lot into it and I feel like I understand it. The same goes with Kentucky basketball. I follow the current players, the recruits, the former players, and I love watching them play. I enjoy Kentucky basketball because of the time and research that I have put in to it. What if we put the same amount of time understanding our faith as we do our favorite sports teams? How many times have you heard somebody say "I don't understand why the church does this or why the church believes that"? How often are we truly looking for the answer to those questions as opposed to throwing them out there as excuses to not be actively involved in our faith? I think the reason that many people are falling away from the church has less to do with the church and more to do with the people. I think as a culture we have become very selfish and tend to make things about ourselves (myself included), as opposed to realizing the reason we are at church has less to do with us and more to do with HIM.

We will disagree to a degree. The way the message is delivered always matters - at Mass or in life. I don't even see how that's debatable. The "fire" or "passion" keeps people engaged. Again, I'm not sure how that's debatable. Take two people talking - one is droning on in a monotone voice and the other is enthusiastic and engaging. What person has a better chance of getting the message across?

 

Boring priests , as good as they are as human beings and as devoted as they are to the Church, without question have a negative impact on the Mass especially to those who are wavering or just getting into the faith.

You're looking at it through the lens of someone who is already passionate and fully devoted to the Church no matter what - you! I'm saying take a step back and let's talk about what MAY be hurting the cause of retaining and/or acquiring younger parishoners. You're already where we want people to be. Saying "do what I do" isn't always enough.

 

We had a couple of Indian priests at our church for a while. Great guys, but very hard to understand. Lot's of folks went elsewhere because of it.

We had a couple of Indian priests at our church for a while. Great guys, but very hard to understand. Lot's of folks went elsewhere because of it.

 

I'm one of those that went elsewhere. Couldn't understand a word they were saying and it was very frustrating.

Ugh, I miss our Indian priest. He was one of the most genuine, rosary carrying, prayer mumbling, slightly scary, religious guys I ever met….

 

With that said, I totally agree with the boring, non-dynamic, and I’ll add… agenda pushing priests. We have one and sometimes I can hardly stand to go to church.

We had a couple of Indian priests at our church for a while. Great guys, but very hard to understand. Lot's of folks went elsewhere because of it.

 

I'm one of those that went elsewhere. Couldn't understand a word they were saying and it was very frustrating.

 

All it took for me was to give the guy a little time. Actually, it was to give me a little time and low and behold I was able to understand him. Everyone deserves a chance. I miss the guy now, he was a wonderful priest.

All it took for me was to give the guy a little time. Actually, it was to give me a little time and low and behold I was able to understand him. Everyone deserves a chance. I miss the guy now, he was a wonderful priest.

 

I gave them all the chances they needed. I never left. We stuck with it. Never could understand him while he was in church speaking. Just not good acoustics for this old man.

We had a couple of Indian priests at our church for a while. Great guys, but very hard to understand. Lot's of folks went elsewhere because of it.

 

Maybe he was speaking in tongues.

I gave them all the chances they needed. I never left. We stuck with it. Never could understand him while he was in church speaking. Just not good acoustics for this old man.

 

At least you didn't bail. Maybe having a principal with a thick Irish brofue for 8 years helped me in understanding someone with a different accent.

I get some of you wanting a more dynamic priest/reverend/etc, but it's an extremely lazy and poor excuse to leave the church. And, at the end of the day, that's all it is. An excuse.

I get some of you wanting a more dynamic priest/reverend/etc, but it's an extremely lazy and poor excuse to leave the church. And, at the end of the day, that's all it is. An excuse.

 

I didn't say I left the church; i just stopped going to that particular church.