Church In the New Century: What Is Church Hopping and Why Is It So Popular?
Posted: Sunday, June 18, 2006
by Laura Trahan
OK, I was sitting with another mom at a tee ball game recently when we began discussing church. I was a little in awe as I listened to how she was involved in four churches. She attended one church on Sunday, took her kids to another church for their kids’ Bible study programs, attended another church for her Ladies Bible Study and taught school at yet another church. “So I figure I am pretty safe," she said jokingly. “I have Baptist, Bible, Methodist and Presbyterian. I have it all covered."
This past year I attended two events at other area churches. I felt guilty, like I was betraying my own church. But once I got to the events, I was shocked to see how many people from my own church were also at the other church’s event. I have quickly come to realize that in this day and age, with churches competing with one another, church hopping has become a major occurrence.
So I am not writing this article as a mode of sharing research or enlightening those reading this. It is more of a research article. Since 95 percent of all Americans profess to being Christian, I want to get your opinion on this topic. I want to know how church is viewed across the country.
So here are the questions. I am asking that you leave your responses in the comment section to maybe spark some discussion and offer insight to me about church hopping.
- Do you have a church that you consider home?
- How many churches do you attend?
- Would you consider or feel guilty about attending another church for programs or events? What type of programs would you look for?
- Would you stick to a specific denomination or are you open to other denominations?
- What do you think the long-term effects are of the practice of attending more than one church (or are there any)?
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)I don't think I'd call that "church hopping", more like "church sharing". I belong to a specific church, but I feel absolutely no guilt about attending other churchs' events. Often different churches have different strengths, it actually makes me more likely to stay at my church, I appreciate what my church does well & get the "fix" for whatever else that other church does better without having to leave my church. I think it is important to have a primary connection at one church.
I heard a preacher say once. "You are the church" I believe God created the world. the world is his church. I feel guilt when I do somethig wrong, not when I worship God. My parents believed in one church and religion all their lives. I may be wrong, but I'm open to all religions, and beliefs. i believe thats what god put us here for. Not to accept but to question. I also believe to live with God is not to obey his rules, but to know in our hearts his rules are rightious.
Laura, I am like Jean, I do not feel that example is 'church hopping.' And as David eluded, the church is inside each of us but I do understand your questions. We must fellowship with one another and that is referred to as the church as well, a physical building. I would feel guilty attending an event at another church if the same type of event was taking place at the church where I have membership. If there are no services, events or programs being held at my church and I was invited or wanted to attend a service etc. elsewhere, I would not feel guilty or condemned by it. Personally, I could not do what the lady in your story does. I'm fortunate to be spiritually fed where I attend. I believe that is what the Bible means by being equally yoked so that there would not be a division among families when it came to spiritual nourishment. When people from different faiths marry, that immediately creates dissention and not unity. I see it too often. A family should worship together. I feel denominations are a religious thing and not a spirtual one. The Bible doesn't speak of denominations. I am prefer to worship where the Word of God is taught and it builds me up where I am weak and corrects me where my weaknesses lie. If that happens in a mosque, during mass or at a Methodist, Episcopal etc. church, I am can use the message in a pragmatic way. A great article and thank you for asking the questions you did. Oh yes, I feel church hopping is actually joining church after church after church and never really settling in with the body of Christ. I know people who do that for one reason or another. Usually it's because they don't get their way.
This article gave me food for thought, I attended a church faithfully for 9 years when my two grandchildren came to live with me. then because that church was not attending to the spiritual needs to me and the children now growing older and becoming teenagers.. I searched for another church that could and would allow them the opportunity to interact with other kids their own age and that also believed in teaching from scripture. That the pastor was a man that God was moving thru to help his congregation to grow in their walk with Jesus Christ daily. I prayed about it for several months, so we changed churches, now after only 1 1/2 years, i find that there are clicques in this church, and that most of the teenagers activities are geared to the kids who come from more affluent families, and are included in activities that personally I'm unable to afford financially. sking. camping trips.. going to activities that invovled motels and expences that I'm just not able to afford on my income.. and those activities that some of the youth get to be included in have not helped in my situation. So now i'm trying to find another church where all the youth are included in spite of the money in their parents bank account.. A part of me feels like a traitor or that i need to get another job, a second job to allow my two to be included in those activities.. I thought church was a place to feed people, old, young on anywhere in between.. the word of God and that everyone needed to be included in activities if they so choose.. pray for me we live in a small town in SE Tennessee.. God is in control and I know that I will find just the right place for us as a family. God will provide..
We are suppose to fellowship. No church belongs to anyone the church belongs to God. I dont understand where people got the word church hopping from. Jesus travel many places through out the bible. Some people minstries is out in the streets. If we stay close up in the church, how can we reach the people out in the street. How can we fellowship with other people if we dont go any where. God is everywhere, He is not only at one church. Sometime you have to go out because God might have a word for you to give another church and how iks you gonna give it if you are not there. If the churches would come together on one accord and just stay in the word of God. They would get out of this judgemental spirit and just be happy you attended church. There are to many busy bodies in the church. All churches dont have thing for children and if you have a child that wanna go to a church that you are dont a member there if they are teaching the true word of God let your child go. There are too many church stuck on traditional church. They way time is it cant be church as usually anymore. People are looking for something from God and if you cant get it where you are. Maybe your season is up. Sometimes you are only there for a season. PEOPLE of GOD, Just preach the word and God will do the rest. Only God can change people so people stop being a busy body and just do the will of God and I promise you. You wont have time to worry about anythinh else and if you think they are wrong PRAAAAAAAAAAAAAY for them and STOP PREEEEEEEEEEEEYing on them.
We are One Body in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Amen to the person that called church hopping "church sharing." The Bible never tells us to commit to only one segregated congregation, but people do - the same people that tell us to only get information from the Bible. Weird, right? Perhaps we've been wrong all these years. Visit and friend us on facebook Ron N. Kristin Cilente... then ask for an invite to our group "One God, One Body, One Church." I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. A prayer of Jesus, John 17:21
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