Attending Another Church's Activities

I think it could be both. Their doors are open and as a church they are being generous, as well as, it does allow people the opportunity to join them on a regular basis.

If all has gone well and you enjoy the festivities, why not continue to join them.

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I feel like many Churches want to be considered part of the community and the neighborhood.

They plan these events not only for their own members but also to allow anyone in the community to join in.

I must admit, I have never attended any Church sponsored event etc and felt like i was not welcome or expected to become a member.

I have always felt welcomed and felt like we were all neighbors.

I love having an active community and being includes/invited to participate.

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I just had this conversation with my MIL over Thanksgiving. She is Catholic and sent all her kids to the neighborhood church for vacation bible school, preschool, whatever kid friendly stuff they had going on. The kids loved it and she met some new friends. I'm sure part of why they do things is to attract new parishoners but I'm also sure the other part is to bring the community together regardless of your religion. I say keep going and enjoy what they have to offer.

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Being open to the public is an invitation to check out the church. Churches are usually looking for new members all the time and looking for new ways to invite people to come on over. If someone thinks we are friendly and wants to come, great! If not, then hopefully we'll see them again sometime. The kid had fun getting his face painted, right? I go to Sunrise Service on Easter with friends but I stick with my own church week to week. I also took DD to a different church for an Easter Egg Hunt and while I'm sure that they do it in part to get out the word about who they are, it is a huge community event in a safe environment.

I went to all sorts of VBS programs as a kid. It was good for me to see how Mennonites and Baptists and Presbyterians weren't all that different from each other at the end of the day.

If you enjoy going, then keep going. If they ask you, tell them that you enjoy their activities and their company, but you have a home church you will continue to attend most of the time. That's what I tell the people on Easter Sunday. They don't mind that I'm there, and I appreciate the alternative worship opportunity. When I was a kid, I did Missionettes (which I think is something else now) at the local Assembly of God church. My church didn't offer the program. If my current church hadn't gotten some new kids, I was looking for a Sunday School for her because while I like my church, not all churches fill all needs.

It doesn't sound like they are forcing you to attend anything or volunteer for anything and it is enriching your overall experience. I'd keep going.

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I was raised in a Unitarian Church and I think you are totally mistaken about the intensions of the Church. It is about knowing about how people think and feel, about inclusion, about caring and certainly not about proselytizing or trying to convert anyone. Our Church was a welcome haven for mixed marriages where both peoples religions could be respected. As I child, when I asked our Minister to tell me 'Yes or No' about certain theological questions, I was told that I needed to find those answers for myself. I was well guided in learning about religions, but not told what to believe. I am no longer involved in a Unitarian Church having chosen another path for myself, but I feel utterly welcome in the Unitarian Church.

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It depends on how you personally view a church's purpose... Some would tell you that a church's purpose is bringing people together in community and "uniting" (hence, the church's name) ...To me, it isn't what is necessarily done while sitting in the pews, it's what is done the other 23 hours of the day..Also, if what this church is doing is bringing joy to you and your kids, then it's a job well done.

I would highly imagine that the people of this church are probably pleased that their services are enjoyed .. even if it means no new parishioners.. (there is probably no sales quota.. ) :) Look at all the people who go to soup kitchens, they are thankful but many are not members.. I think that some people tend to confuse or have a different idea of what religion or church is... to me, church is what you hold in your heart.. it's how you treat others and moreover, it's the attitude of gratitude..

If going to the place makes you feel good as does your kids.. Then I would keep going...

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I don't see anything wrong with attending the public activities being offered. Yes, they are trying to get new members but it doesnt mean you HAVE to be one.
The "business" side to any church is that they want/need you to "join" so they can have an anticipated budget by "knowing" they have x amount of members that will probably tithe/donate x amount of dollars per month in order to keep the organization running.
Forcing church membership by pressure and guilt is the biggest downfall of organized religion.

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Every church that does things is doing it to try to bring more members in. They want the community to know they are there and they want you to come every week. It's the way it works.

BUT - I'd still go to the activities even if you don't want to join.

You never know what could come from it.

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Well of course they plan carnivels etc to make money for their church and school. Of course they want to pick up a larger congrigation. That being said. My family goes to one church but we make the tour of the other fairs in the community as well. If the kids are enjoying it why the heck not. Its not like they are locking the door so you cant get out. Use it as a learning experience with yoru kids.

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If you and your children enjoy going to this church, keep going. You never know what the Lord has in store for you.

Blessings......

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Every church does this. I used to be very involved in my local church, and we did lots of cool outreach things (vacation bible school, mom's days out, bible studies, craft nights etc.), but the main goal was getting people in the door for services. Most people would say their church is trying to reach people with the gospel, but let's be honest here. Churches have to pay mortgages/bills/etc., and the way they do this is by taking the tithes and offerings from their members.

While the people involved in the activities probably feel like they're being welcoming and love sharing their faith, the people running the church also are thinking about the bottom line.

If you enjoy the activities, then go. We had many people who did this with our activities, but never joined or anything. I never cared. That's what churches are supposed to be doing.

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I would be more suspicious of churches who are not open to the community and welcoming of others. My perception of the Unitarian church is that they are about the knowledge and acceptance of all beliefs, not exactly a "religion" but a melting pot of all types of Christian denominations.

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If they're pressuring you to join, I would bail. If they're not, just enjoy it. Many hospitals receive significant funding from the Catholic church. Are you not going to go to a hospital unless you're Catholic? The fact is that it's usually religious groups who are responsible for charity and community work. If their intentions are truly to serve and help people, it won't matter if you join their group.

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My kids participated in many other churches and their activities. We all believe in something higher so enjoy the feelings of warmth. I attend a church that I am not an official member of because I get and understand the message that is being presented in every day language. My husband finally told me that he didn't like it because of how he was brought up Catholic. When we were in Dallas this spring we went to mass and he felt right at home and enjoyed the service. So now my thoughts are mixed between the teachings of two beliefs with the same outcome.

Go ahead and let the kids enjoy the activities. They will learn from you and your husband what is important and how to apply it to everyday life.

Have a blessed season this year.

The other S.

PS No harm will come from the experiences.

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I think that churches hope that people looking will consider their church in their quest but as far as trying to get someone to leave their church home to join theirs? I don't think that is what the goal is. I have a church in my town that is always open to people doing any number of things. They host the Head Start Graduation, the host play practice for the playhouse, they allow weddings and funerals to be held in their chapel, etc...all for NO CHARGE. The also host a family movie night during the Summer in their parking lot, you bring the chairs and snacks and they provide the movie.

Some churches do meals to feed the hungry, some do food banks, others do VBS, some have sign language classes open to the public. All they want is for people in the community to have some options and to make the community more cohesive.

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Yes.
But the goal of most things church activity related is to bring in more people. It gives them the chance to expose you to what they believe.

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Yes the church is doing all of the things they do to gain parishioners but is that a crime? Are you and your kids getting a benefit of having a good time in a safe and comfortable environment?

My church does plenty of things for the community at large. We have a day where we do a full course meal, once a month we offer a free family movie night which includes dinner, our Sunday school class ends with breakfast (not cereal either but pancakes, eggs, etc.), we also have vacation Bible School for one week in the summer in the evening which includes dinner, we even have a bookstore and clothing drive. We do all of that to impact the community around us. If some of those we touch through our display of love join our church great if they don't that's fine too.

We just love doing nice things for those around us, no pressure to join.