The empty Church
 

The church a pastor friend of mine oversees is a community hub. Book clubs meet there, an inter-denominational and inter-religious discussion group meets there, a Yoga class has some space, there are after school activities, and they are constantly doing programs for moms.

I can't help but think of how my own Church building is essentially unused almost every day.

I can't help but think how that might reinforce the "Mormons are secretive" rhetoric that is pervasive (and let's face it--on some things, we are).

I'm lamenting the loss of the Seventies Hall in Nauvoo and how JS would take guests there to dance and socialize.

I'm not sure what's the problem with your specific church, but the utilization rate on our building is pretty dang high, especially when you factor in Monday evenings as being off-limits due to FHE.

Yes, I'm lamenting LDS homeschoolers haven't taken over our church buildings.

That's one that I wouldn't be on board with.

Our youth are having a large two-stake dance at the North stake center this Saturday evening. At the same time the Stake RS is having a bowling tournament for all interested sisters. Of course that will have to take place at the local bowling alley.

We have mega-churches here that do all of what you mentioned and more. They have become multi-million dollar enterprises with huge edifices and large paid staffs.

Spending half my Sunday and every Wednesday night at the meetinghouse already (as well as my daughters being there every morning for seminary), I'm kind of happy with our understated, seemingly secretive status quo.

No way. Your chuch is mostly empty all day. Sure, RS and Scouts and YW are there some evenings and maybe guys wander in to play basketball, but those classrooms and the chapel are almost perpetually empty from post-early morning seminary until evening (and then only on one or two nights).

Not only are the buildings empty, they are locked up like fortresses.

The bigger churches aren't churches. They are literally campuses.

Imagine if more than 1% of our tithing went to ward activity budgets.

Now you know why they do all these things and we don't. We are paying for out temples, missionaries, overseas church, etc.

what's so great about using that building? Our ward has a women's book club. they don't meet in the church. Also a playgroup. They don't meet in the church.

Not campuses--communities. And my friend's church isn't huge. It just makes itself available.

So are you saying that our membership is under-utilized and that too many members aren't already spending 5 to 25 hours a week in church service? Honestly, who is going to staff these activities? We don't pay people. Should we start creating paid jobs to fill the 4 to 6 hours a day (which is what our building averages) the church isn't being used?