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AIBU?

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Original poster

do you know any young Christians

260 replies

zope · 13/03/2022 11:13

MIL (in her 60s and religious) recently came to stay with us and I accompanied her to church when we got there i was really shocked by how few people under the age of 60 there seemed to be to the point where I (now in my mid 40s) felt young again. There were a number of small children with grandparents but virtually no one age 10-60. I haven’t been to church since I was a child myself so I was quite taken aback, is this what most churches are like nowadays or was this a one off. Do you personally know any young as in teenagers or in their 20s/30s Christians and do they have many friends who are also Christian? I would honestly be interested?

OP posts:
Kite22 · 14/03/2022 22:35

@dephlogisticated

Just want to thank OMG12 and thebestwaytoscareatory for easily the most thoughtful and nuanced conversation I've read on here today!
Absolutely. It is becoming quite a rare thing on MN to be able to read an intelligent debate, so thanks from me too, particularly to OMG12 for her excellent answers.
OMG12 · 15/03/2022 09:06

@dephlogisticated

Just want to thank OMG12 and thebestwaytoscareatory for easily the most thoughtful and nuanced conversation I've read on here today!
Ah thank you, I too appreciate @Thebestwaytoscareatory taking such time a care in their response. It’s always good to discuss things with people who can engage in respectful, considered dialogue, especially where their perspective is different from your own.
MangyInseam · 15/03/2022 18:16

Yes, I know quite a few within my own parish, which is I guess what you'd call Anglo Catholic. We have a lot of university faculty so also tend to get a lot of students.

Also quite a few in the local Orthodox churches.

IMB711 · 12/01/2023 21:03

SpaghettiNotCourgetti · 13/03/2022 11:25

Yes - I'm Catholic and in my mid-30s. We go to a vibrant, 'young' church where there are lots of children and young families, as well as older people. It does help that there's a school attached to the parish, but there are also things for people to get involved in, like music groups and altar serving and baby and toddler groups and Sunday school and so on.

I also have a couple of close friends of the same age who are evangelical Protestant / Pentecostal, and have quite a few colleagues who go to church regularly (or as regularly as Covid has been allowing) - they're also along the evangelical Protestant line.

It does tend to depend on quite a few factors - independent churches are often quite well-attended, and younger people who belong to them tend not to marry non-believers (including, in my experience, heathens like Catholics...) and tend to bring their kids up to go to church and to then find similar churches when they leave home. C of E churches - especially the more traditional ones (organ rather than worship band, for instance) tend to have fewer younger people at them.

I'm saying this from the position of someone brought up in a traditional, high C of E church (robed choir and organ) who tried independent evangelical churches as a student and didn't like them and ended up converting to Catholicism, by the way.

Apologies to reignite but would you be able to recommend any young Catholic churches in London, preferably central/congestion zone area/on the tube map? Would love to go to one

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 13/01/2023 21:44

I known very few young (below 45) religious people myself. I just don't think religion is generally considered cool and modern life is busy....

Don't get me wrong, there are some young religious folk about but don't they tend to discuss their faith with non religious friends because in all honesty most non religious people are not interested/shy away.

Olinguita · 13/01/2023 21:48

Check out Farm Street and also the French church in Leicester Sq. Both seem really vibrant. I'm not actually Catholic btw but thinking of converting

Moomieboo · 13/01/2023 22:46

My DS's Carer and his wife our Christian. They are under 25. My old neighbour her children are all Christian....the are late 20's to 30's.

I think it depends on the area you live in.

MilkyYay · 13/01/2023 22:51

We live in a village which historically revolved around the church & cofe school.

Church attendance has plunged in the last 20 years and few families children at the school are christian. Most are atheist or agnostic. The church can no longer afford a full time vicar, as the congregation consists of a handful of elderly people.

MilkyYay · 13/01/2023 22:56

Just want to thank OMG12 and thebestwaytoscareatory for easily the most thoughtful and nuanced conversation I've read on here today

This. Well put arguments, both.

goingincognito1 · 18/02/2023 05:59

I'm 30 and have been a Christian since I was 17 :) I know quite a few Christians in there teens +. .

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