Stealing from Church

[Troubledwords]

We has a notice in the newsletter this weekend about not leaving bags behind when going up for Holy Communion as someone had their bag stolen previously. I know thieves are opportunistic but stealing during a Church service??

I have been robbed twice in my life. Once on a train, the other in a Cathedral.
Sadly it’s opportunistic. During communion there is so much activity someone can sneak in and take what they want. It’s awful.

It is not unknown, sadly. My previous church, I guess because we were located in an area of deprivation, crime and drugs, were often targeted. We have to remember that the church doors are open to ALL - and not everyone is of good character, nor does everyone respect the fact they are in 'house of God'. That is not to diminish how shocking and upsetting it is when theft and disrespect happens.

I guess not everyone who comes into a church is Christian too. Who knows what's going on in the lives of people who come into church.

The Lord has just led me to a new church community. I didn’t know exactly where or even the time they met so while looking for it I went to the door of a nearby Catholic church and found it was open, even though no one was there. I was touched by how vulnerable they had made themselves and how easy it would have been for a person with bad intentions to have made trouble for them.

Sorry this happened to you @HereintheloveofChristIstand and also for the shock to think this is the reality of being church @Troubledwords xx

I suppose there's also the factor that it could have been a parishioner. It's a small window of opportunity for someone, if they came in just at the time everyone was up and out of the pews.

We had a handbag stolen during a funeral once. Only people in the building were staff and people at the funeral.

People see churches as easy pickings because people feel safe because they're "in a church" so leave things out that they wouldn't normally.