Protestant Attendance Pads

[maryjk]

I’ve seen a lot of those pads that have a space to check “NO, I do not wish to be called.” I’m sure there are some churches that abuse these pads, but nowadays, they have to be extremely careful because people are quick to press charges for “harassment.” If I thought I was being hounded by a “cult”, I probably would press charges and get a restraining order.

But that’s not why most Protestant churches use those pads.

One of the really nice things about them is that they help you get to know the people sitting around you. As you fill out the pad, you see the names of the people who filled it out before you, and you now can put names/faces together and know who someone is and where they live–heck, they might even live down the block from you! Cool!

As you pass the pad back down, you can learn the names of all the people in the pew with you, and after church, you can say, “Hi, Bob Brown!” and he can say, “Hi, Jane Smith!”

So why NOT come up with some new tools for helping people put names with faces? I’m not saying Catholic Churches should use the Friendship pads, but I wouldn’t have a problem if they did.

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And frankly, I don’t have any problem with a Baptist pastor visiting me! Bring 'em on! I’m a converted ex-evangelical who spent my childhood in a Baptist church, and I love opportunities to talk to Protestants about why I left Protestantism to become a Catholic! (Bwoo ha ha!)

The note pad that I was talking about was post it size. Enough room for your information. You then tore it off and placed it in the basket. This was not for information for the person next to you. This was information for the church. And there was no, “do not call me” space. Or even a “I am a member of another church” space.

And since I feel I must give more information, I was brought to the church under false pretenses. The person that invited us told us that it was a musical performance. That it was not denominational, but simply a religious musical performance. They lied.

And as I stated, the one person that I know that filled out the paper didn’t get a phone call. He got a visit. And although I don’t care if some Baptist pastor wants to visit with me, I really don’t want to spend my time visiting with him. (He yelled a lot and didn’t seem that nice. )

 

[Lil_M]

My fiance’s old church had those, “Friendship pads”. I remember I was so confused at the concept the first few times, he would usually write our names down quickly but nothing else. Really it was quite evident who went there and who was a Catholic I realize no ill will was intended but it still made me uncomfortable.

Of course that was nothing compared to the awkwardness I felt when I happened to come on Communion Sunday (Isn’t every sunday Communion Sunday? )

 

[jmcrae]

Of course that was nothing compared to the awkwardness I felt when I happened to come on Communion Sunday (Isn’t every sunday Communion Sunday? )

Wow, yeah - that would definitely be awkward.

I hate Protestant communion services, because it seems as though no matter what you do, someone is going to get offended. I guess the trick is to just focus on not offending God.

 

[ASimpleSinner]

Wow, yeah - that would definitely be awkward.

I hate Protestant communion services, because it seems as though no matter what you do, someone is going to get offended. I guess the trick is to just focus on not offending God.

I make a special effort to not be put in the situation of having to attend them. Prevailing pre-V2 sentiments about not attending non-Catholic worship services today look and sound rather harsh or “close minded” But in all fairness, instructing the faithful to not attend such services at least has the benifit of not putting us in the uncomfortable position of having to pray, sing or adopt liturgical postures that implicity or explicitly make us to seem that we give our assent to that which we don’t.

I really don’t want to offend Anglicans and Lutherans by not kneeling during their liturgies before their communion, but I can’t adopt the postures they do because I do not believe what they do about what is happening. This actually led me to NOT attend my cousin’s wedding. It was at a Lutheran parish and it was in the context of a Eucharistic liturgy. If I believe that the presider is a layman and the communion is just bread, I really CANNOT actively participate there. In the interest of charity, I found a reason to be elsewhere that weekend, but my mother was terribly angry about it for a good long time.

On a related note, in college I had the worst time finding Catholic friends who took their faith seriously. I struck up a friendship with an Evangelical who invited me to a wednesday night “meeting” that was roughtly an aliturgical parachurch “praise meeting”. On the surface, as I had been assured “no one was out to convert me” I thought it would be safe enough.

Well interspersed with some of the praise songs came testimonials from the students who had “accepted Christ.” I should have seen it coming but it wasn’t long before a newly-ex-Catholic got up to share his story. I honestly don’t believe there was any special animosity from the crowd against the Catholic Church in particular - really a lot of the kids came from Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist churches, etc… I think a lot of them just lumped all liturgical Christians in with what was sometimes called “Churchianity”…

But when the ex-Catholic conluded his testimonial of course everyone clapped and cheared. What the heck was I to do? Be excited that he found Jesus-pop and a new understanding (as defined by whom?) of his “personal Lord & Savior”?

When I have a choice in the matter, I don’t attend non-Catholic services. I hate to feel forced to look like I believe something I don’t, and I hate to make it obvious that I don’t.

Several years ago I was at a baptism where several bablies were being baptized at a Mass. There was one fellow who was with a family of a baby to be baptized that day who stood the whole darn time (consecration included) with his arms-crossed, his sunglasses on, and a scowl on his face. He was, I would come to learn, a fundamentalist family member who was NOT happy to be there. Heaven help me, I don’t want to be a jerk like that.

 

[jmcrae]

When I have a choice in the matter, I don’t attend non-Catholic services. I hate to feel forced to look like I believe something I don’t, and I hate to make it obvious that I don’t.

I’m the same way. My family is Protestant, though, and I am sometimes socially obligated to attend certain services, to keep the peace. Sometimes, these have been Communion services.

I do try to avoid it as much as possible, though - I hope I didn’t come across as though I make a regular habit of this kind of thing.

 

[Schl7371]

I’ll go to mass in the morning and then often times join my fiancee at her Presybterian Church. I politely fill it out and check " visitor". You don’t have to put any contact information. Its no problem. Its interesting to see what other churches “do” without compromising your own faith and principles

 

[kathmandu]

We have a guest book in the foyer. You can sign it if you would like, or not.

 

[ConsciousCoward]

At my United Methodist church, the cards serve two purposes.

1. If someone is visiting our church, they can request a phone call or email or something of the sort to find out more information, ask questions, etc. It seems like a good way for people who are interested to learn a little more.
2. If someone who attended often suddenly stops coming, the church has volunteers call them to make sure everything’s alright and, if they’ve stopped coming voluntarily, remind them that they have siblings in Christ who are waiting to welcome them back with open arms.

 

[TrueLight]

I’ve never come across this in any Protestant church I’ve been to

I haven’t seen any “attendance pads” that everyone has to fill out.

I have seen visitor cards that you are asked to fill out and there are check boxes next to options like: I’m interested in Youth ministry or Music Ministry.

I think it’s good for visitors to feel welcomed.

 

[rick43235]

The few times that I have visited Protestant churches with friends, I have noticed that they are very obsessive about getting everyone to fill out their attendance pads that they have in the pews. (I didn’t fill out anything) Why is this?

In the Lutheran Church were I grew up we had those little cards in the pews. We would fill them out and hand them to an usher on communion Sundays. For some reason they kept records of who took communion. They could also be filled out and dropped in the collection plate if you wanted the pastor to contact you.

 

[vickimonica]

because they want to hound you to the end of the earth until you make an altar call and get saved.

You will be visited, called, and called again if you fill out one of those cards.

:dso so true!!! Lol

 

[rick43235]

I really don’t want to offend Anglicans and Lutherans by not kneeling during their liturgies before their communion, but I can’t adopt the postures they do because I do not believe what they do about what is happening.

As a non-believer who attends mass with my Catholic wife, I ALWAYS kneel during the liturgy and “adopt the postures they do.” Not because I “believe what they do about what is happening,” but because I don’t want to be a distraction to those who do believe. It’s called common courtesy. That said, I have to give you credit for knowing yourself well enough to know that you aren’t capable of showing such courtesy at another place of worship, and for staying away whenever possible.

 

[vickimonica]

I was raised Baptist. My Father was on the “visiting Deacons” team. The cards that were placed in the pews that the visitors fillled out were visited by my Dads team. He did this every Tues. evening for years

 

[PRmerger]

Yes, and therefore the RCC relies on baptismal statistics to estimate membership, which results in wildly inflated numbers. Protestant churches go by who is actually in the pews on a Sunday morning.

Do Episcopalians follow the Catholics in this paradigm (and rely on infant baptismal statistics) or the Protestants? (You know how you Episcopalians love to straddle the fence )