"DISCOVER CHURCH" - A 100,000 word web site.
AN INTERESTING WORLD RESEARCH STUDY OF EVERY CHURCH IN ONE SAMPLE CITY, FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SEE INFORMATION ABOUT CHURCH.
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*** - Three asterisks means it's the most important sentence to read.
** - Means it's quite important.
* - Means it's interesting.
1. NUMBER OF PEOPLE: 33.
2. NUMBER OF CHAIRS: 150.
3. Type of person: CHARISMATICS.
4. Socio-Economic Status: Medium.
5. Amount of kids: Seven aged 8 to 16yo.
6. Ages of people: 5 were 50+; 17 were 16- 50yo; 7 were 8 - 16yo.
7. Exactly 50% were men.
8. Weekly offering published: -.
9. Lateness of people getting to church: 5 were 20 mins late.
10. Any other interesting information: This is how the service goes. 1. 3 songs with clapping always. 2. Prophecy "Some of us are looking out instead of in." 3. 2 songs. 4. Prayer prophecy "God will overcome evil in the world." 5. "Sister God will meet your need." 6. "God will get you through it." (4 mins.) 7. Softly corporately praying in tongues for 3 minutes. 8. 3 songs, hands raised, bibles brought and used, various translations. 9. 2 songs. 10. "I see a picture, God hasn't quite gotten through." "I can confirm that word as I saw this..." 11. Singing in tongues solo. 12. 1 song. 13. Waited on God in many small periods of silence. 14. Leader says "Does any have a word about destiny? I guess, you all want the party night to start don't you then?!"
11. TIME THERE AND DATE OF VISIT: 7pm- 10.30pm in 2002/03. 22 people at 10 Feb 2004.
12. Length of service: Allow 2 hours.
13. This and other service times: 7.30pm TUESDAY NIGHTS.
14. Preacher: Lay leader Julie Smith. (Her daughter and her had spent some time at AOG Sp.)
15. Feeling of building: Good, warm.
*16. Estimate style of belief: There was NO "Toronto Blessing" "stuff". Full expression of Charismatic gifts with a belief in Mary. One of the leaders said "We have zero relationship with Debrah Gillespie from the Magnificant Meal Movement." Also, "We don't know anything about any petition to get Mary as part of the trinity."
17. Dress code so as not to stand out: Casual.
18. How to get there: Travel north along Ruthven or Hume St until getting to North St turn left going west until a round about which is Tor St.
19. ACCEPTANCE IN CHURCH AS A VISITOR: Very well.
20. People who talked to me after the service: Everyone, huge amount of introductions.
21. Length of time they talked: From 3 mins to 20 mins.
22. How soon do visitors get talked to after service?: Almost immediately.
23. HOW MUCH CHURCH IS OPEN TO WIDER CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: One leader goes to the Prayer Network at Hume St Church of Christ. Leader Julie has been to Hillsong twice. The service is made up of half non- Catholics.
24. Unusual things about worship: At the end the chairs go back, hold hands all in a ring, lift hands, say Lords prayer the old fashioned way but before the end they go into the "Hail Mary Prayer".
25. EMPHASIS OF MINISTRY: Training of corporate but individual expressions of Charismatic gifts. Dr Donna Purcell attends here, (Queensland Right to Life president.) She said that the Uniting church is the worst denomination when it comes to abortion.
26. Famous business people: -.
27. Famous people: -.
28. KNOWABLE SONGS: They were all older mostly knowable Hillsongs. There are SEVEN musicians.
29. Quality of sound system/ loudness: Good.
30. Quality of preaching generally: I would rate Julie Smith as the best CATHOLIC LAY leader I have ever met, humbly and gently leading the way for 5 years.
31. Meaningfulness/ depth of preaching: Good, because it's so rare in even Charismatic churches to get the chance to actually use gifts of the Holy Spirit.
32. Enjoyment/ lightness of preaching: Yes, it was very enjoying and light.
33. Impact/ deepness/ enjoyment of worship: It was quite impacting, quite deep, quite enjoying.
34. Amount of home groups: -.
35. How to access home groups: -.
36. Friendliness of home groups: -.
37. Intention to build: Julie Smith said "We would so like to fill and pack this large hall out."
38. Estimate percentage church owned / rented?: Owned.
39. Estimate age of building: 40 years.
40. Dowdiness of building outside: Good.
41. Inside?: Very nice.
*42. Have sister churches where? Julie Smith said "I do not know of any other Charismatic Catholic group in Toowoomba, there was a following at the Shrine but it's closed."
43. Sunday School availability: No, however kids happily sat through this service.
44. Ages availability: -.
45. % kids attend: -.
46. Noise of kids at back: None.
47. Where is bible college? -.
48. Where do kids school? There's a Sacred Heart Primary School next door.
49. How many missionaries do they support: Interestingly two missionaries always come. A "Brother" Dan Hawe who did 2 years of study at aged 50 to be a missionary on a far Pacific Island. He's 86 yo. Then there's "Father" Jack, a missionary in Japan for 50 years. He evangelized them by doing cheap weddings.
50. What cost? -.
51. What is average they give to missions: -.
52. What is average they give to local poor? -.
53. International poor? -.
54. Other emphasis on giving: -.
55. Per head total giving: -.
56. Extent of other church programs: -.
57. Pastor receive stipend? Julie Smith (married with children) is non- paid.
58. How much? -.
*59. Qualifications of Pastor: A priest trains for nine years. A NET member was here. Many young Catholics join a lay ministry called NET (National Evangelization Team), you need to fund raise $3600 a year, it goes for 2 years. People gather nationally, one does 5 weeks training. You get accommodation, food, travel provided.
60. Estimated of parishioners complaints. -.
61. Estimated ability to resolve parishioners complaints: -.
1. NUMBER OF PEOPLE: 106. (90 on 29 May 04)
2. NUMBER OF CHAIRS: 300.
3. TYPE OF PERSON: There seem to be quite a few Business men from small to medium businesses. Plus and or hands on workers (Realistic/ Blue collar.)
**Their priest also seems to be quite outreaching to the community which is an Entrepreneurial or enterprising trait as has a shop front at Wilsonton Shopping Centre for ministry.
4. Socio-Economic Status: Medium (Usually low-medium).
5. Amount of kids: 16 (7yo-16yo).
6. Ages of people: Family.
7. 50% of men.
8. Weekly offering published: $1820. (16/4/00 $1758.) ($1458 on 29 May 04)
9. Lateness of people getting to church: 6 at 6.04pm, 5 at 6.05pm, 11 at 6.07pm, 2 at 6.08pm.
**10. ANY OTHER INTERESTING INFORMATION: This Catholic church is the most "outreaching" I have seen. They fully support things like N.E.T. (National Evangelization Team), they ask the parishioners to not just sit in church and the priest gave the message or indication "if they think they can just come to church and not do anything and then expect to make it to heaven they have got another thing coming". The priest asked each person to regularly do 1/2 to 1 hour of involvement with reaching out to the community on some level. James Byrne said from the pulpit 29 May 2004 that he had never known so many people in the parish and in Toowoomba diagnosed with cancer and brain tumours.
11. Time there AND date of visit: 6pm-6.37pm. 17/2/01 . (5.50pm- 7pm on 29 May 04)
12. LENGTH OF SERVICE: 61 mins.
13. THIS AND OTHER SERVICE TIMES: 6pm Saturday Vigil; 7am, 9am, 5.30pm Sundays.
14. Preacher: Father James Byrne. (They named the Catholic residential camp past Mt Kynoch after this priest.)
15. Feeling of building: Warm, full.
16. Estimate style of belief: Basically, it doesn't matter where you go, every Catholic church has a formal and named "Charismatic Prayer group".
17. Dress code so as not to stand out: Casual to smart.
18. How to get there: Travel north along Ruthven or Hume St until getting to North St turn left going west until a round about which is Tor St.
1. # of people: 38.
**2. Available chairs: 300 (Notice Holy Name Catholic has 300 chairs as well as most Catholic churches and Lutheran churches built roughly around the 1945-1960 period.)
3. Type of person: Few Asians etc, younger families, like business people tend to be, are slightly more sensitive or caring people perhaps.
4. Socio-Economic Status: Middle, bit lower perhaps.
5. Kids: 40.
6. Ages: Prob 30 % old; mostly families; singles.
7. Men: 40%
8. Offering: -.
9. Late arrivals: -.
*10. Interesting info: Priest James Byrne said "86% of Catholics don't go to mass. Only 6% of pupils in Catholic Schools go to mass."
11. Date & Time spent: 4/6/00.
12. When service finished. Approx 50m.
13. This & other service times: 7am, 9am, 5.30pm Sundays, 6pm Saturday Vigil.
14. Preacher: Fr James Byrne.
15. Feeling: More of a committed Catholic here, focused on reaching out into the community.
*16. Their belief: Emphasis on Confession, long prayer times, Have a Charismatic Prayer Group Tues 7.30pm in hall.
17. Dress code: Smart.
18. How to get there: Travel north along Ruthven or Hume St until getting to North St turn left going west until a round about which is Tor St.
1. # of people: 151.
2. Available chairs: 300.
3. Type of person: Small Business types are seen here similarly as Range CF in Blake St (ex-Uniting) which are in the same suburb.
4. Socio-Economic Status: Slightly Middle.
5. Kids: 40.
6. Ages: 0-80yo.
7. Men: 50%
8. Offering: $2096 14/1/01
9. Late arrivals: -.
**10. Interesting info: With the Catholic church there are many special days where many more people attend mass. For example, there were 220 people at the 9am mass on the 4/6/00. However, for statistical reasons it is very important to only take the GENERAL minimum or the amount of people who REGULARLY go to the church. So 151 people went at 9am on the 14/1/01.
11. Date & Time spent: 14/1/01.
12. When service finished. Approx 45m.
13. This & other service times: 9am, 7am, 5.30pm Sundays. 6pm Saturday Vigil.
14. Preacher: James Byrne
15. Feeling: Warm, friendly.
16. Their belief: -.
17. Dress code: Smart casual.
18. How to get there: Travel north along Ruthven or Hume St until getting to North St turn left going west until a round about which is Tor St.
1. # of people: 68.
2. Available chairs: 300.
3. Type of person: Small Business types.
4. Socio- Economic Status: Slightly Middle.
5. Kids: Eleven.
6. Ages: 7-50yo.
7. Men: 50%
8. Offering: $2096.
9. Late arrivals: -.
***10. Interesting info: Priest James Byrne is named after the Highfields Camp Centre. He preached "I call it armchair Catholicism, we think we can say a prayer and go to church and expect to get to heaven without reaching out into the community well you most certainly will not!" A similar number of 74 people were there 16 Apr 2000.
11. Date & Time spent: 16 Apr 2000. 5.30pm-6.30pm 14/1/01.
12. When service finished. 48m.
13. This & other service times: 5.30pm; 9am, 7am, 6pm Saturday Vigil.
*14. Preacher: James Byrne (Titles for Catholic clergy include "Fr" for "Father"; Priest but they are known largely INFORMALLY as the "Pastor" as well.
15. Feeling: Warm, friendly.
*16. Their belief: No wine was served at all for this communion, only bread wafers.
17. Dress code: Smart casual.
18. How to get there: Travel north along Ruthven or Hume St until getting to North St turn left going west until a round about which is Tor St.
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