*** - Three asterisks means
it's the most important sentence to read.
** - Means it's quite important.
* - Means it's interesting.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS WEB SITE
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***WHAT IS THIS WEB SITE? It's probably the largest and most accurate count of Christians in one entire city. It is a sample research project of 100,000 words of every church in the 2nd biggest inland city of Australia.
***BUT I'M NOT FROM YOUR CITY, WHAT RELEVANCE HAS THIS WEB SITE FOR ME? Even if your NOT a Christian and even if you lived in the USA, you will find this information remarkable.
**WHY DID YOU DO THIS? People were always asking me church questions so I thought I'd put all my knowledge here.
*WHO ARE YOU AGAIN? My name is Tim Hart.
**DID YOU WRITE THIS WEB SITE? Yes. All of this information is what I personally discovered, researched, collated, compiled and wrote in 3 years of work.
**WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS WEB SITE? The most directly useful thing about it is finding when church services starts. Other than the 35 churches which advertise in the local newspaper the "Toowoomba Chronicle." This is the only other direct source of church times. This site has approximately three times as many churches. Plus it contains vital information what you can expect from denominations.
*WOULD YOU SAY THIS IS A VERY ACCURATE SAMPLE OF CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOUR? Yes.
*COULD THIS SAMPLE BE USED AS A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF CHRISTIANS? Yes, the city used is quite a large city and the reporting and the methods used are highly detailed and accurate. So Christians here are very representative of not just Australia but also, probably, the west in general.
*HAVE YOU BEEN INFLUENCED BY ANY CHURCH? No. This is an independent report.
*ARE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY CHURCH? No. (I take back any membership status I might have had.) I wouldn’t be a member of any organisation who would HAVE ME as a member. (Groucho Marx said this, my sentiments exactly. Hehehe.)
*DO YOU MAKE MONEY FROM THIS? No. Not directly or indirectly. It costs money to do this but not a lot. Yahoo gives free hosting which can cost $50 a month and CJB gives a free short address which can cost $30 a year and in turn they put in an unobtrusive advertisement, always non-offensive things like how to wash unwanted internet stuff off your computer.
**SO YOU HAVE GONE TO EVERY CHURCH IN TOOWOOMBA? Yes, I physically went to all these churches over a 4 year period.
*AND YOU HAVE ALSO GONE TO EVERY SERVICE OF EVERY CHURCH AS WELL? Yes, not just every church but every public service of every church.
*WHY EVERY SERVICE? To get an accurate head count. Also, each service can be quite different.
*SO YOU HAVE DONE A "REPORT" OF EACH CHURCH? Yes. Each church report has 18 or 64 criteria.
**WHY DID YOU SOMETIMES MEASURE IN 64 AREAS OF CRITERIA? I only measured in 64 areas if there were good reason. For example, if the church is looking like it will affect the body of Christ in some way.
**IS THIS WEBSITE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE TOOWOOMBA CHRISTIAN DIRECTORY? No. This directory is not to be confused with the Youth for Christ Business Directory with David Stanfield and Alan Maxwell. Alan does Mower and machinery repairs training disadvantaged youth. Allan Maxwell used to Pastor the Basement church at Toowomba City Church and ran Toowoomba Youth Mission at the corner of Belvue St and Bridge St. Alan Maxwell found out what areas I was heading for and he then organised a web site that was very different to this one. The two compliment each other. There are NO BUSINESSES listed here. Only the Senior Pastor's name is ever mentioned. There is ONLY "UNDISCUSSED" CHURCH INFORMATION.
**HOW CAN I FIND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR? USE THE INTERNAL "SITE SEARCH" ON THE HOME PAGE. IT'S BRILLIANT! Because it's difficult to scan with your eyes 100,000 words IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU USE YOUR COMPUTER TO FIND WHAT SPECIFICALLY YOUR LOOKING FOR. (FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR ASIAN OR PAPUAN AND YOU WANT TO FIND SOME CHURCHES WITH SIMILAR FOLK IN HERE, or if you want to find all references to a particular church or Pastor.)
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QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF CHRISTIANS
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**ARE YOU SURE YOUR FIGURES ARE ACCURATE OF NUMBERS OF PEOPLE? Yes.
*DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF YOUR NUMBER COUNTING IS ACCURATE? Yes, see 8.30am NORTH CHURCH OF CHRIST where their head count figures exactly match mine.
*HOW ACCURATE ARE YOU IN COUNTING? Because of the WAY I compiled the data and the METHODS I used, I would say these results are far more accurate than the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the National Church Survey and all anecdotal evidence given by the churches themselves. For example. When I RE-count the church, even four times over on the same service at the same time, I find I'm accurate within about 5 people per 100. Sometimes as little as 3 in 100, however I would never count 80 then the next time 100.
*DID YOU EVER HAVE TO GO BACK TO A CHURCH AND DO A RE-COUNT? I have had to come back to every service as many as SIX times simply to get an accurate head count as I took it that seriously. (For example, going to a Catholic church at Easter wouldn't give you a true "mean average" of how many people REGULARLY go to that church.)
*SOME CHURCHES HAVE SAID THEY HAVE MANY MORE PEOPLE BUT YOU HAVE THEM LISTED AS HAVING QUITE A BIT LESS, WHAT GIVES? Many people express to me surprise when I say that a particular church has only a certain amount of people. All I do is count the people physically present in the church. As a rule of thumb, it's very easy for ANYONE to physically count up to 400 people.
*BUT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAN THAT IN THAT CHURCH. Churches often give you the number of membership. Once you fill out a card, you are "on record" as being from that church, even if you don't turn up.
*HOW DO CHURCHES GET PEOPLE'S MEMBERSHIP? A couple of churches have a "Visitors card" and you tick if you have been twice and the third time and last time you tick a box for "being someone who regularly goes."
*SO IF I ONLY WENT TO THAT CHURCH 3 TIMES I COULD STILL BE CONSIDERED A MEMBER? Yes.
**SO YOU COUNTED THE PEOPLE USING THE "BOTTOMS ON SEATS" METHOD? Yes. I counted the people who are physically present. At the beginning of every report I give a count of the people who were actually in the church.
*DO CHURCHES AGREE WITH YOUR NUMBER COUNTING? Yes. Especially at places like Churches of Christ and Lutherans as they keep "physically present" records of numbers. So, in North Church of Christ, their official book indicated that "The numbers for this service according to their freely available records put numbers as low as 119 to as high as 152ppl for the last 8 months.) (I had counted/ estimated it before hand at 138.)
*WHAT DOES A CHURCH MEAN WHEN THEIR NEWSLETTER SAYS "AMOUNT OF COMMUNICANTS"? A certain number of people took bread and wine in communion. Which often means they are members.
*IF YOU DID MAKE A MISTAKE IN COUNTING WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
ONLY IF YOUR EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN RESEARCH OF THIS WEB SITE DO YOU NEED TO READ FURTHER.
For the below reasons, I almost always asked before hand if numbers are particularly down or up for some undue reason. All the below needs proper research, which is too time consuming. As even to sample test these issues is too time consuming as well. However, none of the below issues dramatically alter the result as there is a large "evening out" effect. For example, if I counted too many people by accident due to a Christening, this evens out if people were away as some camp was on or other reason.
The numbers can be UNDER calculated by myself for these
reasons
1. There are children in a Sunday School in many small rooms which is typically
away from the main building which may have been be omitted. (Most churches have
their children leave one third through the service.) This could be missed in
as high as 20% of churches with 20% of children not counted. (Minimally 0%,
mean 5%.) So, if there is to be any accuracy in true research purposes one needs
to consider these areas. If it's a Sunday morning service, one needs to roughly
add 5% to the total amount of people present.
2. Traditional churches have many special days, Christenings, Sunday school
dramas, not to mention Christmas and Easter where more people come to church.
Also, special speakers particularly in Charismatic churches push numbers up.
To really get an accurate figure here, one would need to independently count
every person in every church at the same time over a 6 week period if not 12
month period of every church in Toowoomba. However, estimates can and do need
to be made. I would roughly estimate there are 30% of special days in traditional
churches, 10% in Evangelical churches and Charismatic churches. Of which people
numbers rise to 25% above in Sunday morning services and 10% above in any other
service.
3. Sometimes there may be a camp on or some other reason which makes the church
look smaller than what it is. I do go back to the church if I am aware of this
problem. I almost always ask someone in the church if this is how many people
normally come to the church. I'd estimate this to be 4 weekends a year with
a 30% drop in numbers.
4. Holiday/ family time. There would be 5 weekends of holiday/ family time per
year. 80% going on holidays. Add accordingly.
5. Whether conditions. There would be 5 weekends of adverse conditions, so,
add 20% of people from each service over 5 weekends.
The numbers can be OVER calculated by myself for these
reasons
1. There is a special event on which I did not realise. (This makes a church
look bigger than what it already is.) This is such a problem that with some
churches I have had to go back 3 or 4, even 6 times to get an accurate numbers
count. For example, the Anglican church in Hill St can be packed at quite a
few times of the year but the regular attendees can only fill the church to
a one third capacity. So, to roughly estimate, subtract 5% off.
2. If a church has 2 services in the morning, as much as 10% of the congregation
can be at both services as they are typically leaders or musicians. (Minimally
2%, with a mean of 6%.) Common sense dictates that the people who go to that
church is NOT the number who ATTEND each service. So, subtract 6% if there is
more than one Sunday morning service that's not a night service.
3. Keep in mind that many people of the same church who attend the Sunday night
service also attended another service. Traditionalists estimated at between
5 and 20% thus a mean of 12%. Evangelicals between 10% and 80% thus a mean of
45%. Charismatics between 15% and 90% thus a mean of 53%. This is very important
for many reasons. Mainly because THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE SERVICES
ARE NOT IN FACT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO ATTEND THAT CHURCH. So this means,
to get a realistic figure of total amounts of church goers, one would probably
need to take 30% off the Sunday night service amounts of people.
I have not taken the above and worked out any results, which would get a much
more accurate figure of actual Christians or actual regular attendees in church.
So, one needs to subtract the above percentage off column one to get a realistic
figure. So in all the above cases I have over calculated. So, subtract these
percentages from the Sunday NIGHT time service figure of people present. Traditionalists
subtract 12%. Evangelicals subtract 45%. Charismatics subtract 53%.
**WHAT DOES "MEAN" MEAN? (Dictionary definition- the word "MEAN" is understood as "Equally distant from 2 extremes.")
*IS IT POSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO CHURCH? Yes, one can roughly estimate THE MAXIMUM of people who are going to church from the above figures. (You could do it exactly but keep in mind there are other factors which churches are greatly used by the community which also need to be factored like weddings and funerals if your looking at the USE of churches. For example the minister at the 2nd biggest church, Hume St Church of Christ has said that an ADDITIONAL 2000 people use the church every week other than the 650 on Sundays.)
**HOW MANY CHRISTIANS ARE THERE? When your talking to the general public, it's better to PRESUME THE PERSON ALREADY GOES TO CHURCH. The question is, not "DO YOU GO to church?" but instead "WHERE DO YOU go to church?" Because there are THAT MANY Christians.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT PEOPLE'S BELIEFS.
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**CAN PEOPLE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE TORONTO BLESSING COME INTO MY CHURCH? Yes. It's similar to a Charismatic who can come in to your church and raise their hands in worship or they might pray aloud in tongues in prayer meetings.
*WHAT IS THE ACTUALLY LIKLIHOOD OF SOMEONE COMING INTO MY CHURCH UNDER THIS INFLUENCE. Very likely.
*"HOW CAN I TELL THE TORONTO BLESSING IS ON INDIVIDUALS
IF THEY COME INTO MY CHURCH?"
"Toronto Blessing" Charismatics. 20% of them physically gasp and "Oooh!"
and "Aaaah!" about 20% of the time. They can inadvertently laugh for
extended periods.
*IS IT OF THE DEVIL? The short answer is, No. The long answer is, if it is of the Holy Spirit then we run risk of blaspheming or speaking injuriously to the Holy Spirit. (Remember the Jews accused Jesus of being possessed by the devil and He said "If I do this by the Holy Spirit, then you are speaking injuriously to the Holy Spirit." See Mark 3:22-30.
*IS THE TORONTO BLESSING FRUITFUL? It seems to be. There is more evangelism, fruits of the Holy spirit evident, forbearance, more giving of themselves to each other, more love, more healing.
*IS IT HARMLESS FUN? Basically, Yes. That's the worst thing you could say about it.
*WHAT DO THEY CALL THEMSELVES? They don't say they are from the Toronto Blessing, they are more likely to refer to themselves as "Revivalists."
**WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH THESE REVIVALISTS? They believe laughter is a good thing. That miracles can occur once the preacher and congregation loses their "air's and graces" or "stuffyness." That financial blessings are automatic once you let yourself go into God and do the Kingdom of Heaven like praying for people and holding Holy Spirit power packed meetings. Thus, the laughing that you will hear is meant to be "Holy Ghost laughing." They are not laughing at you or because of you or any other reason than that they are so "pumped" full of the Holy Ghost, they can't help but laugh at anything and everything, usually the preacher. However, they usually are laughing as they set themselves off. This laughing can spread to 80% of people which can result in a few of them rolling on the floor in hysterics. Only 20% of the people laugh 20% of the time. They can help themselves from laughing but it probably shouldn't be stifled.
I NEED TRANSPORT, WHAT DO I DO? Easy!
Churches are WELL CATERED FOR IN REGARDS TO GETTING PEOPLE TO CHURCH SO PLEASE
DON'T EVEN FEEL THE SLIGHTEST BIT UNCOMFORTABLE REGARDING THIS AREA. AS EVEN
SMALLER CHURCHES LIKE "AGAPE FELLOWSHIP" HAVE GOOD SIZED BUSES AVAILABLE
FOR FREE.
1. Phone the church up office hours and simply leave your name for someone to
get back to you! OR
2. If it's a small church, try phoning 9am-noon Tuesday to Thursday as often
Mondays are off for the office. As most Pastors have Mondays off.
3. Take a taxi there for the first visit only and explain you need a lift to
church next week. OR
4. Use the search button on your computer and enter this number "18."
and keep clicking "Find Next" till you find one that's walking distance
from you. THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO FIND ANYTHING IN THIS WEBSITE. (At the
top of your screen on your computer click your mouse on "Edit" then
"Find" for Internet Explorer or "Alt E" then "Alt F".
Or in Notepad, "Search" then "Find".) OR
5. Use the search button on your computer and enter "bus."
I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT NOT LETTING CHURCHES INTIMIDATE YOU,
BUT HOW DO I VISIT CHURCHES?
Please note that ANY Pastor in any church will often ask "What church do
you normally attend?" What he really means is "We don't like parishioners
church hopping, are you one of these people? Are you running away from a problem
you need to face in your old church?" DO NOT LET THIS INTIMIDATE YOU. Put
on your brave face and DO NOT get in a tussle with the Pastor over any seemingly
small regimented point of view. So say something like "I do attend such
and such a church but making a change is not inconceivable." Or "I
have been to such and such a church in the past." Or "I am not a member
in any church." Or "I don't regularly go to any church and have been
looking for awhile now."
And if you do like the church, I recommend you explain to the Pastor "Look,
I'm not running away from a problem from my old church, I really needed a change.
I don't believe in church hopping. I'm good at such and such areas."