Fraternals

[ruthie]

I have been having a big think over the last couple of years about fraternals. It seems evident that attendance at fraternals is going down rather than up, particularly among the younger generations and families. I just thought maybe it would be a good idea to discuss why we do/don't attend them, and other issues surrounding the topic. So my questions are:

1. Do you attend fraternals? If not, why not?

2. How do you choose which ones you attend? (venue, speaker, subject, who may be there etc)

3. What do you think generally about young people and families attending/not attending. Why do they come? Why don't they come?

4. Is it right that some speakers have more of a 'following' than others?

5. How can we address these issues and encourage one another to benefit from events that ecclesias arrange so that we can uplift each other as we wait for Jesus?

[David]

1. would love to attend more, but being a single parent it has been difficult as too many times there us not enough provition for families

2. Subject is the main reason for choosing, don't bother to follow a particular speaker as you get a broader spectrum of ideas by not doing so. Will pick something I am not familiar with over that which I am

3. Sopmetimes facilaties available to allow the children to enjoy the time, sometimes is 6pm or later a good time to even make it possible for young children to go when thinking about bed times.

4. I don't really know as its not what i think about when choosing a fraternal

5. I really don't know, we tried haveing children activities at a fraternal, and it didn''t change attendance, but that might be advertising.

There naybe another reason, it might be they are seen as old fashioned? But I may be being cynical here

[Rose Hardy]

Hmmm. I do go to fraternals organised by my own ecclesia, but don't travel to others. Part of the reason is time, but to be honest, the main reason is the format of most fraternals - by that I mean that someone talks and everyone else listens. I'm sure some people prefer that, but personally I get much more, spiritually, out of having a discussion, or workshops.

I recently went to the positive preaching day - which consisted of a thought at beginning and end, and workshops and discussion in between. I came home spiritually BUZZING from what i got out of that day.

Its that the usual format of a fraternal involves (especially for a sister) sitting and listening to someone elses work. While that can be good - for the audience its very passive. Whereas I want to be involved in doing that study myself - with others who also take such pleasure out of studying the bible.

I seem to remember there is a passage in the Bible which talks of those who 'talked often one with another' - and its discussion around God's word which i find so spiritually uplifting - not so much passively just sitting and listening to someone-else, with no opportunity to discuss.

The one thing we have to be careful about discussion is that it isnt just lots of different peoples opinions - thats why I emphasise that it has to be around the Word of God - as long as that's the case, then I find it HUGELY uplifting.

[Bry]

No, not really, although that is something that has impressed my mind...

When I first went to a Fraternal, I thought it would be a sort of social occasion where I could get to chat with brothers & sisters and learn how Christadelphians lived their lives. Yeah, I know, I'm a nosy old codger, or perhaps a sticky beak, but I am a comparitive babe in the Truth.

I was disappointed to find there was little time for that, although the talks were generally interesting, I would prefer a chance to mix more. So, I stopped attending!