In Canada Handbooks aimed at getting people back in the pews

“When I go into a bank I get rattled. The clerks rattle me; the wickets rattle me; the sight of the money rattles me; everything rattles me. The moment I cross the threshold of a bank and attempt to transact business there, I become an irresponsible idiot.” — Stephen Leacock, “My Financial Career,” 1910

When they walk into a church, they get rattled. The members rattle them, the hymnals rattle them, the sight of the pews rattles them. Everything rattles them. The moment they cross the threshold of a church and attempt to worship there, they become irresponsible idiots.

Like the hero of Stephen Leacock’s “My Financial Career,” adults venturing into a place of worship for the first time in decades — perhaps ever — can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the experience. So much so, the United Church of Canada believes, that they simply stay away despite a growing desire to be part of a congregation again.

“Church is a bit of a mystery to most people these days,” says Daniel Benson, the United Church’s executive minister for resource production and distribution.

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