Shrinking...

One of the notable changes in my life time is the decline in church going.  I am evidence of it myself, as I go far less frequently than I did when growing up or even thirty years ago.    

My denomination is a small one anyway -  I am a Scottish Episcopalian - but all the denominations are suffering in the same way.   

This  - St John's Church in the main street of Dunoon - is one of three churches which now makes up the Cowal Church.   When we first came to Cowal over thirty years ago there were far more congregations in their own buildings, but shrinkage - age, lack of engagement and perhaps just familiarity - has taken its toll.    The same is true on my side of Cowal - the Church of Scotland there is also reduced to three buildings , widely spread out at Glendaruel, Kames and Kilfinan. 

Of course the sign on this tells another truth which is that such wonderful structures  are very expensive to maintain and to operate week in , week out and undoubtedly too  expensive for ever smaller groups of older  people.