Another curious Globe & Mail piece, this time on whether anybody actually goes to church anymore?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, people still do, but no, those people are not increasing. Although the 'mega' churches of our time boast increased attendance, the reality is they grow by adding members from other sinking ships.

It would appear that in 2012 and beyond it's the survival of the fittest and biggest.

Does that mean we're on a steady decline to paganism (or as regular people would say, 'not going to church')?

Recently I attended a Parish Collective gathering in Calgary, a network of simple neighborhood communities. I was somewhat surprised by the number of people in attendance (maybe 40) although most were kicking tires. Nonetheless, the resounding message from these cultural anthropologists is that unbeknownst to conventional churches, there IS a movement percolating, albeit off the grid.

Small communities that recapture 'grandmas church' that valued the neighborhood are being resurrected. You won't find exponential growth over the course of a decade, but what you will find are new believers who aren't nominal Catholics 'finding Jesus' all over again.

Times are certainly changing, and although it appears that the best show will survive, longevity may very well rest with the emerging and increasing movement of simple communities living mission together on the same street. How inconsistently beautiful versus the big box attractional commuter model we tend to celebrate.

Times are a changing.