Honestly i am angry right now about what i saw last night during our all night service. To say its pathetic, is to say the least.

No sooner had church service started at about 10:00pm, that i looked behind me and saw about 4 teenage girls, from 17years downward(my younger sister among), pressing their phones and chatting away quietly. I grinned and kept mute (hoping they will stop whenever common sense pricked them). But alas! i was wrong when 2 hours later, looking behind me again i saw them all buried inside their phones and occasionally looking up - probably to see if anyone was taking notice.
As if that wasn't enough, looking further down the hall, i saw some matured guys, say between 25 years downward, doing the same at the back-end of the church hall (from the way one of them was pressing his phone, i guess he was playing a game). At this point, i had had enough and went straight to where my lil sister and her friends were, and gave them a federal warning - never to browse during church service again! U needed to hear them lying about them reading their bible! what? when i am seeing facebook on your screen?!! Needless to argue, i collected their phones and went back to my seat.

Now that wasn't all, immediately i sat back on my seat, my friend who was sitting close to me brought out his Ipad 4, and started idling away with it without actually doing anything with it in particular. I just stared!!! At that point, i gave up.

And it immediately dawn on me, that only the elderly people in the congregation were paying attention and acting in like manner.

This jet age is really destroying our morals, to the point where there is no regard for the supreme one. So unfortunate. i weep for our youths!
After all that happened, i just started dozing off because i lost interest completely, infact, i dont think i will be service for awhile. its just so annoying that because of some peeps, other members will be distracted.

NB- this is not another Church bashing thread, so if u must comment, talk about how this can be handled appropriately.

Maybe they want to keep update when their church will go public just like Facebook

Perhaps like me they find church service very long and boring hence the need for a little distraction to help them through the service.

@OP,
I used to be amazed too that people find it easy to pick calls during service or sometimes you call someone and he/she says he/she is in church with the sermon going on.

Many genuinely don't see anything wrong with it but it just indicates that it has become a major distraction.
The youths especially who are easily bored take to this in church..just engage them constructively and tell them besids this being disrepect to God it's indiscipline.

Wondering thoughts too is another thing which we should bring under subjection through Christ. May we received God's enablement and strive to maintain focus.

We should be careful not to become so 'comfortable' and 'familiar' with God that we begin to take him for granted.

Perhaps they've already discovered the greatest worst kept secret that there is no God in churches, but just hungry and greedy pastors? Modern teenagers can be very perceptive, you know.

How do you now want them to update their status to "Midnight service on point #houseontherock" when they are inside the boring service na?

Nextworldnx: Honestly i am angry right now about what i saw last night during our all night service. To say its pathetic, is to say the least.

No sooner had church service started at about 10:00pm, that i looked behind me and saw about 4 teenage girls, from 17years downward(my younger sister among), pressing their phones and chatting away quietly. I grinned and kept mute (hoping they will stop whenever common sense pricked them). But alas! i was wrong when 2 hours later, looking behind me again i saw them all buried inside their phones and occasionally looking up - probably to see if anyone was taking notice.
As if that wasn't enough, looking further down the hall, i saw some matured guys, say between 25 years downward, doing the same at the back-end of the church hall (from the way one of them was pressing his phone, i guess he was playing a game). At this point, i had had enough and went straight to where my lil sister and her friends were, and gave them a federal warning - never to browse during church service again! U needed to hear them lying about them reading their bible! what? when i am seeing facebook on your screen?!! Needless to argue, i collected their phones and went back to my seat.

Now that wasn't all, immediately i sat back on my seat, my friend who was sitting close to me brought out his Ipad 4, and started idling away with it without actually doing anything with it in particular. I just stared!!! At that point, i gave up.

And it immediately dawn on me, that only the elderly people in the congregation were paying attention and acting in like manner.

This jet age is really destroying our morals, to the point where there is no regard for the supreme one. So unfortunate. i weep for our youths!
After all that happened, i just started dozing off because i lost interest completely, infact, i dont think i will be service for awhile. its just so annoying that because of some peeps, other members will be distracted.

NB- this is not another Church bashing thread, so if u must comment, talk about how this can be handled appropriately.

Sooooo what was the sermon about?

honestly that habit is bad

Probably because they've heard it all. The pastor probably preaches the same thing week in, week out. There's nothing new to be preached. Maybe the bible needs to be updated. They need new stories. They're getting bored.

There are two sides to the coin. Ill start with the "head" 'cus that's the beginning, I mean the grown-ups side...remember we were born in a different generation from the younger ones. Those were the days when so much as coughing in church was minimal talk less of side talk, or standing up to go ease yourself. We saw the House of God as a reverent and holy place (which it is). We prepared well ahead for Sunday service. If water would be your obstacle, then drink well before you leave home.

With time there has been evolution in what we consider freedom of expression. Truthfully, look at it. The way you addressed your father then is not the way our children address us now. A father is no longer all fearful all intimidating and all terror. However, there is a very thin line between respect and liberty.

This is the other side of the coin our junior ones are yet to see. It is the duty os ministers to educate them, that "Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty" but also to "Give honor to whom it is due". Instead there preaching on prosperity, tithes and offerings! If I wanted to hear that stuff I'd rather go and open an "esusu account" or go and play lotto.

We to should set an xample.

Where is real love, where is the thirst for souls?? Where is the hunger for the word we all had back then??

Who tells anyone again that JESUS is coming soon??

Postulate and contemplate. There is more hope for the living than for a dead lion.

Thanks.

maybe they were Nairalanding. I have found myself Nairaland inside church because of guy frosbel

Snowwy: @OP,

Wondering thoughts too is another thing which we should bring under subjection through Christ. May we received God's enablement and strive to maintain focus.

You are damn right about wandering tots, i guess we are all guilty of this. When preaching is on and your mind just travels out, into space and playing out some fantasy to you. May God help us.

bigboywho:

This is the other side of the coin our junior ones are yet to see. It is the duty os ministers to educate them, that "Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty" but also to "Give honor to whom it is due". Instead there preaching on prosperity, tithes and offerings! If I wanted to hear that stuff I'd rather go and open an "esusu account" or go and play lotto.

@bolded, i think is where our churches and ministers have lost it,and that is the reason why the church these days have lost its values.
where are those kind of sermon we had those days about eternity, that we heard when growing up? Sermons that teaches us the bible inside out. Its rather saddening.

Joagbaje: maybe they were Nairalanding. I have found myself Nairaland inside church because of guy frosbel

Not surprised. I mean a mix of Pastor Chris' message, buzugee's posts and frosbel's posts would make anyone an unwilling crook..

@ op

its a matter of discipline and focus, many christians today lack these and only end up becoming church goers.

the best way to deal with this is to make sure all phones are off as you come into church.

OmoPastor: @ op

the best way to deal with this is to make sure all phones are off as you come into church.

But who will ensure this?!!
When sometimes,people take the it as an offense when politely asked to switched off their phones

Nextworldnx: Honestly i am angry right now about what i saw last night during our all night service. To say its pathetic, is to say the least.

No sooner had church service started at about 10:00pm, that i looked behind me and saw about 4 teenage girls, from 17years downward(my younger sister among), pressing their phones and chatting away quietly. I grinned and kept mute (hoping they will stop whenever common sense pricked them). But alas! i was wrong when 2 hours later, looking behind me again i saw them all buried inside their phones and occasionally looking up - probably to see if anyone was taking notice.
As if that wasn't enough, looking further down the hall, i saw some matured guys, say between 25 years downward, doing the same at the back-end of the church hall (from the way one of them was pressing his phone, i guess he was playing a game). At this point, i had had enough and went straight to where my lil sister and her friends were, and gave them a federal warning - never to browse during church service again! U needed to hear them lying about them reading their bible! what? when i am seeing facebook on your screen?!! Needless to argue, i collected their phones and went back to my seat.

Now that wasn't all, immediately i sat back on my seat, my friend who was sitting close to me brought out his Ipad 4, and started idling away with it without actually doing anything with it in particular. I just stared!!! At that point, i gave up.

And it immediately dawn on me, that only the elderly people in the congregation were paying attention and acting in like manner.

This jet age is really destroying our morals, to the point where there is no regard for the supreme one. So unfortunate. i weep for our youths!
After all that happened, i just started dozing off because i lost interest completely, infact, i dont think i will be service for awhile. its just so annoying that because of some peeps, other members will be distracted.

NB- this is not another Church bashing thread, so if u must comment, talk about how this can be handled appropriately.

from your header you refer to God as been disrespected but what i see, is you been angry "for God" if you know what i mean. On the issue of message, what is preached is same stagnant Laws of what i should do or not do, instead of the dynamics of the Spirit of Grace, hence the browsing experience during church.

Funny thread. I noticed the Ops mentioned iPad 4. I never knew there is an iPad 4 now in the market...... lol

Op, instead of being displeased you can pay the price for their conversion.
TRY praying for them, then fast and try weeping sincerely for God's intervention. It works

Joagbaje: maybe they were Nairalanding. I have found myself Nairaland inside church because of guy frosbel

Roflmao..

So frosbel lure u so tay u nairaland inside church
Lol

If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? So many factors but the major been a lack of the fear of God and a very faulty foundation. The cheap and short term solution may be to order a switch off, of course you'll earn names like legalistic and holier than thou.
One major fault which is not just seen in church is the media. The present generation is brought up in picture/motion/TV world. It now takes discipline for them to pay attention to a sermon, lecture or book. too much TV, meaning you need the real Holy Ghost to get through to them. or you have to be overly dramatic, catchy and funny.

Image123: If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? So many factors but the major been a lack of the fear of God and a very faulty foundation. The cheap and short term solution may be to order a switch off, of course you'll earn names like legalistic and holier than thou.
One major fault which is not just seen in church is the media. The present generation is brought up in picture/motion/TV world. It now takes discipline for them to pay attention to a sermon, lecture or book. too much TV, meaning [b]you need the real Holy Ghost [/b]to get through to them. or you have to be overly dramatic, catchy and funny.

lol

With all due respect;

As a believer in Christ, your sole mission is to save souls from being damned. I understand you are upset about the situation but that is a lesson that'll be learned in due time. It's human nature to want to act in rebellion so you telling them what they can/can't do will only drive them further from Christ. No sin is bigger than another and until you are perfect you have no right to call someone else on theirs. On top of that; our generation is the product of past generations prematurely having babies. Our parents are still young so we have to learn a lot on our own. The generational discrimination is beginning to become intolerable and must be handled in the correct manner. Simply said, don't flip and embarrass people if you want to make change, let them know why that is wrong and let GOD, the one with no sin deal with it. Peace be with you.

I can't help but cringe when I read "the jet age is destroying our morals" and I understand what you are saying but, the way you said it you are implying that a generation is to raise itself. You give us such a big duty and wonder why people take the easy way out and sell drugs or do other crimes because if one person messes up its our fault, but no one cares to look at the parents and say anything. It's always just us "being rebellious"