I’m pretty sure I’m going to stop going to the church I’ve been going to in the evenings for the last seven years (regularly for five). I’ve always had a ‘main’ church that I’ve gone to in the mornings, and Avonhead Baptist has been more of a social thing - back in the day, there was quite a big group of uni-age people I knew from Christian Union etc. The music’s always been pretty fun as well, and I’ve enjoyed the laid-back style of the evening service. But over the last couple of years, all but four of my close friends have moved away or stopped going, and there aren’t many people my age there anymore. And ABC has hired a new pair of youth pastors who are way too pentecostal for me to handle. In the past, I could turn a deaf ear to the charismatic stuff, but I’ve the feeling things are going to get a lot more pente from now on. I’m just not able to cope with the standard Christianese bollocks any more, and thus I must bid ABC a regretful farewell.

It’s never nice to just fade away like this. I’ve done it once before, and it was fairly painful (though not as painful as staying in a church I couldn’t stand). I guess the trick to avoid feeling like I’m losing a limb is to keep in touch with people.