unchurched friend interview #3

My interviewee for this round was a girl named Shelby. She is a girl who doesn't really have any ideas about church because he parents have never gone, and therefore she has never gone. I tried hard (especially today) to get her to think about church and to get her thinking about going. Here are the questions and answers.

What do you think is the greatest need in your area?
She couldn't answer this question for a few minutes, but then came back with "the only thing I can think of is like a park". This was just because in this area there isn't anything she knows of where you can just walk without traffic near you.

Are you actively attending any church?
No, she says this is because he parents never have, so she hasn't seen a was or a reason to.

What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you?
She decided not the answer this one, she couldn't figure out what it meant. At the beginning she said she liked math, and I assume that's because she thought it was asking about what subjects in school she likes.

Why do you think most people don't attend church?
Just as my other interviewees, she gave the "because it's boring" answer. I think many people have a view of church that is very warped. She thought this simply because other people told her that they were bored in church, but not from personal experience.

If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?
She would want a fun service. Something that was short, entertaining, and to the point without guilt trips and being preached at, whereas we want her to be preached for.

What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful to people?
With help from others present, (regretfully, because I already interviewed one of the people there, who was the one who chose to give the most information towards this subject.)she said they should listen and have some true perspective for the other person's side.



Added note: one girl at the table contributed that she couldn't talk to a pastor because she felt like a 40 year old man (emphasis on man) couldn't be compatible with a girl her age. I think there may be some underlying things that needs to be spoken about with a pastor or counselor, but how can we get her to talk to them, when she's so ardent about keeping her problems away from the people who could help the most?