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Imagine that you chose the other option for your qualitative research report ( ethnography). Explain how it would have changed the research and writing process. Be sure to cite your sources. 250 words QUALITATIVE RESEARCH 2 Qualitative Research Students Name Professors Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name and Number Date Of Submission Qualitative Research In the United States, three-quarters of the population has a religious affiliation. Christianity is the most prominent religion since 70\% identify as Christians and have a habit of going to church (Mason, 2018). It goes without saying that we all are creatures of habit, and we do what we are comfortable doing. Sometimes these habits originate with upbringing, and they stay static as we grow. This also applies to Christianity since it does not require much experience in the Christian community to realize that people have varying kinds of habits concerning church attendance. Some people show up in church when they feel other people are worried about them; some go to church every Sunday; some twice or thrice a week, while some go to church every time the doors are open. Therefore, this pattern indicates that church attendance is a habit, and it has been passed over from one generation to another because there are beliefs attached to going church and are mainly based on the hold book the Bible, which guides their lives as Christians. Christians have a habit of going to churches because they believe that the church connects them with God (Henderson & Casper, 2007). They believe that churches are sacred and provide them with physical space to draw closer and connect with God, which is an experience they are not likely to get in other places. Christians believe that the simple act of walking in the church door brings you closer, and ultimately, the connection with God is reinforced and strengthened by church attendance (Rousselet, 2015, p. 50). Christians go to church because they believe that it connects them socially. They believe that church people are much friendly since they are perceived to be kinder, as they oblige to what the Bible demands them to love their neighbour as they love themselves. Therefore, even when someone moves to a new town or neighbourhood, they prefer going to church because they know that its a place, they can make friends who will help them settle in easily. Also, when someone is going through a difficult phase in life, they opt to go to church as they claim that church gives them solace through interacting with people who can help them emotionally and spiritually (Henderson & Casper, 2007). Additionally, they get to reflect on gratitude by counting their blessings even when they feel lost. Some people also indicated that they go to church as it helps them connect better with their partners or spouses. They reported that when they attend church together, they have higher levels of satisfaction and happiness within their relationships since church helps them reconnect them to their shared beliefs. They indicated that church reinforces the higher philosophy and purpose behind family and marriage as it allows them a safe space to connect with God and their partners together. Additionally, some indicated that church would enable them to feel reverence (Craigo-Snell, 2016). They assert that due to the chaos of every day, they long for peace, quiet and reverence, and when they go to church, they are taken to a place of worship and peace. They claim a peaceful feeling that washes over them the moment they walk into the building, thus naming it a place of calm and joy. They concluded by saying that it allows them to feel at peace and gives them respite from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. Churches are also popular among Christians because they provide them with an opportunity to give back. Christians believe that it is their obligation to act morally, and this involves helping others around them, especially those in need. They believe that helping others is the same way as helping God, and it comes in handy. Also, they reflect on a biblical verse; Matthew 25:35-36 that says, For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in, I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison, and you came to visit me which makes them remember the good deeds that God has done for them. Church enables them to give their time and resources to causes they believe in (Henderson & Casper, 2007). Therefore, they claim that churches serve as food banks where poor people can collect some food. Also, in case of calamities such as floods, and fires churches houses individuals who are misplaced and help them step up with their two feet since believers team up and make contributions to support their own. Therefore, Christians have the habit of going to church because it allows them to give back to society, which they believe is the same as giving back to God, which they expect to be blessed with more resources than they have given out (Frost, 2016). Christians believe that the church instils values and beliefs that you cannot get somewhere else. They believe that the church teaches them compassion, empathy, forgiveness, kindness, love, among many other values. They claim that church services are meant to teach them good moral behaviour and consistently attending church reinforces these values in their daily lives since they are constantly reminded of acting according to biblical teachings. Also, by going to church, Christians get to fellowship, pray together as they believe that fellowship brings their hearts together, and they are more potent in prayers when they are united. This makes them believe that they are in a better position to defeat their enemies and overcome trial and temptation compared to when one is doing it at their homestead or other places. Additionally, they quote the scripture in Hebrews 10:24-25 that states, And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near arguing that they are urged to be thoughtful and concerned of one another (Ruel, 2017). They claim that the primary thrust of this verse naturally occurs when they are together. They believe that this verse does not require them to go to church because they would forget what is inside the church, but they would fall out of their behaviour and begin living in an evil way due to a lack of encouraging influences. Therefore, going to church helps them uphold their way of living according to what the scripture stipulates. Another reason why Christians go to church is that they believe to find deeper meaning in their lives. Christians claim that when they go to church, they experience a greater sense of purpose and meaning as it helps them revisit the larger narrative of life and the reasons to hold on and keep the faith (Henderson & Casper, 2007). It is by going to church that some finds out that they are meant to be pastors to spread the gospel to God and bring more souls to God. Some find out that their purpose is to use their voices through music to bring more people closer to God, while others learn that they should offer their services in the church, such as being ushers or counsellors to help others cope with life issues. Lastly, the church makes people care about each other. There is this tendency with Christians that if a member has not attended church service as they usually do, or for a few weeks, other members visit them to inquire why they did not go to church because they tend to believe there must be a serious reason why they did not fellowship with them. Also, by going to church, they get to hear some announcements about their unwell members, those who have travelled, those who require church support, and any church event they might partake in (Henderson & Casper, 2007). You cannot find these kinds of announcements somewhere else because they are programmed as part of the church service. Through those announcements, church members make it their duty to find time to visit their unwell friends, pray for those who have travelled and find means to support those who require their support. A church service is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. It mostly happens on Sunday or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. Thus, the church service is the gathering together of Christians to be taught the word of God, in other words, the Bible and encouraged in their faith. Regarding the question of what do Christians when they attend church services, the answers vary considering the style of service differs significantly from Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglicans, Oriental Orthodox, Evangelical Protestants, and Presbyterians Lutheran traditions of liturgical worship style (Ruel, 2017). Quakers and some other groups have no formal outline to their services but allow worship to develop as the congregation present feels moved (Ruel, 2017). However, regardless of the style of service, most churches combine worship with teachings for the believers, which might have an evangelistic component appealing to non-Christians or skeptics in the congregation. Most Christian denominations hold church services on Sunday, which they term as the sabbath or the Lords Day, with many of them offering Sunday morning and evening services, a number have mid-week services Wednesday evening service while in some other denominations, church services are held daily, this including those in which the canonical hours are prayed and the offering of the mass among other forms of worships (Hauerwas & Willimon, 2014). Besides this, most Christians attend worship services on holy days such as the Easter holiday, Ash Wednesday, Ascension Thursday, among others depending on the Christian denomination. Some of the prevalent things that Christians do while they go to church regardless of their denomination include worshipping, which involves praising God in music, or singing, reading from the scripture, prayers of different sorts, a sermon and various hold ceremonies such as the Eucharist and the holy communion (Hauerwas & Willimon, 2014). Christians often sing together in the church, and their tradition of singing praise to God dates back thousands of years. The book of Psalms in the scripture is a collection of songs that the Israelites used to sing, telling God how awesome he is because of taking care of them, and it is prevalently used in contemporary churches for the same purpose. Additionally, Christians believe that the Bible contains Gods words that will help them know what he wants of them by guiding them on how he wants them to live. Therefore, the church provides them with an opportunity to study the Bible, which is usually followed by a special talk referred to as a sermon where the clergy or the priest shares some thoughts on what the passage from the Bible means to Christians as they are believed to be to have some exceptional understanding of the scripture as they are chosen by God (Craigo-Snell, 2016). Additionally, most church services include a time to pray, and it often falls under four categories: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession (Frost, 2016). Adoration is telling God how great he is, while confession is when they ask for forgiveness for things they have done wrong, and thanksgiving is giving gratitude to God for mostly the goods things that he has done for them, and sometimes they say thank you for even bad things happening as they claim that it strengthens their faith in God (Frost, 2016). Intercessory is where they ask God to help other people, for example, those in difficult situations financially, spiritually as well as to intercede for those who are sick (Frost, 2016). Jesus death on the cross is a significant part of the Christian faith, which almost all denominations take part in, although they do it differently. In this particular celebration, they are required to partake in activities that happened in the last supper according to the Bible, where they share bread and wine as a resemblance of Jesus body and blood (Craigo-Snell, 2016). While they do this, they remember Jesus death on the cross and gives thanks to God because they believe that he died for their sins (Craigo-Snell, 2016). Other things that Christians do in the church might include fundraising for an upcoming church activity, such as missionary work where some individuals are sent on a mission to particular places to preach the word of God to non-believers. Also, there is socialization or interaction between pastors, also referred to as men or women of God, and followers where they share their hardships or gratitude (Hauerwas & Willimon, 2014). Also, people interact with others where they form relationships, such as being prayer partners. While at it, it is common for Christians to greet each other while they go to church or meet in other places in a Godly way. As said earlier, Christian denominations have different practices and different characteristics. Some denominations tend to have a particular way of dressing while going to church or even their daily lives. For example, you will find that those who regard themselves as seventh-day Sabbatarianism wear long dresses and covers their heads. Some do not shake hands while greeting; some believe they should remove their shoes since they are steeping on the holy place while in church (Hauerwas & Willimon, 2014). One common thing in all denominations is that while in the presence of God, it is recommended to be decent, but that term varies from one individual to another. There is a saying in Christianity that says, a church is not a cold and lifeless concrete building, but rather it is a body of warm and living people who have dedicated their lives to God (Graves, 2014); therefore, Christians have attached meanings to church because there are several ways that churches are essential to Christians. First, as stated, it is a place where people have dedicated their lives to God. Therefore, churches are meaningful to Christians because it connects them with God it is a place where they get to make promises and commitment with him. Also, they get to dedicate their offspring to God, which is a special rite of passage in Christianity since they believe that children will grow in good health and be protected from evil forces or any harm (Hauerwas & Willimon, 2014). Another significance of church to Christians is that it is a place that they can give offerings and sacrifices to God and be accepted because it is considered a dwelling place of God. Also, it is significant to Christians since they consider it a safe space where people can confess their wrongdoings and not be judged as Christians believe that it is only God who can judge since they all have flaws (Craigo-Snell, 2016). Thus, the church is a safe space to repent their sins and become acceptable to God. In addition, Christians believe that churches cultivate good morals in all individuals, especially children, as they have a service that teaches them how to behave and conduct themselves in the outside world in line with biblical teachings (Craigo-Snell, 2016). Thus, they grow knowing God and doing to his will, and this is all because they attend church services. Besides, they believe that attending church is a positive example to others in society, which inspires others to do so, especially those trying to make their lives better as they relate going to church with increased satisfaction and happiness in life (Craigo-Snell, 2016). Therefore, churches are meaningful to Christians as it is a place where they get their heart desires fulfilled, making them happy and satisfied. Also, churches are significant to Christians as it is the place that they get baptized. In Christianity, baptism is a public confession of faith, and it represents that someone is forgiven and cleansed for their sins and born into the kingdom of God (Craigo-Snell, 2016). This is an occasion in a church that Christians have to undergo some teaching before qualifying to partake in the process of baptism. Therefore, churches are important to Christians as they serve as a link between God and people (Rousselet, 2015, p. 51). Additionally, the church is a place where Christians can meet to share their life experiences, motivate each other and share ideas on navigating through life without falling into temptations. Through these meetings, people get to know and understand each other, which facilitates making of good relationships such as life partners or friends (Rousselet, 2015, p. 52). Therefore, churches are significant to Christians as it is a place to create relationships and valuable connections with each other since, through sharing, people tend to be vulnerable with each other thus reducing secrecy and lies which are detrimental to making lasting relationships. Lastly, churches are significant to Christians because it is a place where there is no discrimination. Churches do not discriminate against people based on their social class, race or ethnicity (Mason, 2018). It is a place that brings all people together, which is something hard to get in other places outside the church. Churches promote love, understanding, kindness and compassion that help people from varying backgrounds live in a Godly way. Therefore, churches are essential to Christians as they foster good behaviour, unity and oneness in society through Biblical teachings (Mason, 2018). References Craigo-Snell, S. (2016). The Empty Church: Theater, Theology, and Bodily Hope. Oxford University Press. Frost, M. (2016). Surprise the world: the five habits of highly missional people. NavPress. Graves, M. (2014). The Inspiration and Interpretation of Scripture: What the Early Church Can Teach Us. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Hauerwas, S., & Willimon, W. H. (2014). Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony (Expanded 25th Anniversary Edition). Abingdon Press. Henderson, J., & Casper, M. (2007). Jim and Casper Go to Church: Frank Conversation about Faith, Churches, and Well-Meaning Christians. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Mason, E. (2018). Woke Church: An Urgent Call for Christians in America to Confront Racism and Injustice. Moody Publishers. Rousselet, K. (2015). The Church in the Service of the Fatherland. Europe-Asia Studies, 67(1), 49-67. Ruel, M. (2017). Christians as believers. In Ritual and Religious Belief (pp. 242-264). Routledge.