I realize in the grand scheme of things this is a insignificant issue, however, in the non-denominational church I grew up in (80's-90's) you wore a suite and tie on Sunday morning.

My wife and I were saved loooong ago but its been well over 20yrs since we've been to church. My wife and I have maintained a relationship with Jesus over the years but are longing to try and find a church again.

We visited the church I grew up in today and literally everyone was dressed in blue jeans, some kind of casual shirt and tennis shoes or boots.

I get it, it's not that important, it was just kind of a shell shock to me. I was in some dark dress type jeans, a nice sweater and loafers and I feel like I was over dressed.

This can make it a little difficult for folks checking out different churches not knowing how "laid back" they are.


How do folks dress at your church?

I was new to town and looking for a place.  Everyone here dresses outdoor casual, church was no exception.  I did see one guy wearing gym shorts and a ragged tee shirt like the stuff I sleep in, but not going to judge.  When it came time to pass the plate, he stands up and is one of the guys doing it. What can I say...?

[Deleted]

Very casual.
Lots of homeless at our church tho.

Growing up we always wore out best.

I go to an independent kjv reading baptist church. The leaders all wear suits.  The majority of the rest are jeans and a collared shirt.
I have known our pastor for a long time. We workout together when we can. We shoot together couple times a year. I have been there almost every Sunday for close to 20 years. It feels like home. I do not and will not own a suit. Wife got me in one long enough to get married.
Talking to my pastor we got on this subject. I told him I don't wear a suit because I am proud to be a blue collar God fearing American. I relate wearing a suit to used car salesmen, politicians and lawyers that chase ambulances. I believe in dirty hands clean money and I dress nicer to church than I do to work. John the Baptist wore a coat of camels hair. He was like I get it. God sees your heart. That was that.

 come as you are or go to this guys church

About 20 yrs ago we were going to the Baptist church I grew up in.  I wore a tie every Sunday.  
One Sunday, one of the more outwardly "righteous" men said, "I have to wear a tie all week.  The
last thing I will do is wear one on Sunday."
My thought was, you will wear one to impress a man, but not to worship God?

I just smiled and added it to the list of reasons I don't go to church now.

If you can't spell "suit" you don't get to complain about people not wearing them.

I see both sides of this issue. I totally understand the whole "come as you are" thing. I also understand that going to church isn't supposed to be just another errand, or just another social activity you pencil into your busy schedule. It's should be "special," for lack of a better term. Or at least more "special" than what you do the other 6 days, 23 hours of your week.

I think the lesson of the widow's offering (Mark 12:41-44) is applicable here.



Jesus wasn't saying that everyone should only give 2 small coins, or that 2 small coins was the "minimal acceptable standard," but instead was saying that In comparison to what she had the capability to do, she did a lot.

The lesson could have just as easily been an observation of how people were dressed when they came to the temple. How much effort are you putting into it, as opposed to how much you COULD be putting into it?

If you have a closet full of "fine" clothes at home, but deliberately choose to go to church in the same clothes you would put on to go to the bar, or the game, or change the oil in your truck, then that says something. And if you WOULD put on the "fine" clothes to go to work, or to impress a date, then that also says something. What, exactly, that says, and how important it is, is between you and God. I really don't know for sure.

We'll go to great lengths to justify our actions or inactions, especially when we're justifying not doing something that's the least bit uncomfortable, or unpleasant.

ETA: just realized I didn't actually answer the question. For the most part, most people at my church are at least "business casual." Nobody who regularly attends is showing up in pajama pants or greasy jeans. Plenty of shirts and ties, and a few dresses. (On the appropriately gendered person). Good jeans and a nice sweatshirt are not out of place or uncommon either. I usually wear kahikis and a collared shirt. I'll wear a suit if I'm helping with the service in some way.

Button up shirt + dark jeans + leather shoes covers 90% of situations in my experience, whether it be a church or a nightclub.

Ties and dresses. (LDS)

Anywhere from business casual to going to Walmart. I don't see ties very much, if at all. The only thing that even catches my attention is wearing a hat in church. I was taught to never wear a hat indoors anywhere and I always do a double take when I see one. My wife took me to a nice business casual restaurant last night and I saw at least two baseball caps. I was like "Damn dude." Now this was a reservations only restaurant, so who who gets ready to go and says, "Hmmm, I need to wear a hat there"?

Pretty casual, especially during the summer. It’s a blue collar Catholic church on the gulf coast. Every once in a while the priest will say something, and people will spruce up for a couple of weeks.  I’ll wear nice shorts and a golf shirt when it’s really hot, but I draw the line at flip flops. I find those inappropriate for men at church although a lot of guys, especially younger ones, in our parish apparently don’t share that sentiment. Cooler months, usually khakis or jeans and a nice shirt.

Casual here (dockers & a collared shirt) for the most part - no ratty jeans or shorts

pretty casual, summer time it is sun dresses and shorts, winter it's jeans. me I stand in the sound booth so it is black crye combat pants, black sneakers and a black shirt

I wear my Sunday best of course, shirt & tie minimum out of respect.

I wear a polo or more recently, a button down casual shirt (Duluth) untucked, Khaki Cargo pants, although recently I have switched over to Duluth's cargo with less pockets on it (looks more like a traditional khaki). Wife and daughter wear dresses of some type mostly. Boys wear polos.

Most others wear anything from nice suit (older folks and leadership) to casual. I haven't seen anyone adult wear T-Shirts at Sunday services.

Our church is a very relaxed and inviting atmosphere. They care that you are there, not what you're wearing. I usually wear a collared shirt and either nice jeans or sometimes khakis or dress pants. There are people there wearing everything from 3 piece suits to sweatpants. Nobody bats an eye. But again, it's a relaxed atmosphere. They dont even pass around an offering plate. There's donation counters around the lobby and you can do it electronically, but the pastor rarely mentions it. And yet, financially they're doing so well they just bought the 10 acre adjacent property for future expansion. Funny how when you make it more about the message than brow-beating people for money (my wife's former church was that way, I have some crazy stories) it works out that way.

I grew up going to my mom's family church which was pentacostal. That was an entirely different can of worms.

I grew up the same way in a Lutheran church. People dressed up quite a bit. In my current non denomination church it's pretty casual in general, but some do dress up, and others not so much. It's not really a highly emphasized point any more.

I would be less concerned about what clothing people wear and more concerned if a church was KJV only.

Yup. I wear a suit and tie every week, without exception. So do my sons. My wife and daughters wear dresses.

So do approximately 99% of the rest of those attending.

Men in suits
Women and girls in dresses
Boys in shirt & tie or suit

(LDS)

Same although most of the wards around here nice jeans and clean boots are fine with your button up and tie.😊

Edit: LDS

You wore jeans and felt like you were in a position to judge that other people there were dressed too casually?

That is rich.

I love our Church

Calm down, he's just asking a question. It's been 20 years. I can see how the average dress code change over that time could be jarring.

God doesn’t care how you’re dressed. God doesn’t care about you even attending a “church”. Its not about that, it’s about relationship, faith and how you live your life, but mostly faith. Good works (living a Godly life) naturally flow from faith and relationship.

We attend a “come as you are” bible believing AG church. Several other non-denominational and baptist churches in our area are the same.

I just think it’s great that a handful of “competing” churches in my valley get along and work together. The various pastors are on good terms and collaborate to help people in our area. A few churches are a bit more traditional, one is virtually brand new. All preach biblical messages. I often even catch a baptist or a non-denominational church’s sermon during the week in addition to my church’s message.

Some in jeans, most in slacks.  I either wear slacks or a suit.  I’m the only one I’ve ever seen wear a suit there.  I like dressing to impress, and a suit is so much different than the safety boots, safety glasses, ear pro and dust mask I wear all week at work.

Our church has gone from coat and tie to casual in the past 20 years. You would fit in fine OP with what you were wearing. We wear jeans to ties and everything in between. Most adults wear casual or dress shirts, jeans or khakis, dress shoes to cowboy boots.

Orthodox church. Depends on the service. On Saturday Vespers, it's a low key, quiet worship. People dress casually, but respectably. On Sunday's Liturgy, some men wear suits and ties, some women veils and full skirts, others nice but not too formal. Nobody's judging in this church. But I see everyone trying to be respectable. I wear button down shirts, dress pants and my nice Ariats. My own opinion is that Jesus sees us and loves every day no matter what we wear. But by dressing decently in His house with our brethren, we honor Him, each other and ourselves.

I attend a nondenominational Bible church.
Wore bibs and boots to church last Sunday.
Temp was around zero.
Other wise jeans and a shirt with buttons.
I don't own any clothes worthy of wearing in the presence of the Holy and Just God.

We are in a really rural area.

95% of the guys at my church including the pastor wear Jeans and a Polo or a Hunting brand Tshirt.
I wear cargo pants or shorts 99% of my days (depending on temps).  I have nicer/newer ones I wear to church and more whooped ones reserved for working, shooting or SxS riding. When warmer temps, I usually wear a Polo, colder button up or maybe a sweater or hoody. Clean shoes too...

Our pastor is a really laid back country 5th or so generation farm boy (man).
He said he would rather have a few folks dressed like beggars that had faith, wanted to worship and hear the message than a room full of expensive suite and Tie wearing folks that wanted to judge what others were wear.

I still usually am a bit better dressed than most of them, but I don't judge or think I'm any better, we mostly the same underneath the nice (or not nice) outfit.  The word, faith and spirit are the important things.

I attend a b8ker church.  Boots, jeans, nice t shirt and vest.  (Club colors.)

I try to dress nice . Sometimes just Clean Jeans and a Tee.

I do get somewhat  offended when the Ladies wear  . Shorty Skirts  and skin tight tops .

Easy on the eyes yes but time and a place for everything . Hard to not notice .

Thank you. Young women often push the limits on modesty and need a reminder from the pulpit from time to time. You're in church, not a nightclub.

to be honest,

everyone at my Church ( a conservative Episcopal) is always very well dressed. I'm the only outdoorsman, cowboy/rancher type there for the 8 am mass. my 4x4 Ram will always be dirtiest vehicle there (sometimes with retrievers in the Dog Boxes), I'll will be there in my starched pressed Cinches, boots and a sportcoat or winter vest. I either come in from the field doing something or leave  from church to have breakfast with my wife and then I'm off to working. my land is an hour away, but I squeeze in time to get out there after Church to check on things. there have been times in horrible winter weather I've been one of the only ones there, in boots, jeans and a black under armour hoodie with a winter vest.

its Oklahoma- starched, creased jeans, boots and a sportcoat are acceptable for anything from Mass to Weddings and Funerals.

this is the way...
God wants the faithful... in any way possible.

Yesterday's Babylon Bee article was just too good to pass up for this religion forum post.

https://babylonbee.com/news/embarrassing-baptist-man-shows-up-to-heaven-in-suit-while-everyone-else-just-wearing-hawaiian-shirts-and-sandals

Most wear decent jeans and shirt. Some wear a suit. I'm not a fan of wearing shorts to church. That's just for me though. I don't care what you wear.

Depends on the weather.

The last time I went to church, I wore shorts and a polo shirt. My wife, somewhat scandalized by my choice of accoutrements, said "you can't wear shorts to church! I looked her dead in the eye and told her that if God didn't want me to wear shorts to church, then He wouldn't have made Florida so damn hot in the summer!

I wear cowboy boots, jeans, and a hoodie this time of year. Hopefully Jesus doesn’t mind.

At my church it is pretty much like the old Christian Hymn, "come as you are."  I don't see anybody dressed like a slob but it is rare to see anybody in a suit.  People feel comfortable and at home at church...it is like a big family gathering.

Nothing remarkable, business casual to less than casual. I've never noticed how a person is dressed other than when a guy wears a hat inside the sanctuary.
Bro, I mean, broooooo. Not cool.

Do you wear your hat inside the church?

At my church, most wear what I’d call business causal. I wear a dress shirt and slacks, tie on special occasions.  I’ve noticed some in dress jeans wear their cowboy hat, taking the hat off only during prayer.  I thought you take the hat when coming inside.