How important is how you dress for church?

You know, that's more than just rude and crude. It borders on the abusive. What an awful thing to do to a child or a mother, regardless of the situation they're in. It's no wonder Christianity has a bad reputation in the world. I wouldn't allow my children to play in a group like that but because they'd pick up bad attitudes.

How pretentious these people are!!! I was always taught it doesn't matter what you wear to church, as long as you go to church. In the bible the scripture says "Come as you are", how dare they send that note back to the mother!!! I stopped going to a traditional church years ago, and this is one of the reasons why. Church has become less of hearing the word, and more like a fashion show. The word sounds just the same if you are dressed to the nines, or in a t-shirt and jeans. God doesn't care what we wear to church, why should the parishioners?

Wow!! This is unreal. I would not want to go back to that church again if I were the Mom. That is not the way the world should ever look at people. Just because I have beliefs that tell me on ways I should look, etc. does not mean you should look like me no matter where you go as well. Church and God should never be based on looks, or how a person comes dressed. You are only cutting people short when you do, and will be help accountable for it in the end. Hoping your Pastor and Church can be a witness for this woman and her kids, and show her that there is more to life and living for God than this. At a time like this she needs friends and God more than she has ever needed them before.

I don't think that was appropriate at all. I don't go to church currently, but I do feel a closeness with God. I don't think He looks at us for what we wear as much as how we live. I don't think it is right for people in a church to tell you what to wear. I started going to a church a few years back and was really enjoying it until one night I went in and sat down and the woman in front of me ask if another woman had come in wearing pants again. The other woman looked as if the clothes she had on may have been all she had and others were judging her just because she wasn't in a dress. Needless to say, I felt I couldn't go back there anymore. We go to church to study The Word and learn how to live. God is our judge, not other people. They should be happy to see the church grow with faith not judgement and gossip.

that is not a church...who cares what you are wearing? "Man looks on the outside, but GOD looks at the heart ...at my church (baptist) people dress any way they want to (yes, peopel do wear jeans to my church), clothes just dont matter!

I'd hand a note to the paster. It would say that I'm leaving the church because the people in it care more about what someone looks like than they do about what's in that person's heart. Better yet, I'd walk up to the podium with that idiotic note in my hand, and completely embarrass the person who wrote it by pointing out how stupid the note truly is. God is God. He is God when you're dressed up, or when you're dressed down. He is God if your shoes are tied, or if the laces on your sneakers are broken. And He is God whether you're wearing clothes or not (well, maybe you should wear clothes in church, but still...). God doesn't respect clothing. Anyone who says that dressing up for God or a church is more important than going shouldn't be going to church themselves. Instead, they should be at home reading their bible, because they obviously aren't doing enough of that. Tell the mom, if you talk to her at all, to rip up any more notes that she gets like that, or to bring them directly to the pastor's attention. If it was the pastor or someone the pastor trusts who did it, I'd suggest you, the woman and her children start looking for somewhere else to go.

When the kids came home from church there was a note pinned to the little girls shirt that said they'd be glad to have her children in Sunday school but the next time she sends them she must make sure the girl wears a dress and the boy is to wear a suit and tie OMG THAT IS REVOLTING! but I have to wonder if it was the pastor who did it or a staff member who was UNAWARE of this womans situation AND if that was the case did the pastor know what had happened and what did he do about it?? I'm sorry but that is a very cruel and closed minded thing to do..

I think the church is being ridiculous I go to church in whatever I have clean and they should understand these womens situation. I would find a different church if my child had come home with this pinned to them. They obviously go for the image that they go to church rather than accepting people as God's children and treating them that way. God bless. I pray at home with friends sometimes still in my dressing gown. I am sure God feels no less for me doing so. God bless. Ellie :D

hiya~ of course its totally fine to wear whatever....did Jesus impose a dress code? NO...did he have this long list of u must say it this way, or dress like this, or anything along thoes lines? NO....instead he taught, i believe, a come as you are attitude....i wonder what this sunday school teacher would do if Jesus were to show up in tattered clothes, would they try to make him fit into their mold? sorry a touchy issue for me, the made up laws of man and church....with no Biblical basis :9 ~j

Everytime I go to church,I always wear a formal dress my Grand mother always told that to me,She dont like to see Girls wearing mini skirt or any kind of sexy dress,well I agree to my grand mother because we have to respect the house of God,we can wear all we want in the different places,so we have a right dress to wear wherever we want to go.

It is unfortunate that this happened but I can venture a guess as to why it happened. Let me back up a step first and say that different churches have different views on what is appropriate dress for church. Those churches that encourage dressing up for church do it mostly out of respect for the Lord and the importance of the event, being in the Lord's house. But I have never been n a church that rejected someone because of their dress. But to perhaps explain what may have happened. Some people use Sunday school as free daycare. They drop the kids off and do not go to church themselves but do whatever they want to do; go shopping, run errands, or just stay at home and enjoy the peace and quiet. This is often frustrating for some Sunday school teachers. They feel that they are being taken advantage of. I don't agree with that attitude but it does exist out there. Most teachers would be happy to have any kids and be able to shape their lives. If I were her I would mention this to the pastor. They can either lighten up on these poor kids who probably feel out of place anyway, or they can get the kids the clothes they need. (They should be providing for these kids anyway.)

I think that note was disgraceful to the Lord these people are supposedly worshipping. God does not care if we are in jeans and a t-shirt, or suites and dresses. He cares about our hearts and minds, not what we are wearing. I say the lady should find a different church!

It is a poor state of affairs when a church can't welcome a family without making them feel unwanted by the clothes they are wearing! Reading this, I could not help thinking about my granddaughter going to Sunday night service with her boyfriend. She had on a nice shirt and a nice pair of capris. The grandfather of the boy she was with was the pastor.He looked at her and asked, "Didn't you have time to dress?" The boy took up for her and said, "Yes, she did." But this really hurt her feelings and she never went back,and she had been going with him on Sunday mornings, too. My son's father-in-law, who was their pastor at the time also, told him that he would welcome teenagers in any clothing - just get them in church! I think all churches should welcome our children no matter how they are dressed. WE have so many who aren't in church probably because they don't think they have the right clothing simply because of people like those in that church! They make it seem that you have to be dressed to the T to serve God.GOD wants you right where you are. He doesn't ask you to dress up for him to worship! I wonder if it's hard for those same church people to pray to GOD in their old clothes at home,or do they have to be dressed up to associate with God? MY GOD welcomes us in whatever we have on,at any place we are in life. He wants US, not what we want to show off! I feel sorry for that church. They missed what could have been a blessing and caused the lady and her children to miss a blessing as well. Maybe one day they will see the error of their ways.

Got to be kidding???? it say God could careless how we come to church, as long we make it to church. i have woren jeans and t shirt to church. hate to this, the church sound like a bunch of fakers.

The minister could have told the church that there was this woman who had escaped with her children with just the clothes on her back, and that anyone who wanted help her out and had clothes that no longer fit them or were too small for their children, could give them some outfits to wear. It was just a mistake on his part and I am sure that considering the situation, someone would have provided a dress for the girl and a suit and tie for the boy.

This type of response from a church disturbs me greatly. If people are going to church to see what everyone is wearing they are not at church for the right reason. God looks on the heart, not the outward appearance. If the clothes the mother had for those children were all they had then no one should have said anything. Those children should have still been welcomed with open arms along with the mother.

I have huge issues with this. If there is some sort or dress code or rules or regulation for how you are dressed in church, then I take offense to it. While I do agree nobody should walk in there wearing lingerie or something similar, I think it is unkind to expect everybody to dress up or to wear certain clothing that one person or some appointed 'group' believes is acceptable. *IF* and this is a big if, I decided to attend a church service again, I would wear what I usually wear which is probably a shirt and jeans or shorts. God does not require me to dress up. There's very little chance of me impressing God. =P People go to church to gather and worship, correct? IMHO it is possible to just worship at home in your pjs without having to be around other people or have any need to fit in or impress them or have anybody make any comments about your pjs. Anyway, I don't think it matters what you wear as long as you're not naked. At church before I had some people hassling a friend of mine who had an EARRING and people have been hassled before for wearing jeans. There is no need to say you HAVE to wear a dress or a suit or a tie or to be covered head to foot or anything like that. In that poor woman's situation, I'd tell them that if they were not willing to accept my children with open arms in their classrooms regardless of how they were dressed, we'd leave and find another place that would. Shame on them. On top of this, many churches have food banks and clothing exchanges, so if they were going to harrass this woman about the clothes her children wore, they should at least give them something.

I read one post suggesting to send the kid back with a note attatched... I agree, I would send in a note with the kid that says something like, "I thought this was house of God... I didn't know God accepted only well dressed kids..." I think some people are forgetting the purpose of "Church"... We're there to worship God, not to look good to each other... I would take an offense to the fact that they're implying MY God is so narrow minded that HE can't accept me coming to his "House" dressed in decent manner, to MY best of ability in whatever the situation I'm in... If child's welfare was that much of a concern to whoever stuck that note, she should've approached the subject little differently... Then she would've known...

I think that that was very ignorant. The woman is trying. If she cannot afford it, what can they do. Its GOD's house. He accepts people however they are. This story tells ablot about why people won't go to church, because people within the church are very judgmental

dress modestly and decently not only in church but also in all places if u claim that u are a good christtian