It was great for the clergy. It wasn't so great for the faithful.
It affected all of the lives everyday in all things. At least 4 prayers were said each day and everyone was expected to attend services every Sunday.
The Church
By going to church
The king and the Church.
The Catholic Church and the monarchy of Europe.
Different people affected the Church at different times. Possibly most consistently in the West it was the Pope, and in the East it was the Patriarch of Constantinople. Other people who had profound influence included Kings of Franc and Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. If there was a single person outside the Church of the Middle Ages who had the greatest effect on the Church, it might have been the Islamic prophet Muhammad, but people might disagree.
Population growth has affected Middle America because they have had to build more homes.
It affected all of the lives everyday in all things. At least 4 prayers were said each day and everyone was expected to attend services every Sunday.
with alms and stuff
I am not sure the Church was "hard" during the Middle Ages. The Church spent a lot of energy providing for the sick and poor, giving people refuge, representing the needs of the poor to the kings, and protecting people. There is a link below to a related question, "What was the role of the Church in the Middle Ages?"
It was the other way around. The merchant was affected by the church. The Catholic Church had control over the whole society as well as the monarchy. It told people what to do and set rules for society. Science was disallowed and considered wrong.
They had power over people, gave people hope and helped them
The Church
By going to church
Most of the people who lived in middle colonies back then did go to the church, although it wasn't mandatory like some other colonies.
The Roman Catholic Church
The king and the Church.