I have a few questions & I would love for everyone to comment & to give me an honest answer.
Why do you attend the church you currently attend?
Do you go because you love that church?
Is it the Pastor's preaching?
The friends you have there?
Maybe it's the worship & music?
Do you go because they have a great place for your kids?
What keeps you there?
Are you there because other family members attend there also?
And if you aren't in church, what kind are you looking for?
I'm just curious about all of this. D & I are at a crossroads with church & are praying about making a move. But aren't sure where too.
Please everyone comment on this one for me & share your thoughts. Thanks a bunch.
I attend as often as possible. I go to have the fellowship with other believers. To be ENCOURAGED and to ENCOURAGE. I do love our church, but wish that the nursery was better and was offered more often! Our worship is amazing. Our pastor has a doctrite in theology, so he is very detailed in his studies. I love our pastors wife. She's always been my inspiration. My mother and sister go there, but that is not why I go. Its a perk, but not the reason. I don't have friends there, in fact, all my friends go to another church, and they want us to go there, but I feel like this church actually NEEDS us. Its good to be needed and not just be a face in the crowd! I love that the people linger at the altars long past 12 pm. And without even an altar call, just going up after the service and praying. And that our staff allows them! I love that the church offers a prayer meeting before every service. And its intense. I love that the allow YOUNG people to sing solos (Sunday we had a 12 year old sing and it was POWERFUL!)We also have teenagers on the worship team, singing, playing drums, guitar, etc. ITs just awesome. I feel like the church is BALANCED. I came from an unbalanced situtaion where the church was trying to be bigger than it was, and that is hard on the body and the staff. This church seems to be more balanced with all the ministries and services. Of course I'm on the 'otherside' now. So we will see. I hope others will comment too!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE my church and the biggest thing that keeps us going is the Nifty Over Fifty crowd!! They are an awesome bunch of people. We love, pray, laugh, fellowship. We just have a good old time. The music is amazing but LOUD!! That is just because I'm getting older and my ears are more sensitive but it's so awesome.
ReplyDeleteI am involved a lot more now than I have been in years and I love it. I feel needed, wanted and loved. I am growing spiritually by leaps and bounds and it is amazing.
When you find a church you can't stay in the boat. You have to step out onto the water and get wet.
Hey Crystal,
ReplyDeleteLong time, no see...er...or read, I guess. :) Thought I'd stop by and see how things are going around here. I've been throwing around starting up a blog again. I miss the interaction with other bloggers, like YOU! :)
As to not be completely off topic from your post...LOL! We've attended our church for about 12 years now. For the first few years of our marriage we weren't 'satisfied' with it, so we looked around at other churches. However, we kept going back to our church. There are things that I'm not crazy about in our church, but that's because it's made up of humans, just like me. :) I've also learned that the more that I get involved and give of myself, the more fulfilling it is too. It is also clear that our pastor and the church body itself strives to stay doctrinally sound and focused on the Lord.
However, the most important thing I learned in our searching, is that it really isn't about us. It's all about glorifying God! Isn't that the whole purpose for our lives anyway? To bring glory to God in ALL things? So, I guess what I'm saying is that we are staying at our church because we know that there is no perfect church out there. They are made up of humans, after all. :) And, most importantly, we see God being glorified there. Our church doesn't act like it is a country club where all of its members come to be catered to and entertained. It's not all about what God can do for us, it's what can we do for Him! Our main goal is to bring glory to God. Anytime you see the name of our church in the paper, phonebook, etc...it always reads below it, "in all thy ways acknowledge Him!" :)
So, I pray that whatever you and D decide to do, that you'll be in a place that makes its purpose to bring glory to Him. Sometimes that means changing churches. Sometimes it means transforming the way we think. Sometimes it means transforming the way we think and going into the church and encouraging a transformation there too. May He give you guidance in this and may He be glorified! :)
Sorry this was so long!
3 things:
ReplyDelete1) The presence of the Holy Spirit
2) The Word of God is taught
3) I feel loved and accepted
rg
Hiya Crystal,
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am a Buddhist praying to the God of Mercy I remembered when I was a teenager I was in a crossroad too.
My girlfriend brought me to church oneday when I was about 13 years old...I remmebered being so afraid. She was the only one I knew but guessed what? She shunned me and ignored me leaving me all alone with no one to guide me except for a new friend there.
I was so sad and after that incident I asked her, she told me because of the presence of 'satan she is not 'suppposed' to be near me ;( I was so upset that she did not guide me but this reason didnt sit in well with me.
Anyway, we are still friends but after all these years being a Mom now I knew my elder girl is developing her faith in Christianity so I respected her decision.
Right now, she attended church because my sis-in-law is guiding her and bringing her and I believe she is in good hands of God :D
Sorry if this is off topic for you Crystal but just wanna share mine and I believe you and D are in good hands too :D
From Chris G.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I are in a hard place. After all of the exciting church things I have been in, we are now in a very unchurched part of the most unchurched area of our country, the Northwest. There are pretty much no churches. We like a Calvary Chapel church, but it is over 45 minutes away through windy mountain roads and my son gets car sick every time we try to go. There are about five churches within an hour of our house. Therefore we visit the local AG church. We are the youngest in the church by 20 yrs. We have no friends there and no one talks to us or seeks to get to know us, and we have been there 2yrs now. We go, though, because, we feel that God says to fellowship and therefore we do. We have often struggled with going and hanging out with 35 people who don't really want to hang around us, but we have really learned Church isn't about us. I think we were in a place where 'God is calling us somewhere else' actually is 'I’m bored and want something new.' kind of like wanting Halo 3 because I finished the others, not because I need it. I have thought about the rest of the world where they would get excited to get together with any other believers even if they didn't sing the songs they like. We thought we could start a ministry with the church, but the pastor isn't interested, so that possibility is closed. Therefore, we ask, 'Why go?" all the time. Right now, we go because God says "Do not forsake the assembling together” He doesn't quantify it, it doesn't matter what I 'feel' or 'don't feel’ It is all about him. Right now, I am a counselor in a school where kids can ask me spiritual questions they would never be able to have answered normally. There is not a single youth minister anwhere in this side of the county. I have often thought, do I sacrifice my comfort to be in this place? Right now, Yes. It is tough, but he has always been faithful and will continue to be.
That breaks my heart Gremar!! abd I am very PROUD of you at the same time!
ReplyDeleteYou can always come back to the good ole' South!! We would welcome you with open arms.
Love ya and Miss ya bunches!
Vickie
Crystal,
ReplyDeleteI was reading an article that was talking about this new book out by Josh Harris. (He wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye...I don't know if you've ever heard of that book either, but anyway...LOL!) Anyway, he has a new book out called Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the Family of God. Reading over some of the description of it, I thought of you and the questions you had posed in this post. So, I thought that I'd share it with you because it might be something that you could get at the library and look through. Maybe it will help you as you are trying to figure out where to go to church.
:)