Following up on an earlier discussion, and inspired by Lisa Whelchel's latest Coffe Talk, I'd like to ask you where you go to church. How did you decide to align yourself/family with that church? Did you grow up in church, and if so, is it the same denomination that you fellowship with now?
Since I asked the question, I'll answer first.
We currently go to a large (4,ooo-member) Church of God, Anderson church. We chose this church because the people were welcoming, the church had a "no debt" policy and was in the middle of an enormous building effort without taking out a single loan, and the Bible was being taught in many accessible ways (Sunday morning church, home groups, Sunday School and so on).
I grew up going to any church that would send a bus down my street. I felt compelled at a young age to be in church. Looking back as an adult, I think I was drawn to the consistency and the feeling of being wanted. Over the years, I went to Free Will Baptist, Nazarene, Southern Baptist, Assembly of God, Presbyterian Church (USA), charismatic/non-denominational, Bible, and Church of God, Anderson.
So, as I'm asking many of the people I run into these days, "Where do YOU go to church?"
By the way, I'm not asking you to tell me, "I go to the Blessed Holy Roller Fellowship at the corner of 8th and Oak in Soggy Bottom, Arkansas." What I'm after is, "We have been in the Methodist church for about 3 years, but I was raised Church of Christ." Let's all keep our identifying information to ourselves, shall we?
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7 comments:
Grew up a Mennonite. Remained in that church for 27 years.
Floated around several years looking for a church and now I belong to a Baptist church. 6 years spent as an Southern Baptist and 12 years after that as an Independent Baptist.
I grew up in a very secularistic lutheran family, wondering why other kids go to Sunday school but nobody takes me there.
After trying to find peace - God, that is - from that church, I ended up into a non-denominational small group, which was actually bad news in many ways. A few years later I moved out of the city and with God's help ended up into a local congregation of the Finnish Evangelical Free Church. That was 19 years ago. It's my true spiritual home and I love it.
Well I was NEVER brought to church but always let to go on a bus or what have you, so grew up in a patchwork of parishes ;) I began attending an Independent Baptist church in early teens and never went back. I have visited local'er churches (Assembly of God, and General Baptist) but Independent lines up the most with the Bible in my experience. :) melzie
My church past is far too colorful for a comment, but I will say that I was baptised as a Mormon and raised as an atheist. Fun stuff.
After 10 years in a seeker-sensitive SBC church (from the age of about 24), I have now been attending a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) for over a year and am pursuing membership.
We attend a non-denominational church of about 1500. Thats large for our area. It's elder led. I like the idea of having a mix of denominations worshiping and studying the Bible together. Keeps us from being too black and white. I was raised in just about everything you could be. Baptised into the Catholic, saved at 11 and baptised again in a little Baptist church, have attended presby, methodist, and full gospel for a bit. My husband and I were baptised together a few years ago, soon after he was saved. I still have my rosary to remind me not to jump on that train of "only my denomination will be in heaven." It's easy to do, even in subtle ways. How God must shake His head at us down here.
Grew up in Southern Baptist church, 4 years ago went to non-denominataional church for about 3 years, currently seeking a church in the area we are at... visiting different ones. But, I became a Christ follower at the age of 11. It has been a road of constant learning, growing, stretching and blessing! This was an interesting blog! Thanks!
Like you, I'm somewhat of what I call a church "mutt". I've been everything from Baptist to Charismatic to non-denominational to Salvation Army (which I grew up in). I've struggled to find a good church home here in my town, and finally last year God led me to a smallish Mennonite Brethren church and I finally feel like I'm home.
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