A Reader question

Prior to bumming out on Nablopomo, I asked if any readers had any questions I could answer here.

Only one of you answered.  Headless Mom asks:

I’d be curious to know what denomination church you attend? And why have you chosen it? Is it different than the one you grew up in? What tips would you give to someone/a family searching for a new church home?

Hmmm.  Complicated.

If I were attending a home church, which we’re not for a multitude of reasons, but if we were, our first choice would be Calvary Chapel.  Not technically a denomination – but a Bible-believing church.  I was saved at a Calvary Chapel for one – but I like their philosophy of Bible study.  You’re not left to study on your own, and then come to church for topical applications…  No, you study chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and then make topical applications to what you studied.  There’s a difference.  It seems to me that if you’re a Christian who believes that Bible study is at the core of what you believe – you should follow a church that follows that tennet up in practice.  We’re currently church homeless, but that’s a personal thing that my husband and I are going through, as opposed to a reflection on church itself.

It’s absolutely different than the one I grew up in.  My mom was Lutheran, my father Brethren, and grandma was Baptist.  My parents, not really caring about religion one way or another, basically left it up to grandma to take me to church.  Since I spent more weekends with her than not – that was a lot.  The church we attended was very formal, very large, and very old (it seemed to me at the ripe old age of 7.)  If I had questions in Sunday School, I was hushed up a lot.  I would have been fine with “I don’t know,” but that was never the answer given to me.  It effected me a lot in the ensuing years.  I cannot speak for all Baptist churches, or the denomination, as that particular church was the only one I attended with grandma.  After I grew up a bit, adn started searching on my own spiritual journey, I studied a lot of religions and beliefs.  I even converted to one – Wicca.  However, that ended up being the wrong religion for me, as I truly feel there’s is one God (in both male and female form combined) and not Gods/Goddesses.  I also didn’t feel as inclined to the spiritual sanctity of nature as the religion calls for.  Eventually I found my way back to Christianity.  It felt right.  I felt a “thrum” in my spirit.  I have some ideas that the traditional church does not hold, but I feel sure in saying that I’m a Christian.

Now – as to tips for a family looking for their own homechurch.  First off – what do you believe?  Take time to pray, study, and search your heart.  Are you a Christian?  Do you hold true to particular sects?  Do certain ideologies make your heart sing?  Then go from there.  There are a few websites out there that have multiple choice questions stemming from “what do you believe” and then give you the religion/congregation that most matches what you already hold true in your heart.  After that, go to the congregations’ websites – most have them.  Read their statements of faith, and check out their church locations.  Most local churches now have their websites up, along with their statements of faith.  Read those statements carefully, prayerfully, and then listen to your gut.  For a Bible believing Christian, a word of caution – you’ll be startled to see how many churches don’t even mention the word “Bible” on their websites, hence my call for caution.  And finally – start visiting.  For us, we regularly attended a church for months, thinking it was our place.  Until the head pastor mentioned some things twice in a row that literally made us look at each other in shock during the service.  We didn’t go back.  My point is, you have to live with the church in your life to fully appreciate whether it’s for you or not.