Finding a church

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Windmillcharge

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How does one find a church?
Google will show them, but which one is suitable?
Personal recommendation from friends etc helps, but ultimatly one has to go and try the church out.
Go and be judgemental about the church.
How welcomig were they?
How clear was the order of service?
hymns/sons, were they relevant to he sermon, were they an aid to worship or a distraction as they did there self worshipping performance?
Prayers, did they worship God or were they only an appeal to the sugar daddy for more and more?
the surmon, was it an explaination and application of a biblical passage to today. What did you find helpful, challengig or encouraging about it and what did you disagree with?
After the service, did people talk to yo, how willing was te preacher to talk with you?

finally write up your review and send it to the preacher and the minister with a request for his comments,

Do this with every church. Repeat with any church that is willing to discuss your comments/views etc and if willing to talk with you, think about attending.
They won't be perfect, but are open to listen and talk, you will be a blessing to them, as they will be to you.
 
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Addy

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This should be a very interesting conversation.
 

TLHKAJ

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If I was looking for a church, I would first find one with a statement of faith that is Biblically in line with what I know to be truth. Then, attend a few services. If the messages are shallow or contain very little Word being taught, and they fill a lot of time with announcements and social activities ....I don't go back. (I use that example, because I've seen it a lot.)
 
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Rita

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When I was moving back to my home town back in 2010 I came and looked at the churches in advance of the move. The church I found met in my old junior school. It ‘ seemed ‘ sound and open to The Holy Spirit , very welcoming. When I moved I started to attend but the minister had moved on, but there was no reason for me not to go there. I became a member, committed myself to that fellowship , only then did I find out that behind the scenes there was bickering, arguing, mainly about half the church wanting to go back to the old ways while the half wanted to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I stayed , but one by one people left. Eventually a new pastor came , in the mean time my mum had suddenly died. He conveyed he was concerned about me but instead of offering any spiritual support, he suggested I see a doctor. I knew I could get through a depression with the Lords help as I had done it before…….I left the church shortly afterwards.

So sometimes it isn’t until you really get to know a fellowship that you see the real issues, this whole experience caused me a lot of hurt at a time when I was hurting anyway, I didn’t attend for a month after mum died, no one came along side me and would only get a hug if I attended a service. So the love was conditional on going ………I had already started to question ‘ religion ‘ in churches, for me that was the last straw. It wasn’t the first church that had failed to come alongside when I was going through deep things. The first time was when my son took a massive overdose , then when I went through my divorce …..it all took its toll on trust.
Rita
 

Pearl

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How does one find a church?
Google will show them, but which one is suitable?
Personal recommendation from friends etc helps, but ultimatly one has to go and try the church out.
Go and be judgemental about the church.
How welcomig were they?
How clear was the order of service?
hymns/sons, were they relevant to he sermon, were they an aid to worship or a distraction as they did there self worshipping performance?
Prayers, did they worship God or were they only an appeal to the sugar daddy for more and more?
the surmon, was it an explaination and application of a biblical passage to today. What did you find helpful, challengig or encouraging about it and what did you disagree with?
After the service, did people talk to yo, how willing was te preacher to talk with you?

finally write up your review and send it to the preacher and the minister with a request for his comments,

Do this with every church. Repeat with any church that is willing to discuss your comments/views etc and if willing to talk with you, think about attending.
They won't be perfect, but are open to listen and talk, you will be a blessing to them, as they will be to you.
Why not just ask God to direct you to the place He wants you and then stick with it even if there are some things you don't like?
 

Windmillcharge

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Why not just ask God to direct you to the place He wants you and then stick with it even if there are some things you don't like?

Yes I should have put pray about it.

There are so many 'super spiritual' posts on forums that I revert to being just practical.

God has given us intelligence, so we should use it.
 
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Pearl

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Yes I should have put pray about it.

There are so many 'super spiritual' posts on forums that I revert to being just practical.

God has given us intelligence, so we should use it.
I agree but what's wrong with 'super spiritual' on a Christian forum and surely suggesting prayer doesn't count as being super spiritual as we are advised to pray at all times and present our requests to Him because He knows what we need before we ask. So He will know the best place for you to worship and fellowship in a church. Ta-da!
 

Grailhunter

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When I was moving back to my home town back in 2010 I came and looked at the churches in advance of the move. The church I found met in my old junior school. It ‘ seemed ‘ sound and open to The Holy Spirit , very welcoming. When I moved I started to attend but the minister had moved on, but there was no reason for me not to go there. I became a member, committed myself to that fellowship , only then did I find out that behind the scenes there was bickering, arguing, mainly about half the church wanting to go back to the old ways while the half wanted to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I stayed , but one by one people left. Eventually a new pastor came , in the mean time my mum had suddenly died. He conveyed he was concerned about me but instead of offering any spiritual support, he suggested I see a doctor. I knew I could get through a depression with the Lords help as I had done it before…….I left the church shortly afterwards.

So sometimes it isn’t until you really get to know a fellowship that you see the real issues, this whole experience caused me a lot of hurt at a time when I was hurting anyway, I didn’t attend for a month after mum died, no one came along side me and would only get a hug if I attended a service. So the love was conditional on going ………I had already started to question ‘ religion ‘ in churches, for me that was the last straw. It wasn’t the first church that had failed to come alongside when I was going through deep things. The first time was when my son took a massive overdose , then when I went through my divorce …..it all took its toll on trust.
Rita

I have heard this sort of thing before.
I think I live in God's Country....LOL....And I have no less than a dozen churches that fit the bill.
From Bethel Churches in in the woods to Mega Churches in a couple close towns.
You have to go out and see....go visit....stand with the congregation and worship the Lord.
If you do not like it, try another one. Simple as that.
We have Cowboy Churches around here, they are good.
You just got to find the one you like.
 
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Windmillcharge

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what's wrong with 'super spiritual' on a Christian forum

When a poster writes about a physical problem and just about every reply involves praying for help.
Or there is a problem and again instead of practical advice that might resolve the issue, it is pray about it.

Paul on his way to europe, kept trying varrious areas but kept being told No, yet he kept trying untill he got answers. We're not told that he prayer about being told No, I'm sure he did.
Like Paul we have a mind and should use it, not just to earn a living, but also in Gods service.
 
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bbyrd009

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ok im picking on you, but only bc you were the first instance of this that i found, ok; it is a quite prevalent perspective, i think? I would ask you what you think eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge means? I ask this since no one really seems to know, so there are really no wrong answers i guess.

i used to ask here “what do you know to be truth?” but that usually doesnt turn out so well, so im trying to find a different, more um amicable path to understanding there, when i quite possibly should just be shutting up lol, but seems to me that this is what forums are for

anyway to anyone seeking “Church” may i suggest that you studiously avoid doing so for the first three years, and just seek/study the Bible for yourself?
 
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marks

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How does one find a church?
Google will show them, but which one is suitable?
Personal recommendation from friends etc helps, but ultimatly one has to go and try the church out.
Go and be judgemental about the church.
How welcomig were they?
How clear was the order of service?
hymns/sons, were they relevant to he sermon, were they an aid to worship or a distraction as they did there self worshipping performance?
Prayers, did they worship God or were they only an appeal to the sugar daddy for more and more?
the surmon, was it an explaination and application of a biblical passage to today. What did you find helpful, challengig or encouraging about it and what did you disagree with?
After the service, did people talk to yo, how willing was te preacher to talk with you?

finally write up your review and send it to the preacher and the minister with a request for his comments,

Do this with every church. Repeat with any church that is willing to discuss your comments/views etc and if willing to talk with you, think about attending.
They won't be perfect, but are open to listen and talk, you will be a blessing to them, as they will be to you.
Interesting!

My wife and I are in the position of finding a new church. Our last church we just "knew" right away - within the first 5 minutes - we were in our new home. Now that this is gone, I'm hoping for the same kind of leading.

Much love!
 
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marks

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If I was looking for a church, I would first find one with a statement of faith that is Biblically in line with what I know to be truth. Then, attend a few services. If the messages are shallow or contain very little Word being taught, and they fill a lot of time with announcements and social activities ....I don't go back. (I use that example, because I've seen it a lot.)
What if God were to want to use you to raise them to a higher level?

Much love!
 

marks

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anyway to anyone seeking “Church” may i suggest that you studiously avoid doing so for the first three years, and just seek/study the Bible for yourself?
Why? Why isolate?

We say "church" but we mean "assembly", don't we? If we're not "called out assembly", why bother? And if we are, why not assemble?

Much love!
 

Pearl

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That' more like what I think.

Much love!
I'm glad somebody else think that prayer is good. And it is the best way of discovering where God wants us to be and what he wants us to be doing. And it very definitely isn't super spiritual even though some seem to think it is.
 

Wynona

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How does one find a church?
Google will show them, but which one is suitable?
Personal recommendation from friends etc helps, but ultimatly one has to go and try the church out.
Go and be judgemental about the church.
How welcomig were they?
How clear was the order of service?
hymns/sons, were they relevant to he sermon, were they an aid to worship or a distraction as they did there self worshipping performance?
Prayers, did they worship God or were they only an appeal to the sugar daddy for more and more?
the surmon, was it an explaination and application of a biblical passage to today. What did you find helpful, challengig or encouraging about it and what did you disagree with?
After the service, did people talk to yo, how willing was te preacher to talk with you?

finally write up your review and send it to the preacher and the minister with a request for his comments,

Do this with every church. Repeat with any church that is willing to discuss your comments/views etc and if willing to talk with you, think about attending.
They won't be perfect, but are open to listen and talk, you will be a blessing to them, as they will be to you.

When I looked for a church, I knew Id be comfortable in more of them than my husband would but I wanted him to be comfortable with the leadership wherever we went. I also wanted him to be comfortable with the worship style.

He has discernment gifts so if we tried a church and he got a check in his spirit, I paid a lot of attention to it.

When we found our current church, he opened up in a way he hadn't before and I knew we could both attend and get involved and grow there.

I definitely wanted a Bible based church and one that did not subscribe to certain popular doctrines. This took a long time to find.
 

bbyrd009

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Why? Why isolate?
Bc thats what Paul did? Not that we are called to follow Paul, but that that method would be much more likely to prevent one developing a bias, is my guess—
my ‘church’ is the church and the only church one should even be attending, and everyone else is going to hell,” etc

We say "church" but we mean "assembly", don't we?
ha well i guess we are supposed to anyway, right? Iow “Church” means “people,” not buildings? But i suggest that the three years is needed to even qualify one’s definition of “Church,” and most likely some other definitions, “worship” comes to mind, prolly even “saved,” which i suggest that church, incorporated is not going to be up to those tasks

If we're not "called out assembly", why bother?
well, notice the oxymoron in called out and assembly? I suggest that our church inc. definitions are…not great there, either, and the three years might provide a solution more fitting with called out assembly, lest wherever two or three are gathered become …two or more
come out of her, my people


And if we are, why not assemble?
well, what did you go out into the wilderness to see? is imo a good beginning for that, only what is the wilderness analog, for us? It is currently basically an unused or tossaway verse for us, right? But to reply to your q, i would reiterate that there will be time for that once one is able to define their terms better, and bc Paul didnt, basically, and neither did Jesus, near as i can tell? Heck, Jesus even basically just condemned those people eh? Not one stone will be left standing upon another, surely some fairly condemning allegory
 
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