I mentioned a few weeks ago that we were searching for a church home. This past Sunday started our journey and I wish I had a more positive experience to report.
Back story: I've never belonged to a church. Growing up my family was Catholic, I was baptized Catholic and that was pretty much the end of it. We went to church here and there, for holidays sometimes, but never religiously {hehe}. It never bothered me, in fact there was a point in my life I would say I was agnostic. I wasn't informed therefore it was hard for me to believe. That is, until I met my husband.
When I met Jimmy I was in a dark, dark place {I've talked about this before} and when I met him, and fell in love, I knew there was a God. My life started to turn around for the good and at that point I knew there was a higher power. I went to church with his family that Easter, a Christian church, and I cried. No one knew it but me but I just felt so emotional in that moment and I felt like I belonged there. It was a more contemporary church {very unlike the Catholic churches I had attended} and for the first time in my life I understood what the pastor was saying and I could relate. The only thing with that church is it was so far from where we lived, and even further from where we live now. When we bought this house we talked about finding a church and, well, now we've been here over two years and still don't have a church home.
Present day: I blame all the chaos that has entered our lives lately but recently I've been really feeling the need for church in our lives. I just feel with all the negative that has entered our lives recently we need something good to outweigh it. Something to give us hope and, most of all, faith. I want Kendall {and future babies} to grow up in a church surrounded by faith and knowing God. I was {and still am} very uneducated when it comes to faith and religion, so much so that I've had to have my husband explain A LOT to me throughout this process. I don't want Kendall to question her faith the way I did. That is another reason why this journey has become so important as of late, none of us are getting any younger.
This week we attended our first church service as a family {well Kendall went to the toddler room} and it was not for us. I don't want to go into the details of why it was not for us because I don't want to offend those who attend a church similar to this one. With that being said it was just not what we were looking for and while we did like parts of it the parts that we didn't like definitely outweigh the parts we did like. It was just a feeling, an uneasy feeling, we got throughout most of the service. It just didn't feel right in many ways.
This Sunday we are attending another church and this one is even closer to our house! I have a really good feeling about this one {but I said that about last weeks too}. My mother-in-law had attended this one when they lived closer and she thinks we'll like it too. But? If we don't I'm OK with that.
This journey is about finding the perfect church home for us and if that means we visit a different church every week for the next 2 months, so be it. I'm OK with that because I know when we do find the one we will know it. We will feel it. I know it will be worth the wait and I'm ready for it.
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Just a part of the journey of finding a church you'll go to some you just don't jive with. I hope y'all find a church home that God wants y'all at.. Will be praying for you guys!! :)
ReplyDeleteWe did the same thing over the summer. Each week we went to a new church until we found the one that was for us. I am confident you will find your new church in no time. Good luck
ReplyDeleteGood luck this weekend! I hope the new church is what you are looking for!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you wrote about it! I'm praying you find a church home that makes you feel comfortable and helps you and your family grow in the Lord. Good luck Sunday!
ReplyDeleteIt's important to find somewhere that you truly like. Good luck Sunday!
ReplyDeleteIt can be so discouraging when you can't find the "perfect" church but don't give up! It's worth it when you feel completely embraced by strangers that soon become like family!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, I hope you can find "the" church! I'm like you; I was raised Catholic, baptized Catholic, and even took communion, but that's where it stopped. When my dad got sick, (back when I was in grade school) my family stopped going to church. I definitely have that longing to find my "perfect" church, but I just don't want to do it alone.
ReplyDeleteIt's so important to find one that fits you and your family. After months of looking for a new church, I think we finally found one! It was an interesting experience with a few funny stories. When you find the church that fits, you will know.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Good luck!!! Its an important thing to have. Even if you don't go every week, its good to know you have some place to go. I so hope you find it close to home and soon!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for making the decision to find a church that you love and not just one that will do! You will definitely find the church for YOU! Just keep searching!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! We have finally found a church that we are both happy with, but it took a while (my husband was raised Catholic and I was raised protestant). Now we are Methodist....go figure :). Anyway, I hope you find somewhere that makes you feel welcome and comfortable.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on Sunday! Praying for you as you search for a church home!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! It took us about five churches until we found one we liked. But it feels really good to activelyn find one you like instead of going somewhere just for the sake of going. Plus I think it helps figure out more of what you do and don't want. Yea for you guys!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds very familiar to my own situation... grew up in a catholic home, baptized catholic, church every sunday but I couldn't tell you what the hell the preist was ever really talking about... and I would repeat all the songs and versus but never really stopped to understand what it meant... after meeting my Husband we went to a Baptist church where we got married and I remember during and after the first service it brought me to tears. I was emotional as well and for the first time I understood... Hope you find what you are looking for soon doll ;)
ReplyDeleteI love that you're church hunting, and I am certain you will be able to find a lot of positivity amidst the chaos. Even when you are "educated" on your religion and beliefs, it's a continual process...it never ends...you're always being tested and questioned and having to stand up for what you believe because the world tells you you're the one that's wrong. And it gets hard. But I know that no matter what happens in my life, I can take it to God and that's all I need...He has it. :) And He does for you, too. I hope this Sunday's church is your perfect church, but if not, it's out there. :)
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with you 100%! My hubby and I searched for a church home for nearly 3 years before we finally found one that we liked and felt that we could raise our child in. It was a long difficult process. I cannot tell you how many churches we visited, but what I will tell you, is that when you find one that you like, you'll know it. We knew the very first Sunday at our now church "home". We became members after a year of being weekly attenders and we LOVE it. Good luck to you, it may be trying, but in the end, it'll all be worth it!
ReplyDeleteIt can take a long time to find one where you both feel comfortable, but don't give up! I grew up Baptist and my husband Catholic and finding a place we both felt at home took about a year of off-and-on trying places. We love our church now and I know you can find a great place, too.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at this link. This church is the most true and most perfect thing in my life. I seriously don't know what I would do without it! I know the name has a lot of conceptions surrounding if but just take a look. :) It can't hurt! You have one of the best blogs I have read. Honest and real and pretty dang funny too.
ReplyDeleteMormon.org
God's got this!!! He'll plant you in the perfect church. I just know it!! :)
ReplyDeleteThere isn't anything wrong with 'church hopping' as we called it ;) Declan and I went through that phase for a while, when I was pregnant with Emeline actually. I didn't talk much about it, it was a little bit of a sore spot because we left my childhood church to go Do Us, alone, and figure it out ourselves...and eventually God led us right to where we are. It took time, a few months...heck, half a year at least. But in the end, it's worth it to feel that peace that you're in the right spot. I pray you find it!
ReplyDeleteI was also raised Catholic and semi-recently found a youth group about 10 minutes away from home. I've been to many Catholic services/churches, but just like you... I was at a point in my life where I didn't know if there really was a God... {Boy, was I wrong!} Literally about a month after I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis - I found my youth group and have been so involved ever since. It is the perfect church for me!
ReplyDeleteAdvice to y'all... Just keep at it. :) I know that God has something so perfect for you. Your faith will grow and grow as you get involved... God starts to show up in awesome ways. Praying for you guys!
I, too, was raised Catholic, and became disenchanted with it, and when I found our church home, my heart basically burst out of my chest. I didn't know there were churches like that out there! I'm so excited for you. I hope you find your home sooner rather than later. I'll say a prayer for you. :)
ReplyDeletePraying you'll find the right place for your family. We recently moved and so we have been looking for a new church. The church that we had been attending was the one I grew up in. We have visited one and we really liked it, but we've been gone too much to go back, but we are this weekend. We ruled out one before we even went because I read on their website something that made me say no way.
ReplyDeleteShannon, your story sounds really similar to mine about 8 years ago. It truly is a journey and I want you to know that while yes it is wonderful to have a home church and a church family, I hope that you don't get discouraged if you don't find the "right" church right away. I searched for my "home" church for 5 years before I found it! I no longer attend there since it is an hour and a half away, but it will always be where I belong.
ReplyDeleteAlso remember that you can pray anywhere, anywhere...God is always there. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with Christ! :-) If you've never read "The Shack" I highly recommend it. It starts out pretty dark but it is a wonderful story and really opened my eyes to what being a Christian really is.
And...finally...a wise old man once told me that I shouldn't worry so much about 4 walls and stained glass because Jesus never, not one time, preached in a church. :-)
Good luck. God will lead you to where He wants you to be when the time is right. =-)
We are having the same journey right now. My husband and I both grew up going to church occasionally and when we got married we just never felt the need to go somewhere to worship. That attitude changed once we had kids. We found a church we fell in love with and attended regularly, even taught Sunday school to the little ones. But then we moved. Now we are on the hunt for a new church. Its hard when you have an awesome one to compare it to but we don't want our children to miss out on the opportunity to have God in their lives! Good luck this weekend, I'll be thinking about yall :)
ReplyDeleteFinding a church can be SO SO frustrating! It's seriously like dating. You will "date" all the wrong ones that don't fit, but then when you find the right one for you, it will be perfect! And angels will sing from heaven! (haha, kidding...well, sorta). Good luck mama!
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