Finding a church, which denomination?

DawnInVirginia said:

Brief background, I grew up in a non-Protestant christian church. It was pretty somber, not always Bible based and not who I've been for decades; I formally left the church five years ago. With my spiritual rebirth, I want to find a Bible based church, one that celebrates and worships on Sunday. Should be simple, but it's not. I LOVED my cousin's church in another state; a mega Pentecostal church, with lots of praise music, passionate sermon, and a cross section of ages and ethnic backgrounds - it was wonderful! Nothing remotely close near where I live.

I would be very interested in learning what denomination members belong to, can you give me a brief definition of the churches beliefs and what makes your denomination touch you.

Church is such a central part of my life; I love going to church on Sunday, joining in worship with fellow believers, but I haven't been able to find a "church home".

Thanks in advance for your input!

Click to expand...

Hello.

A few things. First, remember that every Christian church considers itself to be following the Bible in some manner. Christians don't always agree about what the Bible teaches, & different groups may have different approaches to interpretation. Second, if needed, consider taking time to do your own research. We all have our preferences, but when seeking to follow a given religion, we should know what we are getting into & seek to conform ourselves to that path, not the other way around. A good Christian history book, a look at early Christian writings, reading up on denominational stances, etc can all be helpful.

I attend the Episcopal Church. A typical church service is liturgical, including hymns and/or praise songs, at least 4 readings from the Bible, prayers & responses, & Holy Communion/ the Eucharist. We use our bodies in worship, including stand/sit/kneel at appropriate times, bowing, & making the sign of the cross. Overall, the church seeks to be inclusive of all kinds of people & looks to the Bible, tradition, & reason to guide us. We focus on the common bread & common cup of the Eucharist. What we pray is what we believe.

What to expect if you visit:

http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/visitors_17059_ENG_HTM.htm

The basics of what we believe:

http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/visitors_10898_ENG_HTM.htm

Compared to a typical Pentecostal service, Episcopal churches are more organized & more restrained in expressiveness - very different services & different beliefs on a number of topics. Pentecostal churches make me intensely uncomfortable for many reasons.

If I could not attend an Episcopal church for some reason, I would likely look to another mainline denomination with liturgical worship, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA).

Good luck as you seek.

I would never choose a church just based on its denomination. I would pray first and ask God if He even wanted me in a church. If I felt that He was leading me towards going to church I'd pray for Him to guide me to the church He would want me to attend. Then I'd visit some churches (denomination doesn't matter) to see how I felt about each one as I considered it. And, I wouldn't stop praying about it until the Lord told me to.

Blessings,

Alan

If it preaches the so-called "prosperity gospel" - that if you're Christian enough, you'll get healed from all your sicknesses and you'll be made wealthy - avoid it.

If it holds another "holy" book up to the same level as the Bible - such as the Book of Mormon, or the collective teachings of someone calling himself a prophet or an apostle - avoid it.

If it seems to be as much about politics as it is about what the Bible teaches - avoid it. This goes for whether they are politically liberal or politically conservative. We don't go to church to grind our political axes.

If it preaches that you MUST have a certain spiritual gift in order to be saved - such as all true Christians MUST speak in tongues - avoid it.

If the church seems to be all about the pastor rather than the message - avoid it.

Also, they can't disagree with this: http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/creeds-confessions/creeds/the-athanasian-creed.html

DawnInVirginia said:

Brief background, I grew up in a non-Protestant christian church. It was pretty somber, not always Bible based and not who I've been for decades; I formally left the church five years ago. With my spiritual rebirth, I want to find a Bible based church, one that celebrates and worships on Sunday. Should be simple, but it's not. I LOVED my cousin's church in another state; a mega Pentecostal church, with lots of praise music, passionate sermon, and a cross section of ages and ethnic backgrounds - it was wonderful! Nothing remotely close near where I live.

I would be very interested in learning what denomination members belong to, can you give me a brief definition of the churches beliefs and what makes your denomination touch you.

Church is such a central part of my life; I love going to church on Sunday, joining in worship with fellow believers, but I haven't been able to find a "church home".

Thanks in advance for your input!

Click to expand...

If the church teaches from the Bible, and I mean the pastor encourages the congregation to read along, then the pastor breaks it down, then don't worry about the religion. Religious organizations' rules mean nothing if all you get is what they stand for and not how to comprehend and use God's word. Personally, I recommend a Bible teaching, non-denominational church, and you'll have to really look for them. Ask people you encounter where they go to church. If they give the impression of a Bible teaching ministry, then visit and see if it's a fit for you.

MOST IMPORTANTLY! Be careful, because there are cult churches that are good at teaching the Bible. You'll know them, because they live together in houses around the city. Very friendly and welcoming, and I've enjoyed their Bible studies (until they tried to impose their ways on me. Sadly, I had to walk away). If you're a weak person, meaning you have trouble telling people no or walking away, then don't get involved with a cult-style church.

There's been a lot of good advice so far! I would also recommend you not to make any desicions too quickly. I would attend, maybe with a rather low profile, for a few months before joining! That way you see how they treat people in a long run and get a relatively good overall impression of how they preach, worship and act. If any of it seems disturbing, you should start considering another place. If you get too much involved it will be more difficult to leave if it were not your place!

I have spent 20 years researching denominations and I can honestly say that the
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is the closest to a biblically modeled Church. Here is the denominations website: http://www.lcms.org

Hey there!

I think just keep trying until you find a church that you feel you want to come back to. Honestly, the Spirit is inside you if you keep a clear conscience (otherwise how can the Wine stay in its fullness inside you but drain through holes burnt by neglected guilt?--1 Tim. 19:19), feel Him, feel whether you heart is grieved about it or not, or earns for it or not--your heart and Lord's heart are now one in a union! Use this. And remember how Jesus said: you can go to fellowships that are overseen by hypocritical and bad pastors. Just don't learn the bad side (Matthew 23:3). If they have some error there (hopefully it is not paramount like with JW, for example, who believe that Jesus is the archangel Michael who came in flesh, and not the Lord Himself who came in flesh), that's fine, every church has some error (just see the message of Jesus to the 7 churches in Revelation--they all had some error). Definitely would advise a church that's not too large or too small (church should be 50-100 members, just as Jesus have sat people on the grass in fifties and hundreds), or a church where people don't really talk or fellowship with one another. A church where member meet up for coffee and fellowship afterwards is great. It's great if there is missions in that church and fun Bible studies that engage members in group discussion. It's great if different age groups are represented. If the church keeps driving it into you to "tithe or you'll get cursed", or preach some other thing that like, driving an obligation into you, putting you in bonds and shackles, I would not advise it. Christ is a priest not according to the order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek, with a different law as a result. The law was "set aside" (Hebrews 7:18). Let the Lord teach you for how to act in different situations that may arise.

Best of luck.

God did not give man the denominated sects, so I suggest you look for a Bible-only fellowship. It should not be about what fits you, as some seekers say, but about conformity to what God says. Be sure of that in all aspects, for the Church is of God, not of man. Study Acts 2 and the Epistles, and pray much!

Beware of churches who use newer versions of the Bible. I have compared Bible translations against one another, and newer versions sometime twists, even change, the original meaning of the verse to teach heretical doctrines. Satan has used some spiritually blind human translators to tear up the Bible. Don't believe every version! I have told you now, so beware!

You may want to find a church that preaches the KJV Bible only. At least that is safer than going with a more modern Bible version.

My church only uses the 1611 KJV because we know about the newer versions and how they are Satan's tool to deceive the masses.

JacquelineDeane said:

Beware of churches who use newer versions of the Bible. I have compared Bible translations against one another, and newer versions sometime twists, even change, the original meaning of the verse to teach heretical doctrines. Satan has used some spiritually blind human translators to tear up the Bible. Don't believe every version! I have told you now, so beware!

You may want to find a church that preaches the KJV Bible only. At least that is safer than going with a more modern Bible version.

My church only uses the 1611 KJV because we know about the newer versions and how they are Satan's tool to deceive the masses.

Click to expand...

Some of the modern translations are good and some aren't so good. For instance the ESV translation is a very good translation, on the other hand the NIV is terrible.

DawnInVirginia said:

Brief background, I grew up in a non-Protestant christian church. It was pretty somber, not always Bible based and not who I've been for decades; I formally left the church five years ago. With my spiritual rebirth, I want to find a Bible based church, one that celebrates and worships on Sunday. Should be simple, but it's not. I LOVED my cousin's church in another state; a mega Pentecostal church, with lots of praise music, passionate sermon, and a cross section of ages and ethnic backgrounds - it was wonderful! Nothing remotely close near where I live.

I would be very interested in learning what denomination members belong to, can you give me a brief definition of the churches beliefs and what makes your denomination touch you.

Church is such a central part of my life; I love going to church on Sunday, joining in worship with fellow believers, but I haven't been able to find a "church home".

Thanks in advance for your input!

Click to expand...

Let me share something with you that will help. The devil is working hard to attack and corrupt churches. The devil has his people in many different churches working to teach falsehood because the devil wants to disrupt Christianity as much as possible. The bible speaks alot about false prophets. My point is this. The devil is a liar and the father of lies, he does not have the truth. The truth cannot deceive. But the devil can imitate the spirit. The devil can have ministers talking about God, but who introduce elements of falsehood that would cause you to be deceived. And do you think the services in these churches would be boring and uncaptivating? So my point is that you cannot go based on just how you feel and what you see. You need to acquaint yourself with the truth of God's word. Study the bible, compare doctrines and then ask God to lead you to a church that teaches the truth because many times people go by the spirit. God said that they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. Satan imitates the spirit but he can't have the truth and the truth is what really will make the difference.

Don't worry so much about the denomination. Every church has good and bad in it, especially if you're just looking at a denomination as a whole. The best thing to do is to visit local churches, and keep Sketcher's post in mind. Pray to God about the churches you visit and hopefully you'll find something fitting. Remember, church is not about us and what we want. It's about God. Passionate sermons can be found anywhere.

Sketcher said:

If it preaches the so-called "prosperity gospel" - that if you're Christian enough, you'll get healed from all your sicknesses and you'll be made wealthy - avoid it.

If it holds another "holy" book up to the same level as the Bible - such as the Book of Mormon, or the collective teachings of someone calling himself a prophet or an apostle - avoid it.

If it seems to be as much about politics as it is about what the Bible teaches - avoid it. This goes for whether they are politically liberal or politically conservative. We don't go to church to grind our political axes.

If it preaches that you MUST have a certain spiritual gift in order to be saved - such as all true Christians MUST speak in tongues - avoid it.

If the church seems to be all about the pastor rather than the message - avoid it.

Also, they can't disagree with this: http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/creeds-confessions/creeds/the-athanasian-creed.html

Click to expand...

Mister_Al said:

I would never choose a church just based on its denomination.

Click to expand...

That sounds about as wise as priding yourself on never picking food based on what food group it belongs to, which describes people who live on junk food.

DawnInVirginia said:

I LOVED my cousin's church in another state; a mega Pentecostal church

Click to expand...

I'm sure any mega-Pentecostal church will be plenty entertaining for you. As for me, I'd go with with a church that might be described as somber. I've got my Friday and Saturday nights free for thrashing, don't need to do that Sunday morning.

JacquelineDeane said:

Beware of churches who use newer versions of the Bible. I have compared Bible translations against one another, and newer versions sometime twists, even change, the original meaning of the verse to teach heretical doctrines. Satan has used some spiritually blind human translators to tear up the Bible. Don't believe every version! I have told you now, so beware!

You may want to find a church that preaches the KJV Bible only. At least that is safer than going with a more modern Bible version.

My church only uses the 1611 KJV because we know about the newer versions and how they are Satan's tool to deceive the masses.

Click to expand...

huh God protects his word. even jehovahs witness bible still retains the main deals!! its when u get to nitty gritty things like about what is to happen, will i go to heaven now or later.... there teachings are very very different!! but i have seen sites that with that bible, is able to proove his point and show God is Jesus!!! if u believe the bibe can be corrupted,,,, then how do we ever know what versionis not corrupted. just because its old does not mean its best! new findings of old scrolls have brought more information then kjv had. and the niv is good too. its actually weird in its new 2011 translation. but its a meaning for meaning bible...... hmmm am i totally wrong?

I still believe in having many versions and it's a matter of taste. No bible can be that corrupted

I will keep my niv, esv . kjv is too hard to understand