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Attending Church

Isle of Avalon

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I just wondered how do Christians, who have mental health problems, cope with attending church. I haven't been to church for about two years due to mental health issues, I get anxiety which can lead to paranoia walking into a church. I would like to go to church but, at the moment, find it an Impossibility. I come on here and listen to sermons online, which seems ok for me at the moment.

I would like to know what other Christians feel about this. Attending church should not make you feel physically, mentally and emotionally ill.
 

Basil the Great

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I just wondered how do Christians, who have mental health problems, cope with attending church. I haven't been to church for about two years due to mental health issues, I get anxiety which can lead to paranoia walking into a church. I would like to go to church but, at the moment, find it an Impossibility. I come on here and listen to sermons online, which seems ok for me at the moment.

I would like to know what other Christians feel about this. Attending church should not make you feel physically, mentally and emotionally ill.

Attending church is certainly preferable, but not an absolute requirement to be a Christian, especially if one has health issues or is aged. Every Christian must use the light that God has given them within their own conscience to decide if they are healthy enough to go to church. As an alternative, personal Bible study and prayer are an option it would seem.
 
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God is good

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I just wondered how do Christians, who have mental health problems, cope with attending church. I haven't been to church for about two years due to mental health issues, I get anxiety which can lead to paranoia walking into a church. I would like to go to church but, at the moment, find it an Impossibility. I come on here and listen to sermons online, which seems ok for me at the moment.

I would like to know what other Christians feel about this. Attending church should not make you feel physically, mentally and emotionally ill.
I struggle with this also and it's hard, unfortunately I don't go to church like I should be. I still pray and read the Bible and that's something that is good to do. You could try praying before going to church. I need to go to church more, I will probably go next week, God bless you and Jesus is Lord.
 
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Isle of Avalon

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Thanks Basil the Great and God is Good.

I do pray and study the Bible daily. I would like to make it a new years resolution to attend church regularly and see what happens. I suppose that the Lord instituted his public worship for good reason but it is hard especially when you have health problems. I've often found personal Bible study has led me closer to God than any church has. Watch this space.
 
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DavidFirth

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Thanks Basil the Great and God is Good.

I do pray and study the Bible daily. I would like to make it a new years resolution to attend church regularly and see what happens. I suppose that the Lord instituted his public worship for good reason but it is hard especially when you have health problems. I've often found personal Bible study has led me closer to God than any church has. Watch this space.

If you know someone who would come to your home and study and pray with you that would be wonderful. Christian fellowship is wonderful. Otherwise, the advice you've received above is good.
 
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Soyeong

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I just wondered how do Christians, who have mental health problems, cope with attending church. I haven't been to church for about two years due to mental health issues, I get anxiety which can lead to paranoia walking into a church. I would like to go to church but, at the moment, find it an Impossibility. I come on here and listen to sermons online, which seems ok for me at the moment.

I would like to know what other Christians feel about this. Attending church should not make you feel physically, mentally and emotionally ill.

The Bible is primarily there to teach us about God and how to have a relationship with Him, but next to that it is about how to have a relationship with our neighbor. There so much said about how to act as a community of believers, such as with our spiritual gifts being given to us for the benefit of others, that isolating ourselves will stunt our spiritual growth. We must not study the Bible to just to know what it says to do, but to put it into practice. One of the main reasons to attend church is to show our love for each other and to spur each other on to doing good works. When we find it difficult to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should look at it as a God-given opportunity to teach us how to love when it is difficult because more than that we are called to love our enemies. You in Christ an a child of God, so don't let anything else define who you are, such as your anxiety.
 
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SouthernBlessedOne

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I've dealt with this anxiety of going to church for a long long time. Walking into any situation with a crowd of people is terrifying. I always told myself I could just study on my own and didn't need the church, but I always knew this was not Gods command to us. He wants us to be a part of each other as brothers and sisters. Here are some verses that I proclaim before I go into those situations:

Proverbs 29:25 - The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Once we accept Jesus as our savior, we become a new creation with a new Spirit inside us. And it is not a Spirit of fear. Our old spirit of fear tries to hold us back from God's plan for us, but we must remember that is not who we are anymore. May God bless you and bring us together as one Church.
 
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Llleopard

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I really wanted to attend church with my husband. It has taken nearly 7years, but now I can do it. I started by thinking it through and planning strategies for when I knew I would panic. I practiced going past the building, and at first I went for only a short time, but gradually increased. I do my breathing exercises and coping strategies. I can shake hands, to be social, but use blocking strategies to make sure no-one touches me which would cause a panic attack. I have seen enormous change in my life as the holy spirit gradually heals . As I become more Christ like I can move past certain aspects of anxiety and reach out to others. Hang in there and keep praying!
 
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Childofgodharrison

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I just wondered how do Christians, who have mental health problems, cope with attending church. I haven't been to church for about two years due to mental health issues, I get anxiety which can lead to paranoia walking into a church. I would like to go to church but, at the moment, find it an Impossibility. I come on here and listen to sermons online, which seems ok for me at the moment.

I would like to know what other Christians feel about this. Attending church should not make you feel physically, mentally and emotionally ill.
I don't believe that it is required to attend Church. Faith comes from hearing. After you have the faith and believe that Jesus came to earth and died on the cross, you do not need to be talk by a man. Seek him on your own. 1 John 2: 26-27 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
 
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Chris V++

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I attend church, I just can't bring myself to join. The church I recent stopped attending was putting pressure in varying degrees on us attendees to take new member courses to become vetted members. The had an 'all hands on deck' sort of policy, which is how church should be I suppose, except it's problematic for us social weirdos. Anyway, I just started back at a very large Methodist church so should be able to fly under the radar for a few months at least. The trick is to alternate your pews every week :).
 
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Albion

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I cannot fault the church for trying to get attendees to become members, but you also are reasonable in thinking that attendance is what really matters.

One way to sidestep the membership push, by the way, is to find a practice or belief--one, not a bunch of them--that you cannot buy into, meaning that it would be dishonest to become a member of that denomination while holding to that reservation. In the case of the Methodist church, governance by bishops ought to do the trick. ;) You can be thrown a curve if the pastor says that he doesn't care or that it doesn't matter, but you can always say that it matters to you and your conscience.
 
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Childofgodharrison

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I attend church, I just can't bring myself to join. The church I recent stopped attending was putting pressure in varying degrees on us attendees to take new member courses to become vetted members. The had an 'all hands on deck' sort of policy, which is how church should be I suppose, except it's problematic for us social weirdos. Anyway, I just started back at a very large Methodist church so should be able to fly under the radar for a few months at least. The trick is to alternate your pews every week :).

I believe that the church movement started in the new testament when Paul went to address the people for breaking away from what they were taught at first. That's why there are so many churches they have broke up into several little bodies. The body of Christ is under the covering of Jesus only. All under the one spirit. We have been deceived in so many things and Christianity of the world is one of them.
 
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Newsgurl

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I feel you there b/c I have mental health problems and I haven’t attended my church in 5 years. I know I shouldn’t worry about what other people think of me but I do. I can just imagine what my church people would say behind my back b/c they know I have mental health problems. It’s hard to go back there and face what they’d say to me. I know I’m there to worship God and God doesn’t care if you or I have mental health problems He would just be glad to see us being there and getting the courage to get up that day. I’m going to my church this Sunday. I’ll tell you how it goes. I hope you can find the courage to attend a church :wave:
 
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Chris V++

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One way to sidestep the membership push, by the way, is to find a practice or belief--one, not a bunch of them--that you cannot buy into, meaning that it would be dishonest to become a member of that denomination while holding to that reservation. In the case of the Methodist church, governance by bishops ought to do the trick. ;) You can be thrown a curve if the pastor says that he doesn't care or that it doesn't matter, but you can always say that it matters to you and your conscience.
Funny. :) I once had to leave a Church of Christ because I was unwilling to be re baptized. I was told my salvation depended upon it. No pressure there. :)
 
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Chris V++

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The body of Christ is under the covering of Jesus only. All under the one spirit. We have been deceived in so many things and Christianity of the world is one of them.

Maybe early Christians made the same mistake Israel made when Israel insisted on designating a King. The early church designated its own infallible emperor of sorts.
 
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Childofgodharrison

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Maybe early Christians made the same mistake Israel made when Israel insisted on designating a King. The early church designated its own infallible emperor of sorts.
Yes. They broke off into their own congregations. And started a tradition of becoming members of these congregations. The body of Christ is under the covering of Christ not any institutions. They have made fellowshipping into meaning every Sunday, Wednesday and whatever other Church meeting is scheduled. We have been deceived.
 
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