Difficulties with finding a church

[dms1972]

I'm not sure if I am going to ever settle in a church. I think I prefer to just attend now and again. I attended one a good few years ago. Got baptised (again) I wasn't sure if I needed to, as I had been christened as an infant, became a member, but that fellowship seemed in-turned to me. They were debating and drawing up and discussing five year vision documents. How much the church needed to grow, how many people they wanted to be taking part in house groups, which to me was a kind of nuisance thing were people met in others members houses mid-week (for no good reason - such as lack of church building to meet in, or need to avoid persecution and move around) - it was at times of somewhat dubious spiritual value, partly because I didn't always wish to go to it. They emphasised the sense of togetherness. Fortunately the church also had a mid week church based prayer and bible study and I went to that occasionally instead (which i think is a much better type of mid week service than a house group)

I went to this church because I couldn't pass the muster in the fundamentalist (some of them called themselves evangelical and attempted to down play their fundamentalist leanings) churches which emphasied certain beliefs (pious opinions?) about the Bible that I don't hold in the manner they do - such as Inerrancy - I pretty much do accept inerrancy but not in dogmatic form some of these churches teach it. Note that the JWs also hold to inerrancy but are astray from christian orthodoxy, so clearly something more is needed.

Eventually the Pastor moved to another flock, and that church had no permanent Pastor for three years. Others pastors from the denomination visited, and in the meantime elders and deacons led the services, but I'd stopped going by then.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I think an error many churches make is trying to give people what they (leadership) thinks would be good for people to have rather than meeting people where they are and serving what they actually want or need, sort of trying to fit square pegs into round holes -- the small home group as an example. That said, I think a search for the right church for you is worth it. I suggest taking some time to visit a bunch. Even have a look at traditions different than your prior experience. When you know, you'll know. Leastwise, that was my experience when there when one day I wandered into that one place I kept getting drawn back to over and over. Know what you value in a church and know what things you can't abide. That place is out there, it just takes some searching sometimes to find it.