Finding Christian community- is it important to you?

[WilliamBo]

Ive been struggling with loneliness for quite a while now [several years]. I havent been part of a home church/small group since I found God in college 5 years ago... I was part of an excellent college ministry and we were all really close but ever since then I havent been part of any Christian community and I feel extremely lonely because I feel like I cant be in close relation to non-Christians, I dont mean to sound critical but that's how i feel.... i feel like most people around my age [late 20's] are married and moving on with their life and I just feel like I never ''moved on'' and like i missed something... im not married [yet] and am not sure what my next step in life is.

Do you find that having Christian community is an essential part of your life? If not, what kind of people do you surround yourself with? Do you just hang out with people from work? Do you just hang out with your family like a lot of people? I really long to keep in close relation with people again but don't know where to start...

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I just recently started a Meetup.com group to gather with other like minded Christians.
Unfortunately, it is paid and not free; But you get what you pay for these days.
But you have to be a little aggressive to find people. Look for members in other groups of whom you may like and contact them. Also, make sure not just anyone can join your group without your approval. Otherwise you will get strange people joining your group that do not believe as you do (Even if you provide a statement of faith). They simply will not read it. People are lazy today. Anyways, in the settings, you can ask questions to screen out the people you do not want to have fellowship with by asking questions to new potential members (Before they are approved by you to be a member of your group).

Another way is to go to Bible study groups from various churches to make Christian friends, too.
Intimate fellowship is what God intended all along for us.


...

 

[rockytopva]

I believe in the seven churches as ages...

Ephesus - Messianic - Beginning with the Apostle to the Circumcision, Peter
Smyrna - Martyr - Beginning with the Apostle to the Un-Circumcision, Paul
Pergamos - Orthodoxy formed in this time... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
Thyatira - Catholicism formed in this time - The spirit of Jezebel is to control and to dominate.
Sardis - Protestantism formed in this time- A sardius is a gem - elegant yet hard and rigid
Philadelphia - Wesleyism formed in this time - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
Laodicea - Charismatic movement formed in this time - Beginning with DL Moody, the first to make money off of ministry

In which this Laodicean church age is a tough set of cards! I took care of my grandmother and would take her out to eat on Fridays. One evening we were at the steak house and the local evangelist enters in with about a dozen or so saintly looking men, all of them all aglow as if they had just completed some great revival. Even though I was eating with my grandmother, my heart was with those men.

I am white and of Scottish descent. In the 1990's our factory hired several VT football players who were all black and of Word of Faith doctrine. In all my years of knowing these guys I have never once heard the first negative word out of their mouth, everything they spoke was faith. They called me, "McCwowt" and would say things like...

"Do you know what over comes fear McCwowt? Action! Action overcomes fear"

"I'm getting out of here McCwowt" And then lay out some plan of escape. They would also come to me saying...

"What are you believing God for McCwowt?" And expect some great plan that would bring joy to their hearts.

They were also very schooled in the Word of Faith. If you had any pains at all they would offer to pray for you right then and there. They also broke me of my negative talk and for that I am eternally grateful. There is another thing they use to say...

"Good fellowship makes you strong."

But does such fellowship exist these days? I find quality Christian fellowship a tough find these days! My Word of Faith brothers have all moved on. I have tried in my factory to get quality fellowship going, but it is a tough task!

 

[Rockworx]

I just recently started a Meetup.com group to gather with other like minded Christians.
Unfortunately, it is paid and not free; But you get what you pay for these days.


...

Hi Jason. You don't know me (yet) as I just signed up on this forum, but I wanted to let you know I was looking for the same thing but haven't found it yet.... so I have been toying with the idea of starting a group myself.

BTW, I have read your statement of faith and agree with (almost) all of what you said. Feel free to message me if you are interested in discussing

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

If not, what kind of people do you surround yourself with?

People who worship me, which is increasingly hard to find these days. So there's my dog who definitely does and my partner whose adoration has kind of morphed into incredible tolerance.

 

[Rockworx]

Ive been struggling with loneliness for quite a while now [several years]. I havent been part of a home church/small group since I found God in college 5 years ago... I was part of an excellent college ministry and we were all really close but ever since then I havent been part of any Christian community and I feel extremely lonely because I feel like I cant be in close relation to non-Christians, I dont mean to sound critical but that's how i feel.... i feel like most people around my age [late 20's] are married and moving on with their life and I just feel like I never ''moved on'' and like i missed something... im not married [yet] and am not sure what my next step in life is.

Do you find that having Christian community is an essential part of your life? If not, what kind of people do you surround yourself with? Do you just hang out with people from work? Do you just hang out with your family like a lot of people? I really long to keep in close relation with people again but don't know where to start...

I understand EXACTLY where you are coming from. I am blessed to have a wife and kids but we live in a small town with only one very small church. I too long for more meaningful 'community' with other Christians, so you are not alone.

 

[Rockworx]

People who worship me, which is increasingly hard to find these days. So there's my dog who definitely does and my partner whose adoration has kind of morphed into incredible tolerance.

Aussie humour... ?

 

[ElsieBA]

Do you find that having Christian community is an essential part of your life? If not, what kind of people do you surround yourself with? Do you just hang out with people from work? Do you just hang out with your family like a lot of people? I really long to keep in close relation with people again but don't know where to start...

Yes, it is essential part of my life to be in/have a Christian community. I go to a church with a large congregation and it is impossible to know everyone at a personal level. Good thing that I joined the choir (22 years now), not just to serve the Lord but to fellowship with the members. I am particularly close to those with whom I am seated next to. I used to be in a bible study group, too, meeting once a fortnight. But I left because the group got too big and so had to split. I joined the smaller group of just five but a senior couple in this group found it harder to meet due to age factors, so we stopped meeting. When I was with the original group, I was closer to the leader and his wife and this senior couple. It was these 2 couples that I sought for prayer and moral support when I was in a personal crisis once. I am close to my family members but when it came to prayer needs, I chose the bible study group for support. Presently, I have bible study with just my sister but am hoping to find a group that meets nearby where I live.

Why not call out via social media, to start a fellowship group?

 

[seeking.IAM]

I confess that Christian community is not very important to me. I go to church for worship. That's it. As a preacher's kid, I grew up immersed in Christian community. As an adult, I have no longing to be part of it. So, I go to church just for worship...and when I do I keep finding community. It sort of draws me in whether I am looking for it or not. I guess I don't go out to find it; it finds me.

 

[Hearingheart]

At this point, just finding other people you can connect with will help your lonliness. Look into clubs or organizations that have the same interests as you, check out your local parks and rec....sometimes they have groups. Find someplace to volunteer at.

About Christian community, I believe it's important, especially when you are new believer, to be connected to a local body of believers. Don't give up easily, it may take some time and effort. While you are going through this process, just enjoy worshiping and gathering with others.