Starting church

Dansiph

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Hello,

As a few of you might know or have read I became a Christian on the 11th of July this year. I still have not attended church. I have decided this needs to change and will be attending soon.

I am looking into a Baptist church and I have found one I would like to attend. Since becoming a Christian my mother has also, so I hope she will also be attending with me.

Some back story is that I wasn't leaving the house much before becoming a Christian but a lot of my anxieties and such have gone away after I became a Christian. I had a psychotic episode (now gone completely) which made going outside scary. It's been strange getting back to normal, especially socialising. I also have aspergers which adds difficulty.

I am hoping to attend the above church this Sunday or next Sunday and then if it is suitable, for the rest of my life. I am a 25 year old single male, if that is important at this time.

So to hurry this up...

I am strangely nervous about going to church for the first time, is this normal?

What should I expect at an English Baptist church?

How soon after attending will I be baptized?

Should I attend both the morning and evening service? Both are on a Sunday.

I can't think of anything else at the moment besides asking for general advice. Please ask questions if you need to as I've probably forgot some information.
 

Monk Brendan

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Baptists don’t baptize infants which goes against church history.
Actually, it doesn't.

The Didache is very clear about that.

So are the writings of the early martyrs.
 
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SkyWriting

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Baptists don’t baptize infants which goes against church history.
They claim to be in direct line from John the Baptist and some track the actual lineage. So they know something about church history that you don't, I guess.
 
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Shawn Stuart

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They claim to be in direct line from John the Baptist and some track the actual lineage. So they know something about church history that you don't, I guess.

Yeah right....John the Baptist...meh...LOL ^_^

Baptists are a 17th century invention.
 
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SkyWriting

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Hello,

As a few of you might know or have read I became a Christian on the 11th of July this year. I still have not attended church. I have decided this needs to change and will be attending soon.

I am looking into a Baptist church and I have found one I would like to attend. Since becoming a Christian my mother has also, so I hope she will also be attending with me.

Some back story is that I wasn't leaving the house much before becoming a Christian but a lot of my anxieties and such have gone away after I became a Christian. I had a psychotic episode (now gone completely) which made going outside scary. It's been strange getting back to normal, especially socialising. I also have aspergers which adds difficulty.

I am hoping to attend the above church this Sunday or next Sunday and then if it is suitable, for the rest of my life. I am a 25 year old single male, if that is important at this time.

So to hurry this up...

I am strangely nervous about going to church for the first time, is this normal?

What should I expect at an English Baptist church?

How soon after attending will I be baptized?

Should I attend both the morning and evening service? Both are on a Sunday.

I can't think of anything else at the moment besides asking for general advice. Please ask questions if you need to as I've probably forgot some information.


You may be "not noticed", welcomed, ignored, but generally comfortable.
Baptism is only at your request and requires some counseling sessions first.
 
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Shawn Stuart

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Dansiph

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You may be "not noticed", welcomed, ignored, but generally comfortable.
Baptism is only at your request and requires some counseling sessions first.
ok thanks. I'd actually prefer to be ignored but I also know I'm supposed to be meeting other Christians there. It's good there's some sessions before baptism
 
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SkyWriting

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Yeah right....John the Baptist...meh...LOL ^_^

Baptists are a 17th century invention.

They say they come from independant home churches, which are scriptural.
Most label him John the baptizer to avoid giving Southern Baptists credit.

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Dansiph

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The Bible doesn’t mention infant baptism so we have no scriptural proof but we do have the writings of the Early Church Fathers.
I can't say anything outright against them because I don't know much about them. I will say that I follow the Bible above everything else though
 
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Shawn Stuart

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SkyWriting

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From Wikipedia:

“Historians trace the earliest "Baptist" church to 1609 in Amsterdam, Dutch Republic with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor.”
They say they come from independant home churches.
Lets check ye ol' Biblepedia:

Philemon 1:2
And Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:

Acts 2:46
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

1 Corinthians 16:19
The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.

Acts 5:42
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Acts 20:20
How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

Acts 2:42
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Romans 16:5
Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.

Colossians 4:15
Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Acts 2:2
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
 
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Shawn Stuart

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I can't say anything outright against them because I don't know much about them. I will say that I follow the Bible above everything else though

I recommend you try the LCMS Lutheran denomination they stick closer to the scriptures and history of the church.
 
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Tigger45

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What should I edit my posts to say? I'm genuinely asking
You’re fine because you’re the OP inquiring for advice. The problem comes from others debating each other.
 
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Albion

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Hi, Aspzan. Generally speaking, people in your situation worry too much about that first visit. Will they stick out like the proverbial sore thumb? Will they accidentally give some offense? What should they do about standing, sitting, etc? And so it goes.

Forget all of that and just enter, take a seat and follow along as best you can. An usher may greet you an offer you some print material. If you choose to use none of the print materials, don't worry about it. Visitors are always welcome and no one expects them to be experts on how everything runs. People may welcome you, or some may avoid it, thinking that they don't want to scare you off with too much attention. Just go with the flow as it develops. On your second visit, you will be familiar with most of it.

As for baptism, there probably will be some instruction or at least a meeting with the pastor, so you could bring it up at the first opportunity or else let it go until you have visited several times and perhaps read a little bit about the church and are more sure of your decision. And I would recommend attending only the morning church service at first.
 
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Dansiph

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Hi, Aspzan. Generally speaking, people in your situation worry too much about that first visit. Will they stick out like the proverbial sore thumb? Will they accidentally give some offense? What should they do about standing, sitting, etc? And so it goes.

Forget all of that and just enter, take a seat and follow along as best you can. An usher may greet you an offer you some print material. If you choose to use none of the print materials, don't worry about it. Visitors are always welcome and no one expects them to be experts on how everything runs. People may welcome you, or some may avoid it, thinking that they don't want to scare you off with too much attention. Just go with the flow as it develops. On your second visit, you will be familiar with most of it.

As for baptism, there probably will be some instruction or at least a meeting with the pastor, so you could bring it up at the first opportunity or else let it go until you have visited several times and perhaps read a little bit about the church and are more sure of your decision. And I would recommend attending only the morning church service at first.
Thanks, I was worried about receiving too much attention which I dislike tbh. I'm sure it's the same with most people on the receiving end in a new environment though
 
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