What decided you as to what church to attend?

[Heavenhome]

What decided you on what church you attend?
Furthermore what keeps you there?
Doctrine or the people ?
What would you not compromise on?
I know that is a lot of questions but I am interested in what other Christians think.
The Bible says pure religion is to visit the widows and fatherless, do we do this?
Just an example.

 

[faroukfarouk]

What decided you on what church you attend?
Furthermore what keeps you there?
Doctrine or the people ?
What would you not compromise on?
I know that is a lot of questions but I am interested in what other Christians think.
The Bible says pure religion is to visit the widows and fatherless, do we do this?
Just an example.

Acts 2.41-42 has great guidelines, in summary. Good preaching is so important.

 

[mama2one]

since becoming parents, we attend several churches but are not members at one
our child has attended Sunday school at two of the churches and at the other ones will sit with us in church

we get to know people, take part in children's activities, I've gone on women's retreats held by one church, and our child has attended vacation Bible school at different churches

because we live in a smaller city (under 20,000) , we get to know more and more Christians by attending various churches and it seems everywhere we go anymore, even out of town, we run into someone we've met at a church which is awesome

 

[faroukfarouk]

since becoming parents, we attend several churches but are not members at one
our child has attended Sunday school at two of the churches and at the other ones will sit with us in church

we get to know people, take part in children's activities, I've gone on women's retreats held by one church

because we live in a smaller city (under 20,000) , we get to know more and more Christians by attending various churches and it seems everywhere we go anymore, even out of town, we run into someone we've met at a church which is awesome

Hi, christine40: Do you find the Bible teaching that you hear to be edifying and helpful?

 

[mama2one]

Hi, christine40: Do you find the Bible teaching that you hear to be edifying and helpful?

you might think this is weird, but no matter which church we are at, there always seems to be a message in the sermon for me
(I also ask our child and husband what they have learned as they HEAR different things than me)
our child prefers the churches with Sunday school as the attention span is not there yet for sitting in church
we sit in back rows as our child is a wiggle worm

 

[Liza B.]

What decided you on what church you attend?
Furthermore what keeps you there?
Doctrine or the people ?
What would you not compromise on?
I know that is a lot of questions but I am interested in what other Christians think.
The Bible says pure religion is to visit the widows and fatherless, do we do this?
Just an example.

We had to look long and hard to find a church that preached the Word of God. I'm sorry to say that, but there it is. Not character education, or "life lessons", or just "hellfire and brimstone" 24/7, or legalism. But the actual Word of God. When we found it, there was our home. And no great surprise, when we found it, we found all the rest worth keeping, for which we are so grateful.

So, would not compromise on a church that adheres to and loves Scripture.

 

[mama2one]

But the actual Word of God.
So, would not compromise on a church that adheres to and loves Scripture.

every church we go to also also teaches the Word of God

curious, do you ever take notes in church? as I often do
especially when a sermon includes multiple Bible verses as opposed to focusing on one chapter of the Bible

it's easier for me to remember a sermon that focused on one Bible chapter and our child can also remembers those sermons, too

 

[Radagast]

The Bible says pure religion is to visit the widows and fatherless, do we do this?

"Visiting the widows and fatherless" is partly emotional support, and partly financial support. In a country like Australia, financial support for widows is a little less important than it was in the Roman Empire.

But we might well ask: do we provide financial support to the poorest members of the congregation? Do we provide financial support to Christians overseas who are doing it tough? Do we provide practical help (like pre-cooked meals) to the sick and to new mums?

 

[he-man]

What decided you on what church you attend?
Furthermore what keeps you there?
Doctrine or the people ?
What would you not compromise on?
I know that is a lot of questions but I am interested in what other Christians think.
The Bible says pure religion is to visit the widows and fatherless, do we do this?
Just an example.

What you need to ask is not which Church but which ecclesia or group or gathering of people teaches what the Bible teaches. [Staff edit]. The best way is to ask and then you may receive if God has first called you. Search the scripture daily and then you can find the truth. Do you know what the promises are if you do that? Hebrews 11:13

 

[Albion]

What decided you on what church you attend?
Furthermore what keeps you there?
Doctrine or the people ?
What would you not compromise on?

It would be the doctrines and the worship. If the people of the congregation or the local pastor went sour, there is always another congregation of that same denomination to look to.

 

[JM]

It would be the doctrines and the worship. If the people of the congregation or the local pastor went sour, there is always another congregation of that same denomination to look to.

Worship style is a biggie. After spending time reading the church fathers I found myself looking for a more liturgical church and ended up back at an Anglican parish. It's rare, but it exists in a conservative bubble, the worship is conservative. The preaching is based on the lectionary. For those reasons I'm staying put.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

 

[Bob Crowley]

I'm suppose I'm intruding here as I'm Catholic, but I used to be Presbyterian.

When I became Christian at the age of 28, I joined a Presbyterian Church because I'd been baptised Presbyterian, but there was a bit more to it than that.

A brief background first - I was only baptised Presbyterian as my father lost his Catholic faith. He married an Anglican, and they got married in a Presbyterian Church (talk about our mixed up Western Christendom!). I'm not sure but they probably gave an undertaking I'd be baptised Presbyterian when I came along almost 9 months to the day later.

But they never went to Church themselves other than the occasional Christmas, Easter, weddings and funerals as far as I can remember, but packed me off to Sunday School when I was a kid. But I never really felt accepted and got out of it when I could. By the time I was 15 I was atheist. I certainly didn't have a strong Presbyterian background (or Calvinist if you like).

I became an atheist from around the age of 15, but became Christian at the age of 28. At that time I was in a crisis state, but seemed to get this persistent sense I should go right back to the very same Church I was baptised in. So I did, and accepted Chist at that church. But I soon gravitated to the main church in the parish (there were 3 churches in the parish).

To cut a long story short, what kept me there for the next nine years wasn't a strong "Presbyterian" conviction, but a very effective, almost brilliant pastor, his family including his wife and five very capable sons, and a bunch of agreeable young people - in other words, a happy church. There was even a gym under the church. And very clear and strong Christian teaching.

The time came for me to move on, but there were other factors at work at that time as well. In due course I became Catholic (something the pastor predicted anyway, saying "I think God might want you to go back there" - to the church my father had abandoned - again there's a bit more to it). While I've settled in well in my Catholic faith, I still remember that particular Presbyterian Church with good memories.

The moral of this essay - it was the PEOPLE who made the church!

 

[Heavenhome]

I'm suppose I'm intruding here as I'm Catholic, but I used to be Presbyterian.

When I became Christian at the age of 28, I joined a Presbyterian Church because I'd been baptised Presbyterian, but there was a bit more to it than that.

A brief background first - I was only baptised Presbyterian as my father lost his Catholic faith. He married an Anglican, and they got married in a Presbyterian Church (talk about our mixed up Western Christendom!). I'm not sure but they probably gave an undertaking I'd be baptised Presbyterian when I came along almost 9 months to the day later.

But they never went to Church themselves other than the occasional Christmas, Easter, weddings and funerals as far as I can remember, but packed me off to Sunday School when I was a kid. But I never really felt accepted and got out of it when I could. By the time I was 15 I was atheist. I certainly didn't have a strong Presbyterian background (or Calvinist if you like).

I became an atheist from around the age of 15, but became Christian at the age of 28. At that time I was in a crisis state, but seemed to get this persistent sense I should go right back to the very same Church I was baptised in. So I did, and accepted Chist at that church. But I soon gravitated to the main church in the parish (there were 3 churches in the parish).

To cut a long story short, what kept me there for the next nine years wasn't a strong "Presbyterian" conviction, but a very effective, almost brilliant pastor, his family including his wife and five very capable sons, and a bunch of agreeable young people - in other words, a happy church. There was even a gym under the church. And very clear and strong Christian teaching.

The time came for me to move on, but there were other factors at work at that time as well. In due course I became Catholic (something the pastor predicted anyway, saying "I think God might want you to go back there" - to the church my father had abandoned - again there's a bit more to it). While I've settled in well in my Catholic faith, I still remember that particular Presbyterian Church good memories.

The moral of this essay - it was the PEOPLE who made the church!

No intrusion Bob, I am interested in anyone's reason, its just that I am attending a Presbyterian church so posted it in this forum.

 

[JM]

Still Reforming, Still Baptist…