When do you go to church? Srsly Help.

[MikeLookingForFaith]

I was raised JW been agnostic since I was 16 I am 23 now.
Never been to church but I wanna check it out.

I became a bad person but now I got my stuff together imo.

So I wanna go to church on Sunday but I have no idea what time church is or when you go or anything.

How do you go about this? Do you call first? Or do you just show up? What time? What kind of church do you go to first?

Guidance please?

I signed up on this site to ask this question.

 

[MyEverything]

I normally check out church websites to see if their beliefs are as mine are, what kind of ministries they have, etc.

If I want to check it out, I call and ask if I can take a tour and speak to the pastor or a minister.

As far as a schedule goes, that depends on the church. Most likely their schedule will be posted on their website or you can just call and ask the church.

 

[MikeLookingForFaith]

[FONT=&quot]Ok it wont let me post the html of the website but I tried to put it here.

So this is the website of the nearest church to me.

So it has this on that page.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Winter Schedule [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]Church School - 9:30[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]Worship - 10:30
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]So does that mean worship is at 10:30 on Sunday?
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
I don’t know but I really do not feel like calling and talking to someone. This is all awkward and foreign to me.
Ok I just browsed the site some more and found this.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Worship Sunday: 10:30[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] So can I just show up on Sunday at 10:30?
Do you just walk in and sit down?
Is there anything I should know about Methodist before I go?
What’s Methodist mean?[/FONT]

 

[MikeLookingForFaith]

Whats a community of Christ church?
There so many churches I do not even know were to begin.
There all close to me and all close together.
I think I will try this community of Christ thing because it says all welcome.

 

[MyEverything]

Yes, they probably mean that their worship service is at 10:30 am on Sunday. Showing up is fine. Maybe introduce yourself to some of the people, ask what they like about the church, what they participate in, etc.

I know you said you don't feel like calling, but I would recommend that you do. Whomever you speak to will be able to tell you a little bit about their beliefs. You can also do some research of your own on the various denominations. Feel free to also ask questions in the various subforums here on CF.

 

[Ranae of Cedar]

I was raised JW been agnostic since I was 16 I am 23 now.
Never been to church but I wanna check it out.

I became a bad person but now I got my stuff together imo.

So I wanna go to church on Sunday but I have no idea what time church is or when you go or anything.

How do you go about this? Do you call first? Or do you just show up? What time? What kind of church do you go to first?

Guidance please?

I signed up on this site to ask this question.

Hi I am a newbie here too. It sounds as if you just want to go on Sunday not matter what.. that can be understandable, best thing to do is check out on the internet the churches in your area.. some will have sites and give times, go I have yet to find a church that would not let a visitor in.

After your visit I would suggest that you take a look at the different churches in your area, talk with the pastors/ministers and find out what they are all about, their visions, missions, etc, etc, and see how they fit what you feel you are looking for. There are many churches and different religious denominations (spelling??)

It should not hurt you one bit to just go to a church service, and you do have time to check out what some have to offer in your area, and you can call them and don't be afraid to ask them questions. Don't forget to pray and ask God for guidance either. I really hope and I will pray that your first experience is a great one.

Blessings in Jesus
Ranae

 

[heymikey80]

Hey, Mike. Welcome to the invitations to faith, be ready for some challenging ideas.

It's not really a surprise to most of us, who've tried and failed at doing good on our own.

There's a lot here. It's a tough change of thinking, but you're ready for it.

You can call a church for more timing information; you can also in many cases arrange for a more personal discussion with either the pastor, an elder, or a deacon, especially in community, nondenominational, and other evangelistic churches.

 

[heron]

Some churches post their times on the sign out front.

You can just walk in and sit down. Churches really do expect that, but tend to assume everyone knows. There are so few places in our society that encourage walk-ins, but a church survives on that. Pretend you are just walking into a store. If you have done the wrong thing (arrived when there wasn't a service, walked in the wrong door), then don't fret -- just ask someone.

Also feel free to introduce yourself and start conversations with people. It's awkward, but will help you know what the people are like at each church.

I know a little bit about JW, enough to know why you are cautious about making the wrong moves. Most churches have fewer restrictions and expectations.

Places you might not be free to walk in and sit down --

-The women's rest room
-The money counting room
-Staff offices and storage rooms
-A children's Sunday school class, because churches are very cautious about predators, child trafficking, restraining orders, and plain old confusion about who picked up which child.


If you go to a church with a lot of sit-stand-kneel movements, just follow what others are doing. No one expects newcomers to know routines, and people are generous and merciful about this. If they're not, that's their problem. If you choose not to do the movements, you will not be kicked out. Don't do anything that you are not comfortable doing. You are in charge of what you do.

 

[heymikey80]

Some churches post their times on the sign out front.

You can just walk in and sit down. Churches really do expect that, but tend to assume everyone knows. There are so few places in our society that encourage walk-ins, but a church survives on that. Pretend you are just walking into a store. If you have done the wrong thing (arrived when there wasn't a service, walked in the wrong door), then don't fret -- just ask someone.

Also feel free to introduce yourself and start conversations with people. It's awkward, but will help you know what the people are like at each church.

I know a little bit about JW, enough to know why you are cautious about making the wrong moves. Most churches have fewer restrictions and expectations.

Places you might not be free to walk in and sit down --

-The women's rest room
-The money counting room
-Staff offices and storage rooms
-A children's Sunday school class, because churches are very cautious about predators, child trafficking, restraining orders, and plain old confusion about who picked up which child.

If you go to a church with a lot of sit-stand-kneel movements, just follow what others are doing. No one expects newcomers to know routines, and people are generous and merciful about this. If they're not, that's their problem. If you choose not to do the movements, you will not be kicked out. Don't do anything that you are not comfortable doing. You are in charge of what you do.

These are great parts of information, heron, thanks for posting them.

Mike, in a church with a "lot of moves", you can also find a family with kids who are being taught or who have learned the liturgy recently. Just quietly sit at a respectful difference and smile and observe the family, they give off clues before the standing, sitting, kneeling, crossing are occurring. Families have to prep kids to do things, so the kneeling pads will come out earlier, Mom or Dad will prod kids before they have to stand, and honestly, the family will catch on if someone is new and will often silently offer friendly help.

There's also situations at churches where you line up at the front for the eucharist (the Lords Supper). A member's practice would deviate from what's expected of you. It's probably the only part that's important to understand what's expected of a visitor, there. You can either (1) line up for communion and cross your arms with your hands over your shoulders, or (2) allow people to file out at the end of the pew. I believe you can also ask the usher on that count -- but you don't always know until it happens. Ask at a Catholic church, and it's a good idea to ask at an Orthodox church. Other churches vary.

In most churches where communion is distributed to the pews, the church generally wants you to participate if you believe in Jesus Christ, and doesn't care about your specific denomination. The pastor will tell you from the front if there are other things they believe restricts communion.

 

[Mikeownow]

Thanks for the advice. I was not able to make it this Sunday I did not know I was spending the night over at my sisters on Christmas but I will give it another attempt this Sunday. This kneeling stuff seems odd lol.

 

[salida]

denomination finder
http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=christiandenom

 

[Nathaniel Ellis]

If you gotta call and make a reservation its problably a cult not a church. lol.

My advice is to find a church that worships for more than 30 minuites because sometimes it takes 3 songs to break threw the darkness and into the Spirit.

This video will give you what you need to start a relationship with Jesus Christ, and as far as finding a church just pray about it and look around. What city and state do you live in?

YouTube - How to Make JESUS CHRIST your Lord and Savior

 

[Glas Ridire]

I was raised JW been agnostic since I was 16 I am 23 now.
Never been to church but I wanna check it out.

I became a bad person but now I got my stuff together imo.

So I wanna go to church on Sunday but I have no idea what time church is or when you go or anything.

How do you go about this? Do you call first? Or do you just show up? What time? What kind of church do you go to first?

Guidance please?

I signed up on this site to ask this question.

Check these folks out - Celebration Foursquare Church -
11840 148th Avenue Southeast
Renton, WA 98059-4605
(425) 226-2381

See what you think & then check out someplace else. Use google maps, like I just did . . to find stuff close to you & just keep trying places till you find what is right for you.

 

[tommy2]

Mike, I was once very unsure of how to begin a path to Jesus. I was given the advice to place my faith in the Holy Spirit. I asked God to tell me what to do, is what I mean. Maybe that's what you are doing now with this web site. It seems that way with the advice you have already received here. God our Father truly WANTS you to come to Him. He will make a way. ALL which the Bible tells us of Him is so. He will never leave us in the dark.
"Heavenly Father, please help Mike in his beginning steps toward You. I trust You, Lord, and I KNOW you will help Mike learn to trust You, also. Thank You, God. Amen.

 

[bluegreysky]

I was raised JW been agnostic since I was 16 I am 23 now.
Never been to church but I wanna check it out.

I became a bad person but now I got my stuff together imo.

So I wanna go to church on Sunday but I have no idea what time church is or when you go or anything.

How do you go about this? Do you call first? Or do you just show up? What time? What kind of church do you go to first?

Guidance please?

I signed up on this site to ask this question.

Ok I know ppl are going to shoot me down for saying this, but "church" is a relative term.

It doesn't have to be a big building with a cross on it full of hundreds of people dressed up in their finest JCrew attire spouting songs from hymnals in organized fashion.

It can be a coffee house with three people in it who have a strong faith and want to go over verses together about God.

It can be a rented space full of random people with varying views and styles and outlooks who unite to share the best of all of them in the name of God.

It can be a traditional church too...

Church can be anywhere at anytime so long as its you, God and someone else with a good faith to keep you on track. Yes, that means you can have "church" walking on the beach on a tuesday.

You have it whenever you need it most.
If thats every Sunday morn, fine.
If you work on Sunday morn and you rather its on Wednesday, fine.
If you feel like once a week isnt enough, go on both days.
Have "church" in your own small way every day if you want to.
Go to an established church place once a month but meet up and discuss your faith and pray with friends weekly.

Avoid types of faith that adopt magic or superstition and leave God out. Although some of them have good moral principles, like seeking peace, happiness and respecting others... Your core ideals should still center around God.

Do what you in your personal walk in faith need most.
Also, listen for the same certain type of advice to come from more than three unrelated people like "go on that mission trip" or "help your friend"
or "spend some time alone outdoors this weekend" because that can be God talking. (I said CAN... that doesn't mean "always")

 

[heron]

Thanks for the advice. I was not able to make it this Sunday I did not know I was spending the night over at my sisters on Christmas but I will give it another attempt this Sunday. This kneeling stuff seems odd lol.

If you want more help picking a place, just add more questions here.
Many services don't expect kneeling. Non-denominational services tend to be looser. Some even allow so much movement that no one would notice if you stepped out for fresh air.

 

[heymikey80]

Thanks for the advice. I was not able to make it this Sunday I did not know I was spending the night over at my sisters on Christmas but I will give it another attempt this Sunday. This kneeling stuff seems odd lol.

Many Protestant churches don't kneel, though there are a few "high churches" that still do it's not really a big part of the order of worship. Orthodox churches seem to be more inclined to it, and Roman Catholic churches.

You may not see a whole lot of differences in a typical Presbyterian church, or in a gospel or Baptist or church of God or most Methodist churches.

Give it a run. It's a very open environment among most churches.

 

[waves16]

Do you have a friend you can go with?
I recently went to church for the first time in MANY years, and even though I'd been there before I was still caught off guard by a few things. When people started going up for communion, I absolutely freaked out and asked my mom "oh gosh, what do I say, what do I do, where do I go?". It was pretty awkward, but it helps to have somebody there. If not, just sit near the back. If anything confuses you, you can just look at the people in front of you. I did that a lot when we had to kneel, or drop money in the collection baskets, or stand up. Every time I go to church, there's a lot of people at the front who shake your hand and say hello when you come in, so you could just mention to one of them that it's your first time visiting. I go to a Roman Catholic Church, so it's probably a bit different, but I hope it goes well for you. Even though it's nervewracking going for the first time, you'll leave feeling AMAZING and glad you went. It's an amazing experience

 

[followerofchristIN]

I would attend a non-denominational Protestant Church. Most Protestant churches don't do the kneeling thing unless they are confessing at the alter, which is also a good time to accept Christ as your savior. Once you feel like you are good to go and want to accept Christ into your heart talk to anyone and they should be able to let you know how to do this.

 

[GaryP]

I do not go to church, As I chose not to worship on Sun-day. The Roman day of rest.
or the first day. I do not belong to a denomination any more, as no one teaches, you
have to enter into the Temple. Plus I spook some of the members.

If you believe that you must go. Check out the ones with the best looking girls
as they may be marriage material.