Worried about what denomination to choose

[SamanthaAnastasia]

Thank you for your responses

 

[JohnB445]

I would recommend putting faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and asking him to show you where to go from there.

Pray to the Lord and ask him, to guide you.

 

[Sabertooth]

@Bipolargirl , for what you have described, I would recommend a Vineyard or an Assembly of God-type church.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I just don’t know how to discern or choose outside of reading my bible

Good , this is what to do.

As written in the Bible, WHOEVER trusts Jesus has LIFE,
WHOEVER does not trust Jesus has not LIFE.

Jesus says His sheep HEAR HIS VOICE and follow Jesus. They will not follow another.

 

[Sabertooth]

@Bipolargirl , you could just write down the ones that sound interesting and tour your local ones to see which is the best fit (for you).

 

[Serving Zion]

hello. I’m new here.
So, after 5 years of not going to church(I still prayed to Jesus) and backsliding (by not going to church) I am desiring to be closer to God again.
I have several questions about denominations especially in regards to the one true church.
Sabbath keeping churches believe the Roman Catholic Church (and all Sunday keeping churches) is wrong (as in Mark of the beast)
The Catholic Church believes they are the one true church and other denominations are not correct.
Church of Christ believes they are correct.
It gives me great confusion because I am such a spiritual baby.
I also have anxiety and sometimes I start looking online and it scares me (“prophetic” website)
I know to beware of false prophets.
I just don’t know how to discern or choose outside of reading my bible

That is what you should do then, and then you will realise that there is no church, this 2,000 years later and in a completely different language, that has not got some deviation from the original faith. Then all you need to do is realise that your faith is personal between yourself and God, and the purpose of a church is to share your faith together where The Holy Spirit can breathe amongst you for personal growth. Then you will realise that there are some churches that drain you of the fruits of The Spirit, and there are others that build you up: 1 John 4:7-8. But try to steer clear of those who will insist that beliefs are necessary for salvation, because the fruits of the spirit are evidence of salvation, and it is too common that the ones who try to force compliance to doctrine are not doing so out of love but of fear (1 John 4:18).

.. so, just go to a church and see what it's like with no prejudice. Stay with the one that has the love of God in their midst, and stay alert, because a little yeast can puff up a whole batch of dough and sometimes your presence will be the defining factor of success or failure.

 

[Faith78]

hello. I’m new here.
So, after 5 years of not going to church(I still prayed to Jesus) and backsliding (by not going to church) I am desiring to be closer to God again.
I have several questions about denominations especially in regards to the one true church.
Sabbath keeping churches believe the Roman Catholic Church (and all Sunday keeping churches) is wrong (as in Mark of the beast)
The Catholic Church believes they are the one true church and other denominations are not correct.
Church of Christ believes they are correct.
It gives me great confusion because I am such a spiritual baby.
I also have anxiety and sometimes I start looking online and it scares me (“prophetic” website)
I know to beware of false prophets.
I just don’t know how to discern or choose outside of reading my bible

 

[SkyWriting]

hello. I’m new here.
So, after 5 years of not going to church(I still prayed to Jesus) and backsliding (by not going to church) I am desiring to be closer to God again.
I have several questions about denominations especially in regards to the one true church.
Sabbath keeping churches believe the Roman Catholic Church (and all Sunday keeping churches) is wrong (as in Mark of the beast)
The Catholic Church believes they are the one true church and other denominations are not correct.
Church of Christ believes they are correct.
It gives me great confusion because I am such a spiritual baby.
I also have anxiety and sometimes I start looking online and it scares me (“prophetic” website)
I know to beware of false prophets.
I just don’t know how to discern or choose outside of reading my bible

My wife and I attended a different denomination or church each week for about a year, staying with the ones we liked longer. I highly recommend it. Thanks for the Christian Moral Dilemma as your first post.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ...

Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

 

[Faith78]

Hi there,

It is wonderful you are seeking out the Lord. I myself do not believe any denomination is greater than another. I am a Christian. I am a Child of God. I am a member of a small non denominational church. If you profess The Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe he died for you and ask for forgiveness of your sins, you are covered by the blood of Christ. He died for our sins. He Loves us all. I would just suggest in your early walk with God. Pray about it. Do not be afraid to try churches. As long as you get into a Good Bible Based Church that you feel welcomed too and know that You are a Child of god. I always like to say " I'm not Religious, I am a CHRISTIAN, Imperfect but made perfect through Jesus Christ." He loves us and he Loves you. He wants you to place your Faith in him and Trust in him. I hope I have been of some help too you. God Bless you. I will be praying for you.

 

[Tolworth John]

I am desiring to be closer to God again.

May I make two suggestions.
1, do you know any Christians, if you do talk to them about their church, noise/light levals etc and see if you could go with them.
2, a more difficult suggestion, to email each church in your town asking them are the friendly to people who are seeking, but who have bipolar and need certain requirements. List them and see who replies.

 

[Basil the Great]

There is nothing wrong with trying out different churches and it is also a good idea to do some internet research about different faith groups. However, placing your trust in God is the main thing. You can be a good Christian in any church or you can be a bad Christian in any church. Honestly, it is what is in your heart and how you live your life that is most important. Peace be with you and God bless.

 

[VancouverGuy]

The key factor is making sure they use the Bible as the core of their teachings (reading & quoting scripture directly from the Bible).

 

[whereloveandmercymeet]

I’d visit as many as you can until you find the one that is right. Ask all the questions that come to you. You can ask there or here if you find that easier.

I’d suggest reading statements of faith of different denominations and seeing how it lines up with your thoughts to help you decide which churches you’d like to visit.

Don’t feel under any pressure to choose quickly. Or to choose one, go back to it a few times and change your mind.

The other thing I’d always says is not all churches within the same denominations are the same. So if you find a denomination that lines up with you but you don’t feel the church is right (doesn’t have enough fellowship or the atmosphere doesn’t feel right to you) you can always try another church from that denomination.

 

[paul1149]

Major on the majors - Jesus Christ and His completed atoning work on your behalf. Everything stems from that. Avoid peculiarities and extremes. Don't accept pressure to subscribe to anything you don't feel comfortable with.

You can look around and try to find a church that focuses on the basics and that has the mark of Christianity - the love of Christ. No situation will ever be perfect though. Stay close to the Holy Spirit at all times. Don't make serious commitments prematurely; give God time to confirm the way you should go, with a sense of peace.

 

[Tigger45]

If you have any more details, experiences or questions it would help us focus our replies.

 

[Albion]

Hello, Bipolargirl. Thank you for coming to us with your question; I thought your post explained the situation very well in a few lines. Because you are already a Christian and have not been away from church for an awfully long time, it may be easier for you to find your way than it is for some.

That said, I would say to take your time, do research into the history of the churches available to you and the differences between them, and do make visits to the ones that make it on to your final list.

I do also agree with Tigger's post that any additional information you could give us now about beliefs or practices you are convinced are non-negotiable with you, or other such information, would be helpful.

 

[Brennenstuhl]

Simply put, every denomination on this side of eternity is a 'best guess'. Yes, we have God's holy word to follow as the basis of worship through the Holy Bible... but leave it to man to muck up the interpretation. 2018 years later, rather than having a single, sound denomination, you have everything from the Catholics, to the Orthodox, to Coptic, to so many Protestant Churches that you could probably write a book on the distinctions between the different flavors of Baptists. Quite frankly, the truth is probably somewhere in between, and more than a bit outside what the current denominations pick.

The only thing that's critical is getting the basics right. Simply put, Jesus was God in the flesh, who died and rose again, reconciling mankind to God. Accept the gift. I believe in Salvation by faith alone... but I could be wrong. There may be a works component like the Catholics believe. Maybe the Pentecostals are right. Maybe we've just grown too hard of heart to see some of God's miracles. God doesn't damn everyone but the Methodists.

So here's an alternate suggestion. Do you have a good Christian friend, or a godly family member? If you're not convinced in particular by any particular denomination, go to their Church. They may make for quite a good spiritual mentor, or 'accountability buddy'. God cares more that his word is right in your heart, rather than right in your mind anyways.

 

[SamanthaAnastasia]

Simply put, every denomination on this side of eternity is a 'best guess'. Yes, we have God's holy word to follow as the basis of worship through the Holy Bible... but leave it to man to muck up the interpretation. 2018 years later, rather than having a single, sound denomination, you have everything from the Catholics, to the Orthodox, to Coptic, to so many Protestant Churches that you could probably write a book on the distinctions between the different flavors of Baptists. Quite frankly, the truth is probably somewhere in between, and more than a bit outside what the current denominations pick.

The only thing that's critical is getting the basics right. Simply put, Jesus was God in the flesh, who died and rose again, reconciling mankind to God. Accept the gift. I believe in Salvation by faith alone... but I could be wrong. There may be a works component like the Catholics believe. Maybe the Pentecostals are right. Maybe we've just grown too hard of heart to see some of God's miracles. God doesn't damn everyone but the Methodists.

So here's an alternate suggestion. Do you have a good Christian friend, or a godly family member? If you're not convinced in particular by any particular denomination, go to their Church. They may make for quite a good spiritual mentor, or 'accountability buddy'. God cares more that his word is right in your heart, rather than right in your mind anyways.

Why do you say “ God doesn't damn everyone but the Methodists”?
Also, no I have no good Christian friends in town and my husband is a nonbeliever

 

[ProdigalGander]

hello. I’m new here.
So, after 5 years of not going to church(I still prayed to Jesus) and backsliding (by not going to church) I am desiring to be closer to God again.
I have several questions about denominations especially in regards to the one true church.
Sabbath keeping churches believe the Roman Catholic Church (and all Sunday keeping churches) is wrong (as in Mark of the beast)
The Catholic Church believes they are the one true church and other denominations are not correct.
Church of Christ believes they are correct.
It gives me great confusion because I am such a spiritual baby.
I also have anxiety and sometimes I start looking online and it scares me (“prophetic” website)
I know to beware of false prophets.
I just don’t know how to discern or choose outside of reading my bible

You will find that no church is perfect and all of them are flawed and imperfect in some way. That is because they are run by flawed, imperfect men. If you are on a quest to find the perfect church you will be searching forever because none of them is perfect. But that fact does not excuse us from worship.

My advice would be to attend as many services as you can and see which ones make you the most comfortable. Be aware of anything you might hear that seems to contradict scripture though...that is a big red flag. I am sort of going through this now as I am Catholic and am having major issues with how the leadership of my church is handling this sex abuse scandal. The RCC does have the essential truths of Christianity in its teaching, but at present it is being run by corrupt, worldly men.

I had walked away from church for eight or nine years until a nun in the town where I was living at the time recruited me back.

Sometimes you will be influenced by style points. I am dating a woman who attends a large Evangelical church. The teaching is excellent, and the quality of the music is outstanding. But it does not really "feel" like Church to me because I was raised in a much more traditional environment.

Continue to pray about this and I am sure you will be led to the church that is right for you.

 

[LovebirdsFlying]

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