Ok guys, I've reached a dilemma in my life and I wanted some outsiders opinions. I'm not trying to start a holy debate here, thats not what this is about. My problem is with church. I cant stand how worldly it seems to have become. And it seems like alot of churches are started for wrong reasons (IMO, I question "strip-mall" churches, and steel building churches). I talk to my parents about it some. I grew up in church and my father is currently a deacon. I've explained my problems including a former youth minister I had who left because of "relations" and "egging" (I wasnt included in that ordeal, Thank goodness)and he is now at a church in Florida.!? But Through all the problems I believe churches have (And the list is longer, I'm just trying to save space) I am still a believer and I pray, but my wife was not brought up in church and doesnt quite see why I'm torn. We were blessed with a little girl last year and Now I get a guilty feeling every Sunday. I dont know what to do. I would like a little church but there are none i know of where I live. Every church has like 350+ members at least and they run it like a business. To me, thats not what church should be about. People gossip and argue at my parents church over stupid things like what kind of music to play. Is anyone else facing this dilemma or am I being too nit-picky?
Thanks
~

 

You need to go where you feel comfortable. My father was brought up as a methodist (nothing wrong with that) but when a new methodist church is built nearby where they live they find out that it has a liquor licence!!! What a contradiction!! Sadly now IMHO some churches "do not want to rock the boat" & lower there "standards" so that they are not seen to "discriminate" against anyone for any reason. So in some cases it becomes more of a "social club" than a real place of worship etc. With any large group of people you will always find diversification in types of music etc. On the other hand a small church may be very old fashioned to the point that it will not deviate from its way that it does things, both have there good/bad points I guess. I would not worry about it so much it you do not need to go to church to believe, sure in an ideal world but we don't live in one of those!

 

Look at the World as your church! God Resides all around us..... The almighty is not limited to Sundays and designated location (Churches)

Hope this helps some!

 

Keep looking for a small Bible church. They are out there. I am very fortunate that I found such a great church. Don't give up.

 

That it is.

My family had the same issue, were not into the whole "holy roller" "bible thumper" thing. No offense to anywho who is into their religion that much. It's not a bad thing, but it was not for us. We luckily were able to find a church in a smaller town outside of Phoenix. The pastor is my brother in laws uncle. Its fairly small, maybe 150 or people, and it is like a family. Its not a business, people are there because they want to and enjoy the people they are around. It's just a comfortable place.

Its not easy to do but you just have to in a sense "shop around" for your church and find one you are comfortable in.

 

i was raised catholic amd my parents dragged me to church every sunday when i was a kid. i stopped going about 15 years ago.. i dont feel the need to be part of organized church or go along with the "group thinking" you can be fufilled spiritually and still have faith just the same. i still break out the bible now and then.

 

X3.

Though I have a problem with pretty much all organized religions because most say that if you're a member of a different religion, you are wrong. I can't see a God who accepts that. Therefore they're all "wrong".

I see a personal relationship with God as far more important than going to a "special" building once a week.

- NCSU

 

Theres a church by me that has like a couple thousand members, its crazy.

the most messed up part about is that they RECORD the whole serman sp? and show it on a projected screen.

i went to Catholic schools all my life needless to say i dont go to church anymore ;( unless maybe midnight service at chirstmas or easter.

 

Spoken like somebody that never goes to church on Sundays

Justification

 

God is what you carry with you. But in your need to go to Church, Just search for the right one.

 

Well put.


It seems like with many people, church has become more of an activity or an obligation. You should not be guilted into going to church every sunday. This is why I broke with the Catholic faith. Your relationship with god is personal, and while it's a great feeling to go, praise and worship with other people, church should be about you connecting with god on your level. I don't declare my allegiance to a certain faith, or attend mass every sunday. I have my own connection with god on my own time.

 

350 member

houston is about 5k members per church. not all show up everyweek but usually each sermon has atleast 1200 or so and they have atleast 2 some churches have 3.

i understand what you saying, when i was little our church was probly about a 100-150 members. then i moved about 15 minutes north and started going to a church that was huge then, now i heard its well up in the thousands. then i left and moved to pa. maybe 60 members and then another 20 students above the age of 13. then moved to alabama when a church who had less than that. that church started to get corrupt i think, it was a new church but the pastor (who we were good friends with at the time) just wasn't doing a good job. i wanted to get baptised again and he said yea let me find somewhere to do it, and never would set it up, as far as i know the church no longer exist, now im back in houston and i just don't like the churches, i can't stand going to a huge church any more after being in that tiny church in pennsylvania where they were actually there for god and not money or other un-religious reasons

 

There is a church here that bought the franchise rights for Hooters so they could prevent a Hooters from being built in the city. Yet, there are three strip clubs within a mile of each other.

 

I don't see how the big man can stand putting up with you. He's trying to take them and your trying to save them.


off topic, but my county is in the record books for having more churches per square mile than any other county in the country. you could walk across the county on their roofs

 

Church is good.

Faith is better.

Witnessing once a believer in Christ is best.

Few do today.