We've been visiting different churches each week since arriving back in Portland (5 so far) and have been thinking and praying about where we should be.
Here are some things that we're weighing:
1) Will we stay in a Church of Christ, or go to a different church?
2) How good of a church will this be for our kids? (Do they have a quality children's & teen program/ministry?)
3) Is this church close to our community? How close does it need to be?
4) Do they have God-centered, celebrative worship times?
5) Do we like the worship style? (a more honest question!)
6) How do Lani and I see ourselves involved here as volunteers in ministry?
7) Could I be useful and fit here as a part of their worship ministry?
8) Does this church have a mission and ministry focus that is evident (and that we're in agreement with)?
9) Do we like the ministry staff, and in particular, the lead minister (and his preaching)?
10) Where does it seem that God might be leading us to be?
We've obviously been swayed by many friends and relatives to check out the churches they are a part of (and that's been nice to do), but at some point we need to focus in on the places that seem the best fit. Mostly, we've just dropped in for worship assembly times so far, but plan to do repeat visits to our top choices in which we all go to classes and worship to get a better feel for everything.
So, any input from others out there who have gone through the process of finding a new church family/home would be most welcome!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Ugh. Finding a new church home. It's hard, isn't it?? When we first moved to Houston, we had some specific things in mind, mostly that we wanted a family. And the church we ended up at was that for us! The moment we walked in, people like you and Lani welcomed us and made us feel so at home. In the beginning, we were challenged in our walk and excited about the Lord and wanting to share Him and our church with our neighbors.
When we began looking the second time, we had totally different expectations. Leadership became very important to us. Was this a church with strong leadership? Was it a church led by the Lord or dominated by one person? Did the congregation have respect for the leadership? Did we feel we could submit to their authority? Do they lead by example? We felt that any church with good strong leadership that was obviously Spirit- led was a good place for us. We didn't care about much else. We are very happy the Lord led us where He led us! We are once again experiencing the joy of being Christians and the uncontainable excitement that comes when one is excited about the Lord!
Well, I hope you don't leave the Church of Christ. I do know that the name on the building doesn't make it a church of Christ. I agree with Erin that a church with strong leadership is important. When we moved from Portland to Vancouver the elders met with Tom and I separately - I think because we were going to be teaching. No where else has that ever happened, but I think it is a good idea to talk with the elders and hear from them what they feel is the direction that the church they are overseeing is going. We have not done that with our elders here in Tucson and I think we probably need to do it real soon. We will pray for your decision - of course I think Vancouver is a great church - but we know and love people in several congregations in the Portland/Vancouver area. Remember the church is made up of sinners - and we all fall short.
I will pray for your decision. I agree with Erin that needs change. We too looked for a family and great kid's programs. Now, we are looking for stong leadership and clear vision.
I like where we are but the kids are very connected so I think we will head back to a nearby Christian Church. It feels weird to go somehwere that doesn't say "Church of Christ" but I realize that the most important thing is what they beleive and how teh overall worship experience feels for us all.
It is a painful process and you do have to realize we are all flawed.
Ya'll are in my prayers!
Enjoyed a lot! » » »
Post a Comment