How Much For This Church - $1.99?

A not-so-catchy title for what we've been doing every Sunday for the past few weeks. Dave and I have been church shopping. I hate that description. But it's, really, the best way to describe what we are doing. For the past 6 years we went to a very large (some call it "MEGA") church here in the Twin Cities. We actually met at the young adults group at the church in 2002. Most of our friends that we hang out with regularly we met in this group. We loved the church and we loved the people! But because of a series of events, most of our friends left the church and we just didn't feel at home there anymore (as well as each of us having issues with different aspects of the church). So, this summer we took a break from church and this fall started to find a new church to attend.

We really want to find a place in our home community that we can be a part of. Most of the churches in our area are small - which is good, but what a strange adjustment! We're used to going to a church with 4,000 people! With our old church music was top-notch. At the few that we visited, I must admit, it's been a challenge. Dave is a music guy. I usually can get past the fact that some songs are not on beat or that the singer is off key, things like that, but it's really hard for Dave. So, we want to find a church with good music, a good pastor and values that we agree with. This is tough!

I grew up going to a nondenominational church. Then when I moved to the other side of the city, I wen to my home church's sister church. Dave grew up going to a Lutheran church. And, because of some beliefs, I don't want to go to a Lutheran church. When we do a google search for churches in our area, man, most are Lutheran or Catholic. And I really don't know much about other denominations - Covenant, Reformed, Presbyterian, etc. I am familiar with the Baptist church because our old church has roots in the Baptist church.

Last Sunday the church we went to was very small. When we got to the parking lot we thought maybe the time listed on the web site was incorrect because there were hardly any cars! We went inside and were greeted by an older couple who new immediately that we were visitors and said that we needed to meet up with the others our age. :) The service was fine, and we sang hymns (from the hymnal - different for us!). Although the people we met were nice, we won't be going back there. It just wasn't us. But praise God that the body of Christ is made up of so many different people - this church is good for those who go there! That's awesome. We did meet a man there (probably 80?) who gave us a 3-ring binder with answers to all the questions that people ask. It was very sweet of him to give it to us.

This church was the fourth one we visited. Of the other 3, I think that we'll give them another shot. There were things that we liked about all of them. I think that we'll try a few more and then after we get back from Australia really start to make the decision of where God wants us to be.