… a new church (c'mon those of you who know me didn't really think this was going to be a dating thread did you ?).
So to explain… no no there is too much, let me sum up.
I was overseas for 3 years and in that time my "home chuch" has changed a lot. I have also changed a lot and the two of us no longer seem like a good fit. So I am officially in the market for a new church home. But I realize that pretty much all of my past church searches have been over before they've begun and so I have no good system or list of criteria etc. to evaluate a church that I visit as to whether it is really a place I want to commit to. And I'm definitely not a "it feels nice here, I like how I feel here so that must make it good" type of person (though the converse of that "this place just annoys me and rubs me the wrong way" is reason for me to consider leaving.
So I'm seeking the advice (and hoping to immortalize it on the internet for posterity or others in such a situation) of my fellow awesome CC people. (Yes cinder is asking for advice instead of giving it, rare occurrence but life is kind of crazy confusing right now).
So questions to ponder:
1) What do you like about your current church (if you have one)? What made you decide that you wanted to start attending there? What do you look for in a church?
2) What would be some red flags about a church that would make you think twice about joining it?
3) Knowing that you'll probably never find somewhere that 100% matches your ideal, how much in agreement with beliefs and practice do you feel you need to be to become part of a church?
4) What personal preferences, even if they are just preference, are worth holding out for?
5) Got any checklists or criteria? I'd love to see them.
Thank you awesome CC peeps. (Not awesome people need not respond, but if you're asking yourself if you are awesome enough to respond, the answer is yes you are, so get typing).
So to explain… no no there is too much, let me sum up.
I was overseas for 3 years and in that time my "home chuch" has changed a lot. I have also changed a lot and the two of us no longer seem like a good fit. So I am officially in the market for a new church home. But I realize that pretty much all of my past church searches have been over before they've begun and so I have no good system or list of criteria etc. to evaluate a church that I visit as to whether it is really a place I want to commit to. And I'm definitely not a "it feels nice here, I like how I feel here so that must make it good" type of person (though the converse of that "this place just annoys me and rubs me the wrong way" is reason for me to consider leaving.
So I'm seeking the advice (and hoping to immortalize it on the internet for posterity or others in such a situation) of my fellow awesome CC people. (Yes cinder is asking for advice instead of giving it, rare occurrence but life is kind of crazy confusing right now).
So questions to ponder:
1) What do you like about your current church (if you have one)? What made you decide that you wanted to start attending there? What do you look for in a church?
2) What would be some red flags about a church that would make you think twice about joining it?
3) Knowing that you'll probably never find somewhere that 100% matches your ideal, how much in agreement with beliefs and practice do you feel you need to be to become part of a church?
4) What personal preferences, even if they are just preference, are worth holding out for?
5) Got any checklists or criteria? I'd love to see them.
Thank you awesome CC peeps. (Not awesome people need not respond, but if you're asking yourself if you are awesome enough to respond, the answer is yes you are, so get typing).