So Mich....

[ILG]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

I want you guys(girls) to know that I am enjoying being part of your search for a church home.

Thanks! Anyone is welcome to read or tell stories!

[ILG]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

There recently was a Church in the Park service in our area. 10 different churches in the area got together to have service together in the local city park. A friend of mine from one of the churches invited me to come, so my daughter and I went. It was actually kind of neat, because I got to see a lot of people there that I knew from the community.

The AOG church in town did the music for the service, and I have to say it was incredibly awesome, and spirit filled. There was a well rounded group of songs, both old and new. By far, the song that got the most raised hands in the air, and you could literally hear the swell of singing all across the park was when they began to sing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".

They served up a free potluck BBQ lunch afterwards. I guesstimated about 200-300 people were there. Everyone brought lawn chairs or blankets. There were kids who ran around handing out booklets with the words to all the songs that would be sung, which was really nice, as there were a few of the songs I didn't know and it was good to have the words in printed form.

The Baptist minister preached, and I thought he did an excellent job. He spoke on Surviving or Thriving, and explained the difference between just barely making it with your walk with the Lord, or having a thriving experience with the Lord.

It was a really wonderful service, really. I have not visited the AOG church in town, because I've found out that as soon as you show your face in a church building, you recognize people from the community, and then as you see them in the community, they want to know why you haven't been back to church, lol. But, perhaps I'll go and visit, especially since ILG had a good experience last week.

I'll keep you posted

Please do! I am going to try this little full gospel church next. Somehow I would like to marry the Lutheran church with the good music so far. I don't really want to choose!

[ILG]

So, today I had a weird attempt at church. First of all, churches are HORRIBLE at advertising their times to visitors! Many have just their address on the web and nothing else. Makes it hard! Not too good for growing a church!

Anyway, I had intended to go to the Lutheran church again today. Got there at the normal time and it had a sign outside the church that it was moved to an hour and a half later! So, I drove home and decided to go to a different one that was earlier. I had it in my head that it started at 10:00 but drove there are found out that Sunday School was at 9:45 and worship at 10:45. I didn't want to walk in late and decided to go gas up my car and wash it and it would be about time for the Lutheran one to start! So, I gassed the car and washed it and drove to the Lutheran church. Nobody there. Then, a sign up on the door said that service was that night at 6:00!! Sheesh! Not sure what happened to the morning service! So then, I turned around and drove back to the other one in time for regular service. Wow! 4th try!

So, here I am at a little trinitarian Pentecostal church. The pastor I found out was licensed AOG. There was no pianist that day as she was gone. There were 8 people there besides me.

We sang two songs acapella, which was kind of peaceful although I prefer a piano. Then we had a prayer session for Israel and the Christians over there for 10 minutes. It was long. After running around all morning and then having my eyes closed for that long, I got drowsy.

The sermon was quite good. I really liked the pastor and his wife. (Didn't really care for the pastor at the AOG I went to last time....seemed showy and forward, kinda pushy.) They seemed really down to earth. He has pastored for 40 years altogether. Someone asked him a question (very casual atmosphere) and he answered very honesty and a very good answer. She asked if praying for someone was all a person could do if they wouldn't listen to you. He said that sometimes, yes. And he said a person should love them and listen to them and that he doesn't know everything and the longer he lives the more he realizes that he doesn't know much of anything and that listening to someone is good!! Then he said "that may not be the answer you wanted but it's what I have to give". I thought it was very honest.

There was some shama-la-ha that went on in the congregation that turned me off a bit. A little bit of showman Pentecost, but not from the pastor and his wife that I saw.

So.....meh. I would probably be friends with the pastor and his wife. But don't know about the rest of it.

[KeptByTheWord]

What a crazy experience you had with all the church service time changes! I agree that is pretty frustrating. I remember whenever our church would change the schedule of the services, that someone would try to remember to post it on the door, but sometimes it got forgotten. That makes it really hard for visitors, who would have no way of knowing the time of the service had been changed.

It seems like you had an interesting experience with the little church you visited. Are you planning to give it another shot?

[ILG]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

What a crazy experience you had with all the church service time changes! I agree that is pretty frustrating. I remember whenever our church would change the schedule of the services, that someone would try to remember to post it on the door, but sometimes it got forgotten. That makes it really hard for visitors, who would have no way of knowing the time of the service had been changed.

It seems like you had an interesting experience with the little church you visited. Are you planning to give it another shot?

I am not sure. I guess the biggest turn off is the very small size of it and that what I overheard of the Sunday School (which was a few women sitting around a table....no children there) was that I would not fit in. If I went there, I'm afraid I would cause too much trouble with my questioning ways. Not with the pastor so much....but with the other people.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by ILG

I am not sure. I guess the biggest turn off is the very small size of it and that what I overheard of the Sunday School (which was a few women sitting around a table....no children there) was that I would not fit in. If I went there, I'm afraid I would cause too much trouble with my questioning ways. Not with the pastor so much....but with the other people.

Yes, having a questioning nature will tend to get you in trouble just about anywhere, lol!

[KeptByTheWord]

I went to visit a little church here in town. I believe they may have been AOG at some time in the past, but call themselves a community church now. Everyone was very friendly. They didn't have live music, but recorded CDs and three people singing along in the mics with the CDs. The worship was very low-key, but sweet. At the end of one of the songs that was singing about Jesus being the Lamb of God, an elderly man across the aisle gave tongues, and interpretation at the end of the song. The pastor explained afterwards that the tongues and interpretation can be found in 1 Cor. 14, and that if anyone had any questions to come see him, but that it was for the edification of the church. I was glad to hear him explain what had just happened, because I knew I wasn't the only visitor there.

Then they had a special speaker. This man travels around the world, and acts out parables of Jesus putting them in modern day settings and speech. It was enjoyable. I would have rather heard preaching, but, anyway it was what it was. Many people came by to welcome and greet me. I noticed that the major demographics of the people in the church were at least 50+, with maybe 20+ people younger than that. I would say the church had about 80 people there that morning. Overall, I really liked the service, the quiet, low-key sweet spirit of worship, and the fact that all the songs they sang worshiped Jesus, and even one song about the name of Jesus. I would be interested in hearing the pastor speak as well.

I may go back to visit in a few weeks. We'll see.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Yes, having a questioning nature will tend to get you in trouble just about anywhere, lol!

Indeed.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

I went to visit a little church here in town. I believe they may have been AOG at some time in the past, but call themselves a community church now. Everyone was very friendly. They didn't have live music, but recorded CDs and three people singing along in the mics with the CDs. The worship was very low-key, but sweet. At the end of one of the songs that was singing about Jesus being the Lamb of God, an elderly man across the aisle gave tongues, and interpretation at the end of the song. The pastor explained afterwards that the tongues and interpretation can be found in 1 Cor. 14, and that if anyone had any questions to come see him, but that it was for the edification of the church. I was glad to hear him explain what had just happened, because I knew I wasn't the only visitor there.

Then they had a special speaker. This man travels around the world, and acts out parables of Jesus putting them in modern day settings and speech. It was enjoyable. I would have rather heard preaching, but, anyway it was what it was. Many people came by to welcome and greet me. I noticed that the major demographics of the people in the church were at least 50+, with maybe 20+ people younger than that. I would say the church had about 80 people there that morning. Overall, I really liked the service, the quiet, low-key sweet spirit of worship, and the fact that all the songs they sang worshiped Jesus, and even one song about the name of Jesus. I would be interested in hearing the pastor speak as well.

I may go back to visit in a few weeks. We'll see.

Did you go alone?

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by ILG

Did you go alone?

Yes. All my family were out of town, and we didn't have our Sunday fellowship meeting this week either.