Question by erin8888: I want my kids to have a spiritual influence in their lives?
I was raised in a non-spiritual home as a kid and never attended church. My mom always said the choice to believe was ours. But none of my siblings or me attend church. And all of my siblings have had their share of problems, crime, alcoholism etc. Not that lack of religion is to blame, but it surely didn’t help.
Now I have 2 kids and am having marital problems. My husband thinks attending a church will help and I agree with him. Not that this is the answer to everything, but I think it will help! We all need some spiritual guidance at this point. And I want my kids to have some spiritual guidelines to live by. Plus, I think involvement in a church will help all of us.
But which church should I attend? I want to find a non-denominal church in our area (MI). There are so many, I am confused. Please help!!!!
Best answer:
Answer by geq
Join the Pentecostal church. They are good people and have much to offer.
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Go to Jesus Camp.
I heard it’s quite lovely in fact.
The same way you would any other investment, shop around. Go to one a couple times, then go to another, rinse, repeat. Then go back to the one you liked best. Each church has slightly different views and politics, so it’s important you find the one that best suits your family.
Try an Orthodox Church. I think you’ll find what you’re looking for there.
Check them all out! You can go as a guest.. find one you like.. ask God for guidance as to which one to choose.
Independent Baptist
[most] Independent Baptists Chsurches [should, theoretically] preach only from the KJV, the most accurate translation of the original biblical texts to date and are VERY literal.
how can we help
we do not know where you live
non-denominational allows any belief to be valid if it knows God
I come from a fully functioning atheist family. Err, my dad is atheist and so is my stepmom.
The only ‘crime dooers’ we have is my uncle and my grandpa, both who happen to be christian, but anyway.
Try using GOOGLE or asking around friends/family. Why not attend all of them to find the church that works the best with your family, get to know the father/pastor (Sorry, I don’t know the correct term..) on a personal basis and I’m sure he/she will be able to help you! Don’t be shy, they’re all there to help. Nothing wrong with going to several different churches and asking around to see what one will fit the needs of your unique family!
Good luck!
Don’t be shy.
I had to go to the Assembly of God church as a child, and to a Lutheran school. That probably put me on the road to being an atheist much faster than a public school and a more moderate church would have. Seeing first-hand the opposing beliefs that came from the same “infallable source” didn’t help, either. Brainwash them in one denomination only, at least if you don’t want them to notice the man behind the curtain.
i can’t believe how pathetic you are!
Church is no fun. Spend time together as a family on Sundays. Do some volunteer work, plan outings, honor each other, not imaginary Gods.
Spiritual influence is something your kids can find at 18 if they are interested. So many people resent being pushed into organized religion in the modern world. Indoctrination is not the best thing to inflict on a child.
Just out of curiosity, why church and not family counseling? Are you looking for a general “feel good” thing to smooth over your life, or in your situation would it be better to get down to the nitty gritty of what’s bugging you in your marriage and family life and confront it head on?
Attending a non-denominational church is a bit of a contradiction in terms, isn’t it? I would suggest looking in the yellow pages under “churches” and then checking out the different ones close to you until you find one that fits your family’s needs. While you are still among the living, it is a journey. No need to get stuck in one destination prematurely.
Having said that, someone once said, and it applies to me and my family, “the more spiritual I become, the less religion I need.” Having some preacher draw a box around behavior and call it “sin” isn’t going to help you much. Repent (change you way of doing things) not of that which others tell you is sin, but of that which you find to be ineffective in your life. The knowledge is already within, you simply need to access it. This is what prayer does for some.
First, know that people who attend church also have marital problems, drug problems, alcohol problems, commit crimes, etc. Even the ministers. So don’t blame your lack of churchgoing in the present or in the past for what happens in your life or the lives of your siblings. In fact, polls (even those conducted by Christian-owned polling services) show that Christians have a higher divorce rate than others and that the teen pregnancy rate is higher in the more religious states than in the less religious states, same goes for STDs.
That being said, most people do find a sense of community comforting, and that is one of the draws churches have. If you want something welcoming and non-denominational, I would suggest an Unitarian Universalist church. They have Christians as well as people of other faiths and they even welcome atheists, humanists, etc.
UU info for visitors:
http://uua.org/visitors/index.shtml
UU Principles:
http://uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml
Good luck to you and your family!
~Atheist. Ex-Christian. Former new ager.
Do you have any friends that are born again Christians? Pray and ask God to lead you to the right church and then seek and you shall find. There are some television ministries that you can check out such as Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Billy Graham, Jesse Duplantis (my church) 700 Club, and see if you like or dislike their style of preaching etc. If you find one you like, call and ask them to recommend a church in your area.
Realizing the need for and wanting a spiritual influence in your family’s life is a good thing. However, choosing the right church is very important. A non-denomination church may not be the way to go.The priority for these churches is to fill seats. The denomination of a church is it’s doctrine, it’s laws, the rules and regulations it uses to govern itself and it’s members. Non-denomination means no rules or no doctrine. Go to:http://www.geocities.com/harrisonm357/baptist2.html., then go to:http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Fundamental+Baptist+Church+in+MI&xargs=0&pstart=1&b=11&xa=eBvi9oU3ND6b1Ej4sRJR9g–,1253771435