who attends a church now? (page 3)

prophecor

Today was my first day. I started going because I recognise that I need to be fed the word by those who are earnestly seeking to serve God, and scripturally fed by those who have invested their life in trying to impart that word, in honesty to others.

Somethings you just can not get except in fellowship of a body of others. It's difficult to bridge right now, but I know I need to be somewhere to get the word. My wife is a member. After years of wrestling with my own religion, I decided to at least see what others have to say and see how they worship God.

http://www.sharonbc.org/HTML/home.html

Bumble Bee

I attend church now and again. I went this morning.

The first chuch I went to was a friends church. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I walked through those doors. Was an angel of God going to swoop down and prevent me from entering? I know it sounds wierd, but I was raised JW, had never been inside a church for anything before. They had a welcoming committee, they made sure everyone was greeted with a warm welcome, handshake or a hug. I found the sanctuary to be very warm and comforting. I loved the music and singing. It was a Pentacostal church, and the extreme opposite of what goes on in a KH!!! I know where the term "Holy Rollers" comes from now! People were dancing in the isles, shouting out Amen when the speaker was talking, speaking in tounges. I did go back a few times but found it just wasn't for me.

I go now to a non denominational church. There is still singing and dancing, and amens etc, but it's smaller and warmer, and not so much the fire and brimstone of the other church, more on love and faith.

I don't think I could ever become a registered member, but it's nice to go and worship with others without having to worry about outward apperances or making sure you put in your time slip at the end of the month.

BB

lonelysheep

I don't attend any churches since I did so before studying w/jw's. I've been through the ringer w/them all and threw in the towel.

meems101

i don't think i want to be a 'member' of any particular church either. it is nice to go in and sit down and listen about love and faith. it's also very heart warming to know that i'm not being watched.

kid-A

Nope, and never will. Church in any form is still a form of "group think". No point in replacing one form of psychological anaesthesia with another. Just enjoying my complete liberation from belief in the supernatural, biblical fairy tales and other assorted tribal vestiges from our primordial past.

reneeisorym

I went to a church for the first time in my life last wednesday. It was a southern baptist church. I found it much more enjoyable than I anticipated. It was nice to hear a preacher who had actually been to school to do public speaking and was interesting to listen to. Jehovah's Witness elders can be quite boring and make me want to sleep! lol I liked that there wasn't a "dress code". People were wearing blue jeans and some dresses. I am about to move so I am not going to join a church where I live now anyway. I am going to try a calvary chapel chruch there because I have heard such good things about them. I wish I could find a church that taught what I believe now but as long as I can keep my independant thinking I'll be just fine. I just find it nice to worship God and not "forsake the gathering of yourselves together as some have the custom" (LOL!!) I never felt like I was worshiping God at the kingdom hall--instead simply to get an UNaccurate knowledge. At the church I felt like we were there to worship God.

I was a 5th generation JW!!..I did not have a hard time going to a church. I found it easy and natural. It was different but very refreshing. There was a relaxed atomosphere I always craved as a JW.

I think it is not necessary to go to chruch to be saved but it is beneficial to go. How else can you demonstrate the love for your brothers Christ encouraged? And associating with fellow believers encourages you.

Athanasius

I left the JWs in 1984 and for a couple of years didn't attend any religious services. However, in 1987 a co-worker inivited me to attend Unitarian services, which I did for a few months. Later that year I attended Episcopal services and found that they satified my spiritual needs. I took instruction in the Church and was confirmed in 1991. Despite the controversies that have plagued the Episcopal Church in recent years I have no plans to leave.

Though I was raised in the Witness religion, I never had a problem visiting other religious houses of worship.

serendipity

Hi reneeisorym, welcome to the forum!

Quentin

I was raised in it...several years after leaving the WT I begain attending church with my wife, she was raised Methodist...when we moved from Dallas we joined a local Presbyterian Church were I taught Sunday School for several years...don't go much now...wouldn't have a problem attending any church

Saoirse

I love Calvary Chapel!!!

I started attending there right before Thanksgiving. It's the most wonderful church. Great band, sincere and caring people, about 100 different ministries and activities, several different counseling services, a sincere pastor who is actually educated, I could go on and on. I just found out today that there are several ex-JW families that attend my church.

My friend's boyfriend invited us to go with him. I actually had wanted to go to CC for about a year but I was too terrified and brainwashed to go by myself. I had done a lot of research on the internet before I went. All of the sermons are online so I was able to listen to them so i knew what I was getting into. The first service I went to, pastor Mark actually started crying when he was talking about Christ being crucified. I was so moved by that, I never heard an elder get emotional during a public talk.

Calvary Chapel teaches straight from the bible, usually in a expositional style. Reading and teaching the bible in context helps you get the true meaning of what the bible writer was trying to express. None of the biblical hopscotch that JWs tend to do. I have learned more about the bible in my 2 months at CC than I have in the twenty years I wasted at the kingdom hall!

Growing up as a witness I heard so many LIES about other religions that it kept me from checking out other churches for ten years. It's sad when I think about it now. Now that I study the bible and have become a Christian I realize that Jehovah's Witnesses are not even Christians at all! How can they even claim to be Christians when they deny the deity of Christ, alter bible text, deny that the Holy Spirit is a person, deny salvation by faith, deny the physical resurection of Christ and many other things? (Sorry for the little rant - I just get angry at how much they mislead people)

I feel so sorry for all the JWs that are being mislead and all the ex-JWs that are still brainwashed into not attending another church.

This is the CC that I attend - http://www.calvarymelbourne.org/

And this the first CC in Costa Mesa (they have about 30,000+ members there!) http://www.calvarychapel.com/

who attends a church now?

Share this