I want to start attending church but...?

Question

first off i have never been baptised and i am 17, i have not gone to church since i was like 5, no one in my family goes to church.
Is there anyway I can preach a religious value without having to actually go to a church? Other than going to church, the setting of a church actually kind of bothers me because I am not used to it. What should I do?

I've gotten a few answers now saying "don't bother"
or "don't go." The question was not should I go. The question was what should I do regarding the situation.

I'm not freaking out or anything, I just rather have the question ANSWERED.

Answer 1

First, you don't have to go to church to believe in god. You can pray in a paper box for all god cares. :)
I only went to church about 3-4 times in my life because my dad says he "can't" find a church but I'm guessing he thinks god is a waste of time. But, even though I don't go I'm still very religious. You shouldn't be uncomfortable in church, just follow along with everyone else. I can't speak spanish and I went to chuch when it was in spanish so, i didn't know what they were saying at all so when everyone kneeled down and prayed i just followed along :)

Answer 2

While I believe Baptism is very important it is not a point of salvation. All a person need do is ask for forgiveness, Believe in Jesus, change your ways i.e. sin no more. I did not receive Baptism till the summer of ’91 at the age of 22. It means more to me now because I really wanted it and it was not just a show at my Church or resulting in peer pressure.

I find it odd that you would want to “preach” at all. Those that are called to preach do so in whatever public forums they can get into. Just as Jesus and the Disciples preached in the synagogues’ first then where ever they could find an audience. If you feel the calling to preach you need to realize that you will eventually find yourself in a Church from time to time and not just out in a field or marketplace.

Now as for the religious value I do hope you realize that is only found in the Church. The Bible teaches the way of salvation and not religion. Christian values are very different than religion. Time and again you will read how Christ and his Disciples were persecuted by the religious people because of where they placed their values. Modern Church is no exception. One Church I went to did not believe in movies or dancing. So you see there is a difference.

What is wrong with the setting of the Church? It could be those pesky religious values again. But, a good Church should have a time of fellowship, Bible Study, singing praises to God, prayer and a Bible based sermon. Offering, Communion, Baptism and other things vary from Church to Church. So, you should visit many and see if any fit in your idea of worship. The main thing is not to go it alone and if you feel the need to preach you cannot do it alone.

Hope this helps and good luck with your search.

Answer 3

That is great news and I sure do hope you will follow through on the desire!

Your age, the length of time you have been away from church and the fact that you weren't baptised make absolutely no difference.

My dad brought me up in his church and I really loved going. It was my favorite place to be even though my mother didn't go with the family (she is a jw).

After I got married my husband was willing to go for about a year but then he started finding all kinds of work to do and we stopped going. Over time our marriage suffered because we were living to self.

During the past several years I did a lot of church shopping because the denomination I grew up in just didn't seem to have the substance that I was thirsting for. The only place that I found what I needed to satisfy my THIRST was to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Now I go to a small Bible believing church. It is too small at this point to even have a church building. Instead we meet at the YMCA so don't let yourself be intimidated by the building.

You can certainly be a "nice person" without going to church but you cannot "preach a religious value ..." Nobody can preach what they do not know.

I think that your desire to go is actually a gift from God. I think that you should talk to Him about it and ask for His help in finding a church where you know you belong. You may not find the right place on the first visit but that is okay.

May God abundatly bless you in your search!

Answer 4

Perhaps what bothers you in one denomination wouldn't be an issue in another. Are you open to learning about different Christian denominations? If so, you might enjoy this quiz:
http://selectsmart.com/plus/select.php?url=denomtradition
And this page from the University of Virginia gives unbiased descriptions of various religions and denomonations of religions. Just click on the first letter of the denomination you would like to learn about:
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/profiles/listalpha.htm

Perhaps you could try different churches---like small, large, urban, rural, formal, informal, traditional, contemporary, etc.

Another idea you might try is to volunteer for a Christian charity like a food bank, salvation army, homeless shelter, soup kitchen, etc. That way you would get to meet people of a particular church first. Then if you want to visit their church, you would already know someone there. This idea will also give you a chance to help others which is always a good thing.

I hope this helps. Best of luck on your journey, and may you find what you're looking for.

Answer 5

I'm much older than you but was in the same situation. I was fortunate to find a Free Lutheran Home Mission Church and I love it. My parents took me to a Catholic Church when I was very young and I never liked all the rituals. At one point I went to a Baptist Church with a girl I knew, but felt guilty and quit because they told us not to dance or go to the beach and other fun things that we liked to do.

I like the Lutheran Church because they believe the Bible was written by God through man and should be followed without adding or taking anything away, like the Catholics and Baptists do.

There are two types of Baptism's the one that counts is between you and God when you accept the Holy Spirit into your heart. The water one that's done in church is just a symbol of the real one, so that your family and friends will know you have accepted Christ. Don't worry about this minor ritual at this time. If you decide to accept Jesus Christ into your life you will have plenty of time for the water Baptism later.

It will be easier for you if you can find a friend to go to church with, but if not I'd look for a small Lutheran Church and explain my situation to the Pastor.

Oh yea, I use the New Internation Version (NIV) Bible, because it's easier for me to understand than others; but you may want to wait until you find a church before investing into your own Bible.

God Bless!

Answer 6

You do need fellowship with other believers. There are churches that have youth pastors that can help you feel comfortable joining in the church and it's activities. I think that for the next few years you could use the teaching and fellowship of a "full service" church.. I would call around to the churches in your area and find one that lifts up Jesus as the only means where we can be saved and has the youth activities you need.... Jim

Answer 7

There are so many different kinds of churches out there. I would suggest a non-denominational with a strong youth group. I know that at the church I attend periodically, the youth group looks like it might be a lot of fun. They have a band, and they have volleyball, and all sorts of activities. Yes, you can have a strong relationship with God without going to church, but it is kind of nice to be around others that share your beliefs.


Oh..one more thing...stay away from cultist type churches. They might seem REALLY welcoming, but there is a reason for that. I would start with a non-denominational Church and go from there. PERSONALLY, I would steer clear of the groups like Jehovahs Witness and even the Mormon Church. And pray that God will guide you in the right direction!

Answer 8

If you feel a need to find a church, ask any of your friends that you know attend one. Pick someone that has similar values as yourself, and try their church.
You do not have to attend a church to be spiritual.
Looking for a church that has similar values can be quite difficult. You may want to look in your local yellow pages and type the names of local churches into a search engine. Many churches have web sites that explain their beliefs. Don't be afraid to call a church and ask the leader about their basic doctrines.
I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention to your avitar to see if you were male or female. If you're a female, you may want to ask if dresses are expected--some churches are absolutely against females in pants. YOU DON'T WANT TO ATTEND SOMEWHERE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE COMFORTABLE.

Remember, don't feel pressured to attend anywhere. Even if the people seem really nice and you have a bad feeling about it; don't be guilted into attending somewhere you don't have a good feeling about.

Answer 9

you don't have to be baptized to go to church and it doesn't matter how long its been since you went to church, you can still go.
Hebrews 10:25 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Church is a place for edification, a place where you can be encouraged by other believers and receive teaching. It's not like if you don't go to church you'll go to hell, but it helps so much in your walk with God. You have people surrounding you who can pray for you, talk with you, and they believe as you do, which is not something you'll find in the world. Pray about what church God would like you to attend and go to that church. Church should be a warm, friendly place where you shouldn't feel uncomfortable.

Answer 10

You don't need to be baptised to go to church, and you shouldn't be baptised until you're a Christian. Also, 17 isn't too late to start going, even if you haven't been since you were 5. You'll probably get used to the setting after awhile too.

Answer 11

I understand you are seeking for guidance and I hope I can help.
God says you have to believe in him. Hebrews 11:1 and 11:6
How do you get this FAITH ....??? God says in Romans 10:17 So then FAITH cometh by HEARING, and hearing by the word of God. After hearing the gospel and you believe that Jesus is God's Son, you must repent Mark 16:15,16; Luke 13:3,5 ; Acts 17:30 then you must confess before men that you believe Romans 10:9,10; Acts 8:35,36,37,38,39 Then you must be immersed in baptism to wash away your sins Romans 6:1,2,3,4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:26,27; 1Peter 3:21; Mark 16:16 ......

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