Do you think I should trust this church?

Question

I am new in my husband's country (Canada), so a month ago, I started exploring a church called the Evangelical Fellowship. I was approached by a young woman at the supermarket who asked me if I wanted her church to pray for my needs and took down my contact details. A week later, I was invited for a variety show at the church. My husband is an Atheist , so I went alone bcoz I wanted to meet new friends and to remain in touch with my spirituality. I was ushered next to a girl with a bubbling personality, and right away she was acting like we've being friends forever. She invited me for coffee to meet her other women friends and they claimed that all their friends were from this church and they were like family. But I didn't know what I was getting into, until the leader of the gang said she would invite me over for a party with the girls,and I said I wanted to bring a dvd to watch together, but she said we wouldn't have time. I was very confused, and wondered why we were meeting if time

was a problem. When I got to her hse, we had some snacks,cracked jokes, and then she started preaching about the theme from Sunday service and closed with prayers. I figured she had fooled me, but I was enjoying the company after being away from my country and friends and didn't bother much. I volunteered to help at the church and understood more how they were manipulating people to join. I helped to prepare the package to send to new recruits. The pastor's wife told me they send free tickets to the church variety show to motivate to lure people to come, but the variety shows bare always free. Then I really lost it, when I went to something they called "'consolidation". The pastors was rehearsing how to welcome the new recruits, which was something I went thru, but I was seeing behing the scenes of it. they ask you if you have been saved as from today, and the pastors wife ordered not to give the person time to say no, bcoz it will make the others doubt and their work will get harder.

Then they are always collecting money, and the girl leader told me I should make contributions too, and it will be good for my tax returns. I mean "hello"I'm not going to do it for gain, and obviouly she's alway using tactics with me!

Answer 1

If you have doubts - there has to be a reason.

My suggestion - if you are still wanting to go - proceed with caution. If it were me - I would have serious doubts if I would go there if I was so uncertain.

Answer 2

Well ok... alot of churches will have social events to bring people to the church... it's an easy way to bring people in with out them feeling "threatened" Some people are just plan afraid of going to a church service and getting them to a social event is just easier. Also many churches have small groups. Places where a small group of people get together to either discuss a scripture or a book or the sermon from that week. Now inviting people to a small group is important but lying to them isn't. I don't know if I would have said we're having a party to get someone to a bible study. I probably would have said we're getting together to talk and have some fun and discuss scripture...
The bit about people not being able to say they weren't saved is a huuuge problem. How do you know if someone needs to hear the Gospel if you don't let them say I don't know Jesus. That's just rediculous. If anything that would be the problem i would see. People would have to work harder?? Speading the Gospel was never supposed to be easy... my goodness
Here's my advice... before you go to a church... look up their website. Usually these days they will have their statements of faith and such on their sites. If you have any questions after that you can call them and ask to speak to a pastor or an associate pastor and they should be more than willing to help you. But most improtantly.. Pray... pray that the Lord will show you what part of the Body you need to be in and that needs the gifts you have been given. And you will be shown. either you'll feel drawn to a church or you'll be sittin in a church and you'll just know if this is or isn't the spot for you. I would be leary of this church too. Mostly from the Recruits bit. I hope that you will find the church you are supposed to be in. And i pray for your hubby too.. my husband isn't saved either so i know how hard that can be. God will stand with you and make you strong... remember love your husband and be christ like in his presence 1 Peter 3:1-2 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; (2) While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
In other words just living the christ like life in your husbands presence will show him who christ is and bring him closer to the Lord. May God bless you and keep you always

Answer 3

NO!!!!!!!!!! RUN RUN RUN!!!!!!!!!!
Check out this site. I found so many answers to all my questions.
www.azuritepress.com
DO NOT TRUST ANY RELIGIOUS INSTITUTE OR CHURCH.
They will abuse u and eventually wipe the floor with u. This is sad to say but oh so true.
They do not themselves know that they r doing this because they themselves have been brainwashed. So sad because there are those few dedicated and genuine people in these organizations but unfortunately there is none as blind as those who will not see. We need to start waking up because NOW is the time let us not be gullible to what others assume is the right way. Remember the bible has been rewritten sooo many times and the true writings have been hidden from us, the writings that we are given have been compromised.
Decide for yourself. Ask YOUR HIGER SELF u will find the truth do not allow others to put a noose around your neck and lead u, u BECOME the leader.
I am sure this lady means well but because she has been so brainwashed she does not no and it will be to your detriment, maybe even affect your marriage for the worst, rather be an Atheist than to get involved in this church they will steal everything from u starting with your time and then your money. God DOES NOT NEED OR WANT your money but the PASTOR does. Said in Absolute love.

Answer 4

Do they have a "core set of beliefs"? and do those beliefs align with yours? Always ask the Church for this and see if they are the same as your beliefs.
It looks to me already that you don't like what's going on in this Church and you doubt the intentions and motives. Perhaps you should put their Christianity to the test and see if any of them will remain your friends i.e. hang out, shop, have coffee with you or whatever it is that you do for leisure even if you tell them that you've decided that you no longer will be so very active with the Church. My advice is that you should visit other congregations if spirituality is what you are really trying to fullfill. If you are trying to fullfill a sense of belonging or are lonely because you are in a new place with strangers, a Church is a great place to start getting to know people, but it is not the only place. As well, I would think that it would be wiser to make friends first with people you get along with then find out what Church they go to, rather than going to a Church first to make friends. The woman that approached you at the Supermarket is your evangelist first and friend second, in other words she did not approach with her first intention to make friends with you, that was second or even perhaps third or lower, her first motive is to bring more people to the Church. There is a fine line between bringing people to God or bringing people to your Church, ideally it is suppose to be the same thing, yet often times the sad truth is that it's not always that simple. You have to decide...you do not go to Church to feel like you are being taken advantage of or hustled. When you go to Church you go there to recieve the Holy Spirit and have a life changing or Life enriching experience EVERY time you attend a sermon or gather as a group. if you are not feeling this, and it seems you are not, and feeling exactly opposite to that. You have probably made up your mind already.

Answer 5

No, you should not trust this church.

In a trustworthy church they would get to know you a bit, get a feel for where you are in relation to the Christian faith, and recommend specific Sunday School classes or Bible studies for you to attend. They would be interested in your church background; and depending on the type of church, they would be interested in whether you have been baptized, or whether you have made a personal decision to follow Jesus.

A trustworthy church would not have you trying to recruit other people, when your own status there is obviously so up-in-the-air.

Meanwhile, in a trustworthy church, you may or may not be invited to social events, depending on the church culture; but you should expect people to be interested in getting to know you. Some people do that by acting like they already know you and seeing what happens--so that in itself shouldn't scare you away.

But yeah, this church sounds like bad news.

Answer 6

Warning warning' beware they will brainwash
you into their cult
and their thinking and their ways

If they do not like something about you they will judge
and condemn you and keep on judging
you
Sounds like the enemy is preparing to attack you

Warning' they will bring you down to their level
and they are not friendly foes
I would leave this church
Get of Dodge while you still can and if anything left of
you by the time they get finished with you

They are enemy number 1 , 2, 3, and 4

Answer 7

Be very careful. Every congregation has problems.

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

Answer 8

I'd say find another church cause the people at that one sound a little off their rockers. But I'm sure their is a lot of good churches where ever you live. (or at least one). Just test a church by going to it once or twice, and decide if you like it or not. But from that definition, that church's people are odd, and if the people are odd, it leaves little to say for the church.

Answer 9

No. Obviously you're having doubts for a reason. So...

How Can You Find the True Religion?

#1. Are all religions pleasing to God, or is just one? 
#2. Why are there so many religions that claim to be
Christian? 
#3. How can you identify true Christians? 

1. Jesus started one true Christian religion. So today there must be just one body, or group, of true worshipers of Jehovah God. (John 4:23, 24; Ephesians 4:4, 5) The Bible teaches that only a few people are on the narrow road to life.—Matthew 7:13, 14.

2. The Bible foretold that after the death of the apostles, wrong teachings and unchristian practices would slowly come into the Christian congregation. Men would draw away believers to follow them instead of Christ. (Matthew 7:15, 21-23; Acts 20:29, 30) That is why we see so many different religions that claim to be Christian. How can we identify true Christians?

3. The most outstanding mark of true Christians is that they have real love among themselves. (John 13:34, 35) They are not taught to think that they are better than people of other races or skin color. Neither are they taught to hate people from other countries. (Acts 10:34, 35) So they do not share in wars. True Christians treat one another as brothers and sisters.—1 John 4:20, 21.

4. Another mark of true religion is that its members have a deep respect for the Bible. They accept it as the Word of God and believe what it says. (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) They treat God’s Word as being more important than human ideas or customs. (Matthew 15:1-3, 7-9) They try to live by the Bible in their everyday life. So they do not preach one thing and then practice another.—Titus 1:15, 16.

5. The true religion must also honor God’s name. (Matthew 6:9) Jesus made God’s name, Jehovah, known to others. True Christians must do the same. (John 17:6, 26; Romans 10:13, 14) Who are the people in your community that tell others about God’s name?

6. True Christians must preach about God’s Kingdom. Jesus did so. He always talked about the Kingdom. (Luke 8:1) He commanded his disciples to preach this same message in all the earth. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) True Christians believe that only God’s Kingdom will bring true peace and security to this earth.—Psalm 146:3-5.

7. Jesus’ disciples must be no part of this wicked world. (John 17:16) They do not get involved in the world’s political affairs and social controversies. They avoid the harmful conduct, practices, and attitudes that are common in the world. (James 1:27; 4:4) Can you identify a religious group in your community that has these marks of true Christianity?

True Christians love one another, respect the Bible, and preach about God’s Kingdom

Answer 10

People are people but church people must be watched closely. They will connect you with a lot of friends but be prepared if you don't join every so called friend you met will drop you like a hot rock.. Be careful, wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove. Gods blessing in your search

Answer 11

I just don't trust people like that in general, whether it's a church group or not. I don't like people that get way into being my 'pal' when they know very little about me. For all they know, I could be a serial killer. That's what makes me NOT trust people like that. If they invite me into their home and I'm still basically a stranger, then there's something a little weird going on with them.