Church Hunt

We've all been there. That moment when you pull into a parking lot of a church you've never been to before. It can be pretty intimidating. Especially if you are going in through those doors alone.

This past Sunday, that is the exact experience I had. It's been a long time since I have attended a church service, and for me I was in half the mind to not even go because of course, I was running late. As if it wasn't already going to feel weird enough, I had to add on that extra pressure of walking in 5-10 minutes late. 

But it ended up being worth it. My daughter is 5 and she loves going to church, so no matter what I had to be sure that we actually went because this was something she wanted to go do, and who am I to hold my child back from wanting to get to know God better? Especially when I am the one who has been teaching her about him.

So there we were, getting out of our car and immediately I notice a few other people making their way into the service; which of course made me feel a little bit better. I got my daughter checked in to her kids service in the smaller building to the left of the main building and then I made the scary walk over to those double doors. Anyone who has ever been late to a church service knows what this exact moment is like. As soon as you open those doors, everyone in the room turns to look at you (for those who haven't ever been to a church, just think of a time when you were late to a high school or college class). It's like having a spotlight over your head that says, "Yes, I am the one who just couldn't manage to resist hitting that snooze button a few extra times this morning."

Anyways, the church we went to actually ended up having a really relaxed environment and the people there were all pretty welcoming. It's kind of a smaller church. There were maybe 25-30 adults in the 9:00 am adult service. Honestly though, I prefer smaller churches to a larger church any day. When you walk into a large church with hundreds or even thousands of people who attend it, you could end up going years before crossing paths with other people who have been a part of that church family for the same amount of time. To me, larger churches lose their touch with everyone who attends and rely too much on small groups as a way for their members to stay/be connected.

So after attending our first service at One Church, I have to say (maybe a little prematurely) that I think we have found a church that we can feel comfortable at, and even try and get involved in. That's another great thing about smaller churches; they are always trying to find ways to get involved with their communities and build them up so they can get awareness out there.

 This is another thing I am looking for in a church. I want to get involved with making the community I live in a better place, because that is truly where you can start making a difference in this world. 

Photo Credits

Image 1- Today.com

Image 2- The Cripplegate