The really ironic part is that the first church we ever visited together as a married couple was Tri-Cities Baptist Church. We both liked it but honestly we weren't too serious about finding a church and cared more about getting our beauty rest on Sundays.
The next year we bought our first house and moved back where I was raised in Church Hill. We visited a few churches throughout the 2 1/2 years we lived there. One church we attended every Sunday for close to a year but never joined. It just didn't seem right for some reason. Why we continued to go and not search out the church for us I have no idea.
Over the next several years we would go to a church for a while and then just stop and not go back to a church for several months. Friends invited me to their churches and we would go and visit a few times and never return. For the most part there was never anything in particular we didn't like that caused us to quit going. We just never found one that we just felt like was "our church."
For several years we stayed away from Baptist churches. They just seemed judgmental and like they had too many "rules." I didn't feel like going to church to be judged every week and that was the label I had put on them. We were determined to find a non-denominational church. But honestly none of them seemed right for us either.
One non-denominational church we went to for a few months didn't offer a response time at the end of the service. The pastor would preach and at the end of the sermon we would be dismissed...... that was it. If someone wanted to accept Jesus as their savior who were they to talk to or when were they given an opportunity to respond to the call of God? It bothered me from the beginning but I was determined it wasn't going to hinder me from finding my non-denominational church that I had in my mind I wanted to attend. I thought I was getting hung up on silly stuff and then one day I tried to think of a single sermon the pastor had preached. Sadly I couldn't! Now maybe that was more my fault than his but I was never moved by a service or ever felt like I had learned anything. I wasn't growing as a christian. So we stopped going there and probably didn't step foot in another church for about 8 months.
When Alexa was about 6 weeks old we went to another church for a couple of Sundays. But it still wasn't our church. I started thinking maybe I was expecting too much or making excuses. Was I really just going to get this overwhelming feeling like we had found "the one" or was that just a fairy tale I was making up so I didn't have to commit to a church?
So for about 9 more months we once again quit going to church. It was really when we began researching homeschooling that we decided to make it a priority to find a church. I told David one night after the kids were in bed that if I was going to home school then I felt like it was vitally important for our kids that we find a church to invest in and make a major part of our lives. I was sick and tired of not going to a church because it was baptist and I thought they would judge me. Now who was doing the judging.... me or the church? Pretty sure I was the guilty one!
We decided that evening that the next Sunday we would go to Tri-Cities Baptist Church. Tri-Cities became an option because of my search for home school information. I had read that Kingsport Christian Academy offered classes for home school kids at the church. So we thought it would be a good option for us and when we went several years ago we really liked it and had every intention of going back until pure laziness got the best of us.
So the next Sunday we made good on our commitment to try out the church (again.....years later) and we got up and got our family ready. Both kids went into the nursery with no problems (that was amazing all in itself). We sat in the back because hey isn't that what visitors do?? We sure didn't want to be noticed too much (or maybe I should say "I" instead of we). What if we never returned? The music and worship part was awesome so we were good so far. Honestly I thought okay the pastor will be horrible or will be hard to follow and not make sense. I just knew I was going to be hung up on something (after all it was a Baptist church.... wasn't someone going to judge me or make me feel unwelcome?).
Pastor Mike took the stage and I braced myself (haha....I am literally laughing out loud right now at how silly I was). It was the first message in a series he was starting called 'Relevant.' He preached on why we believe the Bible. All I can say is WOW! I learned so much that morning. He was easy to follow, easy to understand, and my attention never once was diverted to something else. I left wanting to hear more and sad that it was over. I knew at the end of that service that we had found our church. I was so excited to return the next week and hear more.
I would like to brag on my pastor for a minute. Pastor Mike has a God-given gift to teach the Bible in a way that is easy to understand and relevant. He is very thorough..... he doesn't just pick out a verse and apply it however he wants to. He TEACHES......verse by verse which I love. He admits his downfalls which I believe is his way of making sure we don't idolize him and put him on a pedestal. In a church, especially one as big as Tri-Cities, I think sometimes we look to the pastor almost as a celebrity. It is not Pastor Mike but the Holy Spirit using him to guide us and teach us. He always gives the glory and recognition to Jesus Christ. I can only imagine the work and endless hours that goes into pastoring a church. I believe a lot of people think pastors just work on Sundays (maybe one other day a week to prepare their sermon). I actually think being a pastor is one of the hardest professions......so encourage your pastor. He may need it.
Anyway, about 3 months after that first sermon we joined the church, joined a Sunday school group, and volunteered in the nursery. We decided to find a church and get involved and for once we stuck with it. Now 9 months later we LOVE our church and thank God for it. All of us, including our kids, have grown so much. David and I have been challenged (in wonderful ways) and our personal relationships with the Lord has grown leaps and bounds. I count down the days till Sunday because I am excited what I will learn next. I have learned so much in 9 months and I am pretty sure I can remember every sermon I have heard preached at Tri-Cities.
So, if you are looking for a church we would LOVE to have you try ours. We are living, walking testimonies that church does matter and it makes a huge impact! Can I promise you someone won't hurt your feelings at some point? No....... as a matter of fact I can almost guarantee that someone in fact will. But that is because we are broken human beings and we fall short. We are a redeemed group of people that mess up sometimes. Don't let your fear of hurt and judgment (aka the devil) make you miss out on all the wonderful things that come along with being apart of a church family like it did me for all those years. Check out the link below for more information about our church.
www.tcbchurch.org
No comments:
Post a Comment