We are not church hoppers. By that, I mean, my family and I have been attending some type of church for over 23 years. During that time we have been at the same church for over 12 years, before that 10 years. I was on staff for 11 of them. Then after some heart wrenching church politics, we resigned as pastors and started attending my good friend Ryan’s church in South Aberdeen. We stayed there for a year. Then the Lord spoke to us to start looking up toward Olympia, as we will most likely be moving up that way in the future.
I have attended small churches, home Bible studies, semi large churches. All of them have the worship of Jesus in common, but many of them come at this in completely different ways. Unfortunatley, most of them we have been involved with treat the running of the church like a corporation, not a family. Bylaws, board meetings and agendas seem to have tainted my church life. Seems like many people would like to have superstars in the pulpit, financial gurus in the office and entertaining Sunday mornings. God’s community isn’t supposed to be that way. It’s called a body for a reason. It’s supposed to be a group of people, each doing their part, for the great good of Jesus, and those around them. A team. What a concept. We are supposed to work TOGETHER for the Kingdom of God. Love should win out, and scripture should be followed, taught and lived.
No church is perfect. Even if there was a perfect church, as soon as I waked in it would cease to be that way. 🙂 In other words, I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for a community of people that love God, are not mean to people they don’t understand or relate to, live genuinley and are kind hard working people. They know how to pray and really love the people around them. I thought I had found that at one time, but was sadly mistaken.
We have tried out the Westwood Baptist Church in Olympia for the last two Sundays. So far I like what I see, but I have many more places to attend before I hang my hat and say I found a place to worship with my family.
Things I liked about Westwood Baptist:
Great worship with songs I knew.
Solid Bible Teaching with a kind pastor.
Cool audio visual stuff (Of course I like that)
Things I didn’t like:
Only the greeters assigned for the day have talked with us.
It’s a big church, could get lost in the crowd.
I’m trying to have a list of things that I want in a church. Then I realized that a list isn’t the answer. God’s will is. In other words: I need to be at the place God wants us. Since I won’t find a perfect church, I could look for God’s perfect will for my family. 🙂 That is attainable if I keep my heart open to Jesus and my ears open to the Holy Spirit.
Let the adventure continue!
Rick Moyer's Blog 
I totally sympathize with your search. We went through something similar in the recent past. The church we were attending was dying and we went looking for a new one. It’s really hard, especially when you are used to things being a certain way. I’ll be in prayer for your search.
yeah, I just want something where we belong and can really connect with God and the people.
check out reality church in downtown olympia. I have been a couple of times on sunday evening. its cool. ross
I’ll have to check it out.
Good blog!!! Ezra and I are seeking God’s direction on where to worship, learn and serve him. My parents go to Westwood… They’ve had a hard time connecting too. 🙂 my sister goes to reality. It’s a younger church, but the teaching is incredible! We’ll be praying for you!!!
thanks!
Why not start a group of people that meet at a place, for coffee lets say and call it Grays Harbor Fellowship after they meet attend the same church for that day then mid week meet again to talk about what was said at the church u attended then the next week go to another church. If u lead a new believer to the lord bring him to the fellowship. Experience the fullness of God not just one place, different teachings from different places. The Fellowship can be a place where u can be accountable to one another. Thus avoiding church politics and just getting God. Kind of like this blog
that is a cool idea.
It sounds like God has someplace specific for you in mind……..that is why you are unsatisfied……He is trying to connect you with someone specific……….for the next stage of your training. My guess?? A spiritual Father of some sort who is gifted prophetically as well as biblically……A Bill Johnson type who knows the word…..but really knows how to accomodate the Spirit.
Someone who can really set the context of the message proceeding from the mouth of the LORD, not just the message of a church or group of individuals.
My Advice is to listen to your spirit…….there is a *WHO* you are supposed to meet on this journey…..and you need to find that who? How will you know who this father is? When you see his glory and the mantle that is on his life……..it will hit you like a freight train.
Thank you Adam. I really love your insight. I’m not so in to the “Spiritual Father” thing anymore. God is my father. Too many times people put these guys up on a pedestal only to discover that they are just people. Many of them start believing they are Spritual fathers, and buy into their own press releases. I desire fellowship with seasoned people that love God, but I have no desire to bow down to a high salaried pastor that thinks he’s a big shot. The best thing a person could ever do is stay plugged into Father God, they don’t get dissapointed that way.
So please pray we can find some humble, God loving folks to get together with.
I understand and am there with you. God has been working on me from a different angle: We are like words of Christ, even as Christ is the Word of God(are you noun? a verb? and adjective?). So I am learning to see people in the shape of “the word” God has called them to be……and the things that are missing from their expression………
So when I say spiritual father, I always see them with a window on their soul…..and God the father reaching through that window to touch you. I tend to assume things in my stuff that God has taught me that I have never actually told anyone else….I’ve got to remember to keep that in mind when I am writing……..
Sorry everybody that saw Claudia’s comments. I found out they weren’t really Claudia, rather someone trying to be a jerk to Amy and I. Wow, got a lot of hits on the blog all about it. heehehe. That’s the Internet for you. Hard to believe someone would do that just to hurt us, but what can you do? Oh I know, ban their IP address. That will work! 🙂
Shoot! I always miss the GOOD STUFF!!!