going back to Church after a few yrs break

[newholiday]

Anyone ever go back to Church after a few yrs break? Did you feel awkward? or welcome?
I was taking DS every wk until he made his 1st Communion. Then we took a break. I feel its time to return.

 

[winniedapooh]

We stopped going a lot after our wedding and in between kids. I don't know how it is for others but I always feel at peace when I go back after a break. I have always been welcomed and felt welcome otherwise I don't think I could go back there. Hope this helps.

 

[Patio]

I stopped going to church when my kids were younger for a couple years. Then when my son was going to receive First Holy Communion, I had to attend a meeting at which the priest spoke about how we, as parents, should practice our faith by attending mass regularly, with our children. I took his words to heart and have been going every Sunday for the past 2+ years. I didn't feel awkward at all and now I look forward to Mass each week. I always feel good when I leave church and I hope my kids are learning something each week. Go back and enjoy your church with a renewed sense of faith.

 

[DoeWDW]

If you feel unwelcome there, then you may want to find a new church. A church family should be reflecting God's love and be welcoming to you. I hope all goes well! I suspect you'll find people there that you've missed and renew some good relationships.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I think it is more common than not to "fall away" from the church for awhile. Don't feel guilty or uncomfortable about it ... just go and see if you find what you've been missing. Remember, Easter is a time a rebirth!

 

[TimeforMe]

We took a break from our church as the priest there, whom we had known and loved for years, passed away. They replaced him with a priest that we did not care for at all even though we really tried. I overheard him make several comments that were extremely unchristianlike and a huge turnoff. My DH went to school here, was an altar boy, we got married there and had both of our kids baptized there--plus the church is only 2 block from us within walking distance. We were in "limbo" for awhile as we felt horrible leaving the church that had once meant so much to us, but we really were not comfortable there anymore. This year we began going to a new parish that we LOVE. We feel very comfortable there and they offer a lot for families, which is what we were looking for.

Give it a try--I don't think you'll be made to feel uncomfortable and if you are, go somewhere else. Good luck!

 

[goofy4tink]

Have to agree with everyone else. A church is a very personnel thing. If one doesn't feel quite right, try another one. We have been very fortunate to be at the same church for so long. But, I did take several decades off. Was really turned off religion by the pastor at the time and as a teen-ager I didn't need much of a reason to stop going to church! All of my kids have been baptized and received first communion in that church. I've been back for 15 years now. You should be welcomed with open arms and feel good right off. Try out a church for a month or so. If it isn't right, you'll know. Good luck in your search.

 

[phorsenuf]

Funny you should ask. After about 6 years away we finally started going back last month. Of course we have moved since so we had to find a new church. It's a great place and I feel sooo good now that I am going back (we are Baptist so we do Sunday School, Sunday service, then back later that day for 5:00 hour of prayer and then Sunday night service, then again on Wednesdays). It just feels so right.
My 2 little ones (14 and 12) had never been and that was always a burden to me. My 12 year old got saved just 2 weeks ago and he already is a different child! He asks so many questions and he actually reprimanded his father for having been away from the church for so long! LOL

Sorry to ramble, but I guess you can tell it has been a blessing for us to return! Go go! LOL

 

[Kallison]

Well if you aren't welcomed you need to find a new church.

Funny story -- we usually never go during the summer, I just feel like we need a break from 8oclock rush, sunday school, confirmation classes, etc. One Sunday AM last summer we were driving by church and my middle DS goes - Hey look Mom church is back in session! I guess he thought they all closed in July, August. I never feel guilty about taking a break.

 

[Disney Doll]

You took a break, now oyu want to be back. So go back. If the church you go back to doesn't welcome you, find one that does.

Remember, though, church is about God, not the building.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I've been meaning to go back for at least a year. I thought last week (Palm Sunday) would be the day, but as usual I didn't wake up early enough to go. My church is about 30 minutes away and there is a new Pastor (didn't care much for the last one, though he married DH and me). I emailed him last year to inquire about DD attending Confirmation class, this is the year to get her involved. She's anxious to attend Church, but the thought of waking up at 7am on Sunday to get there for 10am service . . . one of these days I'll do it, I swear.

Shall we make a pact - to all get back in the habit? (pardon the pun)

 

[binny]

wew have taken several breaks over the years. AFter my dad died it was very hard for me to go to church because I would always think " my dad should be up there!"
But we floated form church and finally found one we liked in our old town ( we still go visit when we go home) then we found the church were in now and we LOVE it! We are always greeted so warmly and people gueninely care about you here. I love being involved again. It just feels right.


Best wishes in your search!

 

[grinningghost]

How does a person go about finding a new church? I mean, I'm Catholic, but haven't been to church in years. I'm not comfortable with all the rituals of Catholicism. I've often thought about joining a new church, but honestly, don't have any idea how. I'm very shy so this would be a huge step for me. Any advice?

 

[Kallison]

GG - A lot of my friends at our Lutheran Church are Catholics who now regularly attend the Lutheran Church. The service is very similar to a Catholic service. I call it Catholic without the guilt. You can just pop in and visit any Lutheran Church and attend in any area (no parish restrictions). I visited three in our area before I decided to join the one I'm at. Nobody at the other churches got mad when I said I didn't want to join. To join you usually have to attend three or four classes and then they usually induct you in front of a service with a bunch of other people. If you don't want to say you came from another church they will say Reaffirmation of Faith. We had a Lutheran church next town over that had some problems and a lot of their members joined our church. I felt bad that everyone was "jumping ship", but with our religion you are free to come and go wherever you want. You don't even have to join if you don't want, just attend whenever you want.

 

[grinningghost]

Originally posted by Kallison
GG - A lot of my friends at our Lutheran Church are Catholics who now regularly attend the Lutheran Church. The service is very similar to a Catholic service. I call it Catholic without the guilt. You can just pop in and visit any Lutheran Church and attend in any area (no parish restrictions). I visited three in our area before I decided to join the one I'm at. Nobody at the other churches got mad when I said I didn't want to join. To join you usually have to attend three or four classes and then they usually induct you in front of a service with a bunch of other people. If you don't want to say you came from another church they will say Reaffirmation of Faith. We had a Lutheran church next town over that had some problems and a lot of their members joined our church. I felt bad that everyone was "jumping ship", but with our religion you are free to come and go wherever you want. You don't even have to join if you don't want, just attend whenever you want.

Thanks so much for the advice Kallison. I've heard alot of good things about the Lutheran church in the past. It sounds welcoming.

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by grinningghost
How does a person go about finding a new church? I mean, I'm Catholic, but haven't been to church in years. I'm not comfortable with all the rituals of Catholicism. I've often thought about joining a new church, but honestly, don't have any idea how. I'm very shy so this would be a huge step for me. Any advice?

Ah, Church dating. Its no fun at all, but worth the trouble.

First off, I would decide what is important to you in a church. Every congregation is different, but the following are general observations I have made. If you like tradition and ritual, but feel a bit over whelmed by them, you might consider this Episcipalian Church or the Lutheran Church. I find the Mehodist Church to be a good match for me because it keeps some of the old tradition, but also places a strong emphisis on your personal spititual experience and growth. Bible Churchs and many Baptist Chuches seem to have less focus on tradition and ritual and a very heavy focus on the emotional and spiriitual experince.

When my wife and I were lloking for a new church, we took sever little steps.

1) Visit the Church, usuallly remaining quietly in the back. We did not have a lot of interaction on our first visit, we were just getting a feeling for the place. If we liked the services and agreed with most of what we heard and saw, we moved on to stap 2.

2) Get to know the members better and start asking questions. Did the Church have oppourtunites for us to serve? What sort of classes did it offer? Were they Bible bases, based opn modern works or a mixture of the two? How about the music program, is the chior open to anyone.

3) If we felt welcomed and like the people and programs offered by the church and agreed with most of its doctrines that we had been exposed to, it was time for a talk with the minister. This was to make sure that we would fit in well in terms of our beleifs. We arranged an hour long appointment and would outline what we figured to be our core beleifs. We then asked the minister to do the same. If there were no major conflics (ie, the minister did not worship Skippy the Wonder Dog or something like that), we felt comfortable joining.

You will probably never find a congregation that is an absolute exact match for you, but you can find one that meets nearly all of your needs and preferences. The trick is knowing what is really important to you and not settling until you find a place that satisfies those needs.

 

[Kallison]

My decision to join was based on the friendliest when I visited and whether or not I enjoyed the Pastors sermons. Now to tell the truth I wasn't real impressed the first time I visited my current church, and my favorite pastor has left, not too crazy about the current guy. I also wanted something that had programs for my kids. I ended up running the family programs for 4 years. I like their confirmation program and my kids have made lots of friends, as have I. It may take you awhile to find a place, it took me about a year to decide. The other church I was visiting sent out a newsletter that said they were getting counseling for a dysfunctional congregation! I figured I had enough dysfunction in my life without getting more on Sunday. I wanted a church big enough too, where I didn't feel like I had to volunteer for everything to get done. Ours has about 1,000 members. Big by Lutheran standards, small by catholic standards. Good luck (sorry to go and on-- too much caffeine for dinner).