Multiple Choice

Growing up I only attended two churches until I was 17 and graduated high school. There just wasn't a choice in the matter. We went to Bible Baptist in Illinois and Faith Baptist in Michigan, and that was that. You didn't switch around. I don't know if that was just do to the fact that there aren't a lot of churches to choose from in the North or my parents faithfulness (I'm thinking its the latter). But i'm tellin you...the amount of good churches that are in Raleigh alone is enough to make a person's head spin. There literally seems to be a church on every corner. I have never had such a hard time picking a church as I have since I moved to seminary. Even in college I pretty much knew exactly where I wanted to attend and got plugged in and stayed til I transfered. Well, "mass" at Bob Jones doesn't really count I guess...but that was short lived.

Anyways... coming here I had an idea of where I wanted to attend but I thought I should see whatelse was out there. The churches ranged from contemporary to traditional. Some had evening and wednesday night services while others only met Sunday morning and had Bible study at someone's house once a week. There were so many options! After searching for a while I started the membership process at Providence. I really saw God at work in my life while I was there and just when I began to really get "plugged in" I felt that I should serve at another church for a while. That only lasted a few months but after my time there had finished I faced the same dilemma again..."where should I go to church?" I didn't want to drive all the way back to Raleigh since I drive there everyday for work. So I began the search again. Soon after I found a great church that was so much closer to SEBTS and began to attend there. This church was great and the people there were great too, but I still felt like there was something missing. I went back to Providence and it just felt like home again. Weird how that is since its so big but I guess confirmation from God just gives you that feeling sometimes.

So having said all of that, I have finally found my church for the rest of my stay here in Raleigh. (unless gas prices keep going up I might be forced to start a church in my apartment and ask a neighbor to preach :) I'm so excited to get plugged back in and I am thankful for the relationships I formed at other churches along my way back there. I really struggled with the question of how do you pick a church after the fact that they are biblically based. And maybe there is no cut and dry answer for that when you have so many choices like I have here in Raleigh. Since that dilemma has concluded I am not really going to worry about it any more but instead focus on being faithful to the church to which God has called me. Thank you for your prayers through it all!