Church

so another question i have been getting a lot. and for good reason. i now go to church in America, but i didn't back in Australia. why? people are asking here is the answer. my parents have never been very religious, (they made my sister and i do religious instruction in school, but that was about the extent of it.), we didn't go to church ever, not even on holidays, we didn't do anything that showed we practiced a particular religion. my sister and i we're not even baptised. i believe part of it was my father was brought up very Christian and hated it, so he refused to do anything with us (mum, please correct me if i'm wrong). therefor my church experience was in school. now at first i had the same attitude as my parents as far i was concerned i had much better things to be doing than sitting in church at some god awful hour of the morning listening to someone drag on and on about things that i didn't full agree with. and unfortunately that was what most of the services i did go to with school were. people just talking and talking and i didn't like what they were saying. very traditional services. though there was the odd one that i did like, and no matter what service i was in (whether it was boring or not) i some how felt like i belonged, and for at least a little bit enjoyed it. so i guess you could say that i have always liked the church and was meant to be apart of it, but i never found the right one for me. that was until i came to flagstaff.

a friends of mine invited me out for dinner with some people so i could meet other around town. one of these people happen to be training as a minister at the church i now attend. he (peter is his name) said i should come and check it out and that they meet on Friday and Saturday nights. that was my first indication that this church was different from others that i had been too. all the others had met on Sunday morning. this one meets on Friday (fellowship- all come and eat and hang out and have fun) and Saturday (bible study and the actual service) evenings. this not only suited my schedule a lot better, but it meant i didn't have to get up on Sunday (on any day in fact) and try not to fall asleep during the sermon (i'm not really a great morning person). so i went one Friday evening and had an awesome time. so i kept coming back.

everyone there is really nice and it really is like a second family. the services are more modern and thats one thing this church prides themselves on, is they don't follow the traditions to the absolute law. we have what you would call a modern service, so we have lots of up beat music (not just traditional hymns), and the views that are expressed have more to do with the time that we are presently in. there is more meaning and relevance to todays society, rather than trying to keep views that were expressed years ago and don't fit any more. and the best thing about this church is i agree with (mostly) what is being said. that was always a really big turn off for me in other churches that i had been too. the paster would always preach about something that i completely didn't agree with to the point where i was ready to walk out of that particular church, but couldn't either out of respect or because i was with others and it would have been plain rude.

so there is my reasons for now going to church, i feel like i belong, like i have always belonged to the word of the lord, and now everyone can know. its fun and i have made some fantastic friends who are now part of my extended family.

Till next time
Katie
xo