Do you ever feel like you FINALLY put yourself out there only to have something super embarrassing happen, and everyone sees it and laughs at you?
Cuz that was so me yesterday. I had a few hours to spare yesterday afternoon so I made myself cozy at Starbucks. I have new products to add to the shop for Monday’s update, and I had just pulled out my laptop when I heard a nearby table talking about their church and how great service was last week. At first I thought, How great, they love their church. Then I thought, I’d love to love a church like that.
Yep, it’s May and we’re stilllllllllllllllllll looking for a church.
I decided to be bold — seems like there’s no other option at this point but to be bold + direct with our desires, so I walked over and asked them which church they went to.
Hi, I couldn’t help but overhear you were talking about your church. My husband and I are looking for a church, do you mind sharing where you go? She said it was in Woodbury, a nearby city. Oh, what’s the name? So she told me and I nodded like I knew of the church but I really didn’t {do you think she could tell?}. And then she just stared at me while I stood at her table. OK, great… thanks!
Then I walked away and I felt like I was on an episode of New Girl and instead of starring Zooey Deschanel it was staring Maggie Whitley and helloooooooooooooo awkward moment, there you are!
Except no one was paying me to live out the awkward moment.
But don’t worry, the awkwardness gets worse.
I then decided to hop on Facebook and ask if anyone knew of a great non-denom church they could recommend, but instead of non-denom I wrote NON-DEMON.
Why LORD? Why didn’t you pull my arms off the keyboard so I had a moment to read my update before posting it? That was wrong of you!
I checked the Facebook update a few minutes later and was feeling all happy that there was like 14 comments, but then I saw the words “LOL” and “DEMON” and I knew I had just completed the second most embarrassing moment of my day.
I tried to delete it but it wouldn’t delete — because someone had shared it? — and so I decided the next best step would be to comment on my update and make fun of myself just like everyone else was already doing.
Except I still felt terrible.
Feel terrible. Present tense.
I feel like no matter how hard we try to find a church in Minneapolis it doesn’t work in our favor. They are too far or too big or too _____.
Do you ever feel like that with your life? It doesn’t have to be about finding a church, it could be about fixing an important relationship or finding a new home or deciding what to major in college, or even if you NEED to go to college because it seems like you could just write a blog and make that your main source of income, who needs a college degree for that?
I have a third major, Run On Sentence Perfecter.
Back to my problem. Yes it really does seem like we’ve been searching for a church for years but nothing is working in our favor. I almost want to throw in the towel, but I know that’d be wrong. Also, our parents would probably drive out here just to shake some sense back into us.
Right mom? ;D
So anyway, we’ll keep looking.
Oh look, a text from a friend. She told us which church campus they attend, and the time, and now we’re meeting them in just a bit for service. Praying we find some answers, and soon!
Maybe the Lord knew what He was doing yesterday after all?
I just wish it didn’t include this demon Facebook update.
Although, it was an appropriate use of the word.
I did get that part right ;)
Oh Maggie, I love your sweet self!! Proud of you for having the guts to ask about their church, and don’t feel bad about your typo! It happens to everyone! And you really don’t want to go to a demon church, anyway. ;)
Happy Sunday, friend. xoxo!
I know :) no demon churches for us!!!!
{hugs} girl – good for you for sticking with it! if God wanted you in any ol’ church I’m sure you would have found one you could live with even if you didn’t “love” it – but He obviously wants something MUCH better for your family! It’ll be worth the wait. Praying over you today, that answers would come quickly & clearly so that your heart could settle. (and we should compare embarrassing stories sometime…i WISH mine were just typos on facebook!)
you’re so right… and thank you for pointing that out to me :) it has been so hard, but things that are hard are always the best for us in the end, right? thanks Crystal!!! xoxo
I am so with you in this, friend. Can’t find our place, looking for anplace to belong, don’t want a demon church, and on and on the cycle goes… I am praying for you guys, this morning specifically! Praying that this church will be a place that you can feel plugged into!
It took me a long time to find the right church as well after coming home from college. My church in Grand Rapids was amazing & I felt like I belonged, but then coming back to the east side of the state it was hard to find one. Now I go to a large non-denominational church. At first it felt really big, but once I got involved more in small groups & Bible studies it started to feel smaller because I knew people! I’m soon going to start volunteering more as well. I just started getting more involved at the beginning of this year & it has really made all the difference! Don’t worry, putting it out there that you’re looking is a great & brave step! You’ll find the place for you :)
See…and I thought I was just misreading it! :) I was telling my sis-in-law about it (We were in the car together at the time). I had gone back to look at it again and thought, wow, I just can’t read. Now I know they were both there! :) Well a non-demon church is a good place too. :)
Maggie – if you want to make a day of it every Sunday we attend a wonderful E-free church here near Marshall….you would have to get up and leave by 6am….but we would have you guys over for lunch every week afterwards! :) It IS hard finding a right fit…esp. if you had something you loved before and we (well at least I) compare. But you are putting yourself out there and something good will come of this! I will be praying for you!!
Searching for a church is a hard thing! I searched for more than a year before I finally found one that I now love. (and I was doing it when I was single, and going to a new church by yourself is SO hard!)
I had to laugh at your non-demon church though, I think lots of people are looking for that :)
;D
Aw Maggie, I feel terrible for you!!! And even more so that someone had to share and add to the humiliation. I believe i have been there a time or two! I hope and pray God leads you+Zach to the perfect church.
XXOO
I could have died right then… seriously, I felt so embarrassed! But at least it was just a typo and not the wrong photo I uploaded or something crazy like that. Ha ha!!!! xoxo
I grew up in MN :-) I don’t know much about non-denominational churches. I think they are harder to find in that area. There are several “denom” churches that I know are good- Wooddale in Eden Prairie, Open Door in Maple Grove (you know, they might be non-denom), Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis.
I have friends at Crossroads Church in Woodbury. Any of those would be filled with people who are about loving Jesus.
We tried Eagle Brook this morning and loved it — even Zack commented about things he liked about the service, which was great. I felt like the focus was on the Word and not the speakers or the music, which can easily happen. Thanks for your comment Amy! Thanks for joining in this community. xoxo
Hi Maggie-
My best suggestion would be to keep an open mind! I grew up Lutheran, but once I moved to a new town after college, ended up finding my church home at a wonderful Methodist church. I understand that you’re looking for a non-denominational option, but you might want to consider the something in a “less structured” denomination, such as the Methodist church or an Evangelical Lutheran Church. Just keep your heart open and keep trying! The right one will come to you! God Bless!
…I grew up Lutheran too, craziness! :) Thanks for your comment, seriously praying we find something soon! I know not having a church is making every other struggle we have seem so much larger. xo
Praying for you to find a home! And really, I want my church to be demon-free, so … :)
Maggie, I love that you are a REAL person! That is one of the things that make you, your blog and your business so fabulous! Also, we have not had a church home in…I don’t even know how many…but years. We belong to a church but we have looked and looked and it’s very hard to find one. I have found that the truth is no church is perfect. I mostly want to find a place that when I leave, I feel like my spirit has been fed. I know you’ll find your place…and it WILL be a non-demon chuch! Blessing to you and Zack this Sunday, Maggie!
OH MY GOODNESS, can you believe I wrote that? Yes, it really is a person behind this blog, not just a seamstress cranking out product + blog posts. Oh my gosh Karen… I was so embarrassed. But, it gave me another opportunity to share my struggles with this community, and that’s such a great feeling. XO
First of all THANKYOU.
thank you for joining my club where I post things and send texts that are completely wrong.
(Read here as I’m a hubahuba vixen to the completely wrong person)
REALLY SPELL CHECK!?? SERIOUSLY.
I can’t even begin to describe the horror I felt at seeing what I had sent way after the fact. Imgoingtothrowuphorror.
I think that awkward moment may have scarred both of us for life…..
It has taught me to check TWICE send ONCE.
BUT, it still happens right?
I think I know what you’re trying to say — and if I’m right — yesssssssssss I would have thrown up too. Hah! Girl, I’m so sorry… But know that YES, I’ve joined your club ;D
Hahaha. Oh, don’t worry. I’ve been looking for a church for 2 years now. Unfortunately, all the Lutheran ones here in San Jose are for people who know Chinese. A blonde, Scandinavian girl from North Dakota would not fit in well. Even the non-denominational ones I’ve found all speak something other than English. *sigh*
My best suggestion to you would be to do a search in the area you think is reasonable for travel and make a list of all the non-denom churches and check them out one by one until you find one you like. It’s not the “easy” solution or the “fast” solution, but faith is personal. What someone might think of as their favorite church might be not at all what you and Zach are looking for. Take your time and make it personal and you will find what you are looking for. MIght not be the first church on your list, but it might not be the last either. Best of luck to you as you search too. I have prayed that God will lead you there. Keep us posted. <3
I saw your FB post, but it didn’t even register in my brain! I thought “non-denom” too. I totally would’ve got in touch about that.
But, hindsight, you have to laugh!! LOL You have a good sense of humor.
Hope you have a good day today :)
L O L!
I’m a dork.
I always find it fascinating for people to be talking about how “wonderful” their church is to each other and don’t extend that wonder to other people. Witness much? I hope you find and incredible church home:)
OK, thank you! I was so shocked at the way she held her end of the conversation. She was SO bubbly and SO enthusiastic to her friend, I thought for sure she would be a great person to approach about church stuff. But I was wrong… And now that some time has passed I’m thankful for that!!! Her church wasn’t the right church for us, I have to believe that. And because she was so short with me it FORCED me to ask another friend in the area where they attend, so we joined them this morning and it was soooo wonderful! ;D
Anyway, thanks so much for your comment + being a part of this community. xo
Your coffee shop moment wasn’t awkward for you at all. It was for them. Because, just think, you went up and asked them about their church and their response should have been much more than perfunctory. Really! Just know *that* church probably isn’t for you. Hope you had a great experience at church today with your friend!!
Blessings….
Amen!
Oh, Maggie. I saw that, and I’ll admit that I got a little chuckle because of all the funny “auto correct” things going around out there, but I immediately wanted to crawl under my desk and hide on your behalf. That’s just the sort of thing that would make me come undone, so I knew how you were probably feeling at the time! Keep in mind that you have so many virtual friends out here who were laughing WITH you, but still have your back and think you’re GREAT, adorable and so talented! I hope you’re able to find a church soon. Take care and try not to be too embarrassed!
THANK YOU! Thank you for the encouragement! :)
:0)
Sometimes life just likes to make us live it out loud! In front of people, at our expense.
I once fell flat on my face after filling up at the gas station, everybody saw me, and NObody asked if I was okay, or offered to help. It was awful, or then there was the time I spoke at our women’s large group, I practiced and practiced and for some reason I got up there and I started crying, so hard that you couldn’t understand what I was saying! I’ve given speeches before, for me the larger the group the better…I guess I shouldn’t have given such a personal speech about what grace was to me! Gah!
Have you tried Eagle Brook? Rob and I have gone there since it was one little church in White Bear Lake, now it has 5 campus’. We currently go to Blaine. Spring Lake Park is by far the smallest and smallest feeling church. We loved that campus, there is talk of opening one in Minneapolis, by the U. They have small group opportunities. They have Saturday and Sunday services. The messages are always great, music is wonderful, it just feels big, but once you start meeting people, you start looking forward to going to church to see them! If you are interested let me know, we would meet you there so you wouldn’t feel so weird, unless of course going with virtual strangers is a weird thing ;0)
We were at the Blaine Eagle Brook campus this morning!!!! How crazy is that???? Johanna (These Prices) invited us and we loved it! :D
Do you go to the Blaine campus every week?
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking!
Hugs sweetie! Prayers that the Lord leads to the right church to call home!
Sorry to hear you are having trouble finding a church (and having trouble avoiding awkward moments) hehehe. We will be praying for you guys that you find a perfect fit soon! :) Don’t give up!
LOL, and spell check would not have caught that either!! I am always doing things like that. Guess it’s good to just get that out of the way first, huh? since that prob is the first requirement. I know its so hard to find a good church. I LOVE my current church. In fact, we were on vacation and had been for over 2 weeks so when I noticed a church near our hotel, I told the kids “we’ve missed too much church on vaca, get ready, we are going in the morning”. I knew by the second song that it was no coincidence and God wanted us there. Long story short, we moved a few months later and have been here 6 1/2 yrs. I wouldn’t dream of raising my kids anywhere else. We have all developed a really close relationship with God now. Not sure personally about church in Minn because despite being in the same denomination or whatever, each church is still different. You can check out the org’s website upci.org and see if any of the churchs are near you. Hope you find something. Trust God will lead you to where He wants you to be. And shame on those people for not sharing more than the church name!! We will even pray with people in a restaurant. Church should not be contained just in four walls.
WOW Adena — that is crazy!!! So did you end up moving to a different state?
“Church should not be contained just in four walls.” — yes!
And it makes me wonder if that girl I spoke with at Starbucks is regretting the way she handled her end of the conversation?! ;)
Moved from all family and friends in NC to where we knew no one in FL. We are actually having a ministers conf now and it starts at 2 EST. Lee Stoneking is preaching, he has a wonderful testimony of God raising him from the dead after 45 min. I know they are live broadcasting, soulsharborfpc.com.
One would hope that a non-denom and a non-demon church would be one and the same!! LOL I grew up in a tiny non-denominational church in rural PA and it was wonderful. I know God has one picked out for you and will show you where it is in His good time. Blessings!
Elaine
We are in Woodbury :D Now I’m wondering what church they were talking about :D hehe
it was a Catholic church… :}
I love that you are not giving up looking for the church that is where God wants you, hope you find it soon! BTW, yeah, I am way with you on the needing to check and recheck before I post….yesterday, I updated that I was heading out to an engagement session, it was an anniversary session. I posted a while ago that i was watching a movie with my nubby (supposed to say Hubby) and I am sure he did not appreciate all that may have implied!
Hey Maggie – Will you consider posting the church you decide on once you find it? I am looking for a new church too, but I haven’t been active about trying new ones out. I would love the recommendation once you find one!
Thanks!
this morning we went to Eagle Brook and we loved it ♥ we are excited to go back!
Oh huge hugs sweet girl! Bless your heart!!! I know it isn’t the same at all, but I have a really really hard time posting photos of myself online or on my blog because of some side effects from medications that show in some of my physical features. Well, with my latest blog post I found the courage to post a photo from Mother’s Day and bam! Negative comment from someone who doesn’t know me. It didn’t feel good. It doesn’t feel food. Ah, well. ;)
I hate looking for a new church home. We’ve done it a lot, thanks to our frequent moves.
Because my Dad was a pastor here in the Twin Cities for 20 years, I could maybe help you sort through some options. Send me a email if you are interested.
Glad you liked Eagle Brook. That’s an amazing church!
Oh sweetie I seriously started to tear up for you! NOT in pity but in the fact I have SO been there! And when you think it can’t get worse it does! We go to a WONDERFUL Non-denominational church (in Oregon though!) and I can ask around if any of my friends know of good ones in Minneapolis?! Paul was raised Catholic…I was raised Southern Baptist so it took us a few years before we FINALLY found a church that fit the both of us! Please know…you my sweet dear…are NOT alone! I would give you a BIG hug and a venti Starbucks Frappe if I could right now…but know I just sent you a virtual one! Let me know if you would like me to ask around!
One thing that someone told me that helped was that we don’t go to church for ourselves, we go to praise God. It made looking for a church easier because I knew I needed to go to give Him praise and thanks and not for my own pleasure.
Maybe that might help in the search? I hope so :)
We moved to Illinois from Missouri 4 years ago and still haven’t found a church. :(
Aww, that is so sad! I am sorry you had such a rough day!
It is a shame that the lady in Starbucks wasn’t super happy that you were interested in their church and eager to tell you about it!
If something like that happened to me, I would love to tell someone about my wonderful church.
Hope you found the answers you were looking for today! {{hugs}}
Sarah
oh my, that’s … well, bless your heart. finding the right church is probably like finding the right mate, once you stop looking they’ll just show up out of the blue.
Sad day at starbucks :( If someone came up and asked me about my church (which I LOVE), I’d tell them so much about it that they might regret asking :) God will definitely lead you guys to the perfect place for you in His perfect timing. It’s always felt a little awkward to visit churches for the first time–good for you guys for keeping up the ‘hunt’ for the right place :)
HA HA! why weren’t YOU sitting in my Starbucks? why was that other girl?
Actually, she was probably sitting there and she was probably supposed to be as cold as she was, because it forced me to ask someone else about church.
I think it went exactly the way it was supposed to, even though at first it was super lame ;)
You are sure hard on yourself! I can see being embarrassed slightly for thirty seconds in both those situations, but in the first one, they probably were just startled and at a loss for what to say too, no reason to feel bad! In the second, you brought laughter and joy into a bunch of people’s lives. That’s the sort of typo I’d make, and I think it’s cute!
Anyway, I’m sure you know God wouldn’t want you to fee terrible about either of these things, or finding the right fit for a church. It sounds like you are getting lots of advice and might find a good place to belong to soon.
Not sure if you have looked on here http://www.zetify.com/churches/all/Non-Denominational-Minneapolis-MN-Churches if not, at least a lot of the churches have websites for you to read to find out more about them. Most churches even have a comment or two on Yelp.com I was surprised to find – not enough to really find out how most people feel about them though.
I’m glad to hear you want to be involved in a church in which demons are not welcome, Maggie! :) I’m sorry those women made you feel uncomfortable in that situation! Not a very good testimony of the warmth and welcome in their church!
Without knowing much of your story and intending NO judgment … allow me to share a bit of my story.
I know how hard it is to find the right church for your family. I have also experienced the way that those needs change as your family grows and evolves. We recently moved/transferred from a HUGE seeker type church to a much smaller community church that wants to grow. I miss the music and theater of the bigger church but found that the smaller one embraces my family more … as individuals! I have struggled with depression for the last couple of years (hormonal and situational) and slept in more Sundays than I care to count. The mega-church never missed a beat. The small one … checks in on me (Facebook, twitter, e-mail, phone calls). The mega-church, with it’s mega-million budget, prayed for my son when he left for a mission trip. The little one … which is struggling with financial concerns, dug deep and paid for half of his expenses.
There is a time and place for a BIG church that meets you where you are and lets you sit back and rest … especially when you have been wounded! But maybe it’s time for you, like it was for us, to look for a little church, struggling to make it, and see if YOU can be what THEY need!
I’ll be praying for you!
I have SO been there with horrifying technology moments! I don`t own a cell phone. My hubby has one for work though, and when we`re driving, I often play around with it. One time we were driving to see my in-laws, and one of hubby`s sisters texted to ask where we were. Hubby`s phone is a blackberry, so it has the whole keyboard thingy. Well, I started typing back `we just passed Sperling curves`… except after the S I accidently hit a few other keys because of the whole shift thing. Well, the delete button is right above the enter button…. I ended up sending my message which looked like I was swearing at her! I was MORTIFIED!!! Good thing they love me :)
Anyway, I`m so glad that you are reaching out for a church home. God will lead!
Wow – I wish people would come up to me and ask about our church – I *try* to tell/invite other non church going friends and family about it but sadly not many want to attend – I get answers like”I love to sleep in” or “maybe one day” which I get -really!
I grew up in church but hubs didn’t so it took us YEARS to find a home church we both loved and could feel right in – and now (after alot of prayers and searching and trying and skipping and sleeping in) we Finally found a “church home” we both are not only comfortable in but teach a childrens SS class and help on missions ministry there- it has become our second family – but also inspires us and holds us accountable to be “the church” outside the building – by standing for our values in society and living the word and love of Christ in our Monday-Saturday lives as well. It is just a building and yet SO much more!
Praying you stay the course and God will place you both where He can use us for His glory ! Soon ;) (and def in a non-Demon church – lol)
I’m so glad I’m not the only one with this problem! Seriously, I feel like we’ve been looking for a good church for 3 years now. I never knew how important it was to us, to find somewhere where we feel we belong. 3 churches in 3 years and the frustration level is high.
I hope it works out for you!
Kristin :)
Hey Maggie,
We recently moved away from St. Paul, and were saddened that we had to leave because we had made so many great connections at our church. We attended Trinity City Church, it is a great non-denominational church that started a little over a year ago, and it’s based in St. Paul (The west side so closer to Minneapolis). I think it would be a great church for you and your husband to check out! Best of luck in finding a church community!
We attend Open Door in Maple Grove. It’s a large church, but we love it!! If you haven’t checked it out, you should come some Sunday.
http://thedoor.org/
Gus – we adore our church family … (Bloomington Living Hope Lutheran in Bloomington & Shakopee – Our Mission is to Know Christ and to Make Him Known & we’re happy to say after being active members for 12 years, that’s still the case). But, I’m not one to say ours is better than any other – we’ve attended amazing Word-focused, Jesus-loving non-denoms, methodist, baptist and others, as we travel through our ministry and visit friends. We have family in MPLS who attend Mount Olivet (Lutheran) – yes, large but beautiful, old-school hymns/choirs, great message and lots of small group opportunities. I know He will lead you to the right place … keep trusting in Him and His plans. xoxo
♥ thanks Mela!!!
Good for you for being bold! Don’t worry about your fb typo – God uses the things we think are poor/weak/embarrassing to His glory! That’s how I deal with all the embarrassing mess ups I text and email :)
I know you will find the place that God has for you. “He remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever.” (Ps 136:23). Will pray for your search!!
I saw that FB update but I knew what you meant and seriously didn’t think anything of it! :) You shouldn’t be embarrassed – typos happen to all of us! :)
At least it was a humorous typo, right?
We’re looking for a church home too…it’s not a fun thing.
That’s funny!!!!!
I used to feel the same way, totally believed in God but wasn’t quite sure which direction to go…. Then I realized that there is NO right church to go to, we have been going to the Mormon church for years and we love so much about it and other things not so much, but we take the best from it, and recently we got blessed to take FREE marriage classes from a pastor (has been for 30 years) for free and they last one and a half years and one of the requirements is to attend their church and so out of gratitude we have been, at first my brain about exploded from shock…haha, but now that I’ve stepped out of my little spiritual box I am seeing how God is everywhere, it’s our search for Him that our answers come, I believe in blooming where you are planted (that is why we go to the Mormon church because I was born into it ;) ),we are actually going to both every week, my kids love them both and too much of a good thing never hurt anybody.
I say just tell God that you will go to the first church that comes your way, or the closest one…. and do it and stick to it until something better comes your way, you will learn and feel God in your heart no matter where you go if you are open minded and non judgmental.
I wish you both the best.
this really spoke to me, “you will learn and feel God in your heart no matter where you go if you are open minded” — thank you Joni for taking the time to share, and for joining in this community :)
My cousin is the Pastor at The Alley church. It’s in Cottage Grove. It’s not non-denom (lutheran) but from everything I can tell it’s a great church with people who love Jesus..and my cousin is cool, so that’s good! http://www.thealley.org/ … might be worth a shot!
Awww… I wish I could hug you and tell you about all the awkward things I do to make you feel better. I walked into a lamp post once and had to get stitches. And this was not when I was 10. It was 18 months ago. See? At least you didn’t trip walking away from the table. :)
I’ll be praying for your church search. The few times I’ve had to church-shop, it wasn’t fun (I have moved a fair amount but I was a pastor’s kid so we always had a church… and I was blessed to find my church immediately when I moved to Memphis). Being without a strong connection to a local body of believers is wearying. I’m sorry.
Oh yeah, and I had to walk around everywhere for a week with six bright blue stitches in my very prominent forehead. And then explain that no I didn’t hurt myself doing something like rescuing a kitten, I walked into a lamp post because I was looking at pretty dresses in a shop across the street. Seriously. Please tell me that put a smile on your face. :)
please tell me you went back and bought the dress that caused your injury…?
;D
Sadly, no… it was a formal dress shop and they were all expensive, I’m sure. :D But there was this gorgeous one with a mermaid skirt in a stylized giraffe print. It’s the one that caught my eye.
maggie, i will be praying for y’all to find a church to call home.
we moved to north dakota nearly three years ago. we settled on a church after trying literally every one nearby.
we aren’t super pleased…but it was something. and now? we can’t even attend that one.
i shared that on my blog http://aholeistodig.blogspot.com/2012/04/venting-little-i-miss-sundays.html
anyway, i get this! longing for this alongside you, praying the lord provides for you soon.
xo
thank you hannah. we can pray for each other :)
I did always say… it’s a good policy to go to a non demon church :)
You would be more t han welcome to attend our church, Grace Church in Eden Prairie. Come check us out! Our pastor, Troy Dobbs, is awesome and there’s different services based on time preference and worship style preference. I wish you the best in your search!
maggie~ I am right there with you. David and I got married almost 10 months ago and have been searching every week for somewhere we feel included and welcomed. it is HARD. It has been super hard for us to connect with young people close to our age that are married… we figure church is the best place to find them, but we are having a tough time finding a church we love. i guess its kind of a cyclical thing :/ anyways– I know how you feel.
All of my friends live hundreds of miles away and i miss them terribly. Praying that you and Zack find a church home, friends, and people that you connect with!
Lots of x’s and o’s,
Caroline
THANK YOU CAROLINE! sometimes just knowing others are feeling the same way i am is enough. i am more eager to be patient when i know i’m not alone. thank you for your comment, friend. i’ll be praying you and David find a home church soon, too ♥
Awww Maggie, I truly sympathize, finding the right church is hard & even more so when parishioners are vague about sharing it or you get teased about your post. I’m sorry that happened. I go to a Vineyard church & its truly transformed my life as well as that of my family’s. The energy of the volunteers is contagious & I find myself longing to go during the week or to my weekly connect group. I look forward to it b/c its changed my life so much & I love the members as if they were blood related family. Our church is just that, a HUGE family, we look out for one another & call upon one another to for help, prayer, or just to get together & hang out. I truly desire that you find that in a church soon. Its life changing, especially when you serve. You get to know other members like never before when you’re able to serve & volunteer. I volunteered in many areas of my church but where I thrived was the children’s area. I’ve been teaching there for 4 years now & I was actually was recently approached by my pastors to step up as the Children’s Ministry pastor & I accepted. :-) It was a HUGE (and scary!) step for me especially in the stage of life I’m in now. I doubt my own talents & abilities a LOT, I think that’s one of the reasons my tiny Etsy shop hasn’t really “taken off” yet as much as I want it to but my pastors have counseled & spoken SO MUCH *life* into me lately. I’ve realized its the Lord working through me & my ability to help run that area of the church, not my own; its scary but I know its what I’m called to. You have so much drive & ambition in you & I SO admire that. I’d love for you to find a church where it will only encourage & help you flourish even more! I’ll pray that you do! The Vineyard churches are non denominational & very much focused on relationships & community. I definitely recommend that you check it out. You can go here & search all the different Vineyard church plants in your area :-) http://www.vineyardusa.org/site/churchsites/search/map?church_search_key=MINNEAPOLIS%2C%20MN&locate=Locate&form_build_id=form-c43d932b3a9918d1247259d37687bcee&form_id=churchsites_search_block_form
*Praying for you girl!* Much love!
I know how you feel…is this a norm now a days I wonder…we have been in our new location for awhile now and still have not found a church that we all love and want to continue to go…I feel so much like you in your post…we know we should go and we want too…but where and why haven’t we found it yet. I hope you find the church that is what your family needs and know that you are not alone in your search for a church.
Oh, Maggie :( So sorry about that! If it’s any consolation, I’m sure you looked just as cute as Zooey Deschanel ;)
one can hope :)
You talk about being Bold, so I too will try being bold. You would think because I have a church I love and, a church that is centered around Christ and his teachings, that I would want to share it with all. But I am very shy and sometimes it is hard for me to share things that are so close to my heart, especially without getting emotional. I know…. I know… what is my problem….
The church I go to is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You have probabaly heard us called Mormons. I dont know if this would help you, but if you are looking you might want to look into it and learn more.
i have a few close friends that are Mormon and i love them so dearly. and what amazes me is that even though we have some differences we still love on each other hard core. i admire them for being so Bold. i think it’s encouraged me to be more bold with my beliefs. maybe this comment can encourage *you*? either way, i’m so appreciate of your comment julie. thank you! XOXOXO
I am that awkward girl too! Sometimes I am just hoping that someone caught it on camera, because others should enjoy my awkward moments…or it might be that if I feel someone is laughing with me that it’s not so awkward!
BTW, I hate looking for a church! That really causes the most awkward moments. “Guests stay seated. Church go greet our guests.” Ummm, no thank you! I’m just a fly on the wall to see if I like it!! I’m not ready to give you my name and address!
Stick with it! Hope you find some fellowship soon…in the meantime, I hope your awkward church moments are kept to a minimum! :D
Hi Gussy,
My name is Rachel and I used live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area a few years ago and the church my family fell in love with was called Evergreen Church (non-denom). Here is their website http://www.evergreencc.com/, there are a few locations and I hope you can give them a try.
Gussy,
Come to my church! It is non-denom and it saved my life! Check it out here: http://www.substancechurch.com/
There are multiple locations. Pastor Peter sometimes wears his hair in a mohawk! He wears jeans and sneakers most Sunday. The music is great, the people are great and I just love it!
xo,
Allison
Hi Maggie,
My husband and I used to live in Minneapolis, and while although I’m not familiar with a non denom church there’s a ton of great churches in the Twin Cities that I could share with you. Two that stick out are High Point Church in Eagan or River Valley church, they have several campuses in the Twin Cities. You can look up either at highpointchurch.tv or rivervalleychurch.org
Hope that helps, maybe! :)
HI~
My husband I live in Laguna Hills, Ca. when we got married 2 1/2 years ago we were facing the same challanges. As a new couple adjusting to married life and learing to operate as one in Christ. As newlyweds and believers in Christ, God seemed to be challenging us to learn to pray together as one. We felt out of place and lost in our own church and felt the holy spirit calling to pray together daily over finding a church we could be planted in. After about 5 months we ended up at Calvary Chapel Pacific Hills and have been there faithfully ever since.
Not sure if you have ever heard of Pastor Mark Driscol from Mars Hill Church in Seattle WA? they have this thing called Acts 29 Plant churches. They help plant churches across the US and you can search for plant churches in your area. check it out, they have so many amazing churches across the US and in your area. Good luck!
[…] been almost three years since we moved to Minneapolis. We still don’t have a church — that may have changed though? — and I don’t feel like I fit in here. And now I fear I’m rambling and/or hurting […]
It’s moments like those that you just need to laugh at yourself. And if you do, you’ll feel better about it. Without even thinking or trying, I make the most awkward comments and, for a while, I would dwell on them. But now I laugh with others because laughing is just so much more fun than brooding.
You and Zack will find a church eventually. God has a plan for you guys and, I’m sure, as long as you’re spending time in His Word and challenging yourself and growing in your relationship with Him, He’s happy. I mean, if you think about it, church during Jesus’s time wasn’t what it is now. It was neighbors and friends getting together at each others’ homes, in small groups, and delving into Jesus’s teachings. Maybe in the meantime, you can host a little small group at your house and do a study of your own. Not only will your relationship with Him be strengthened, but it may open up opportunities to find out about some more churches. Good luck with your search!
While I don’t live anywhere near you, I can’t invite you to come visit our church:) But I will say this… the people at that table missed out on their call- to REACH OUT to people who are seeking. I applaud your boldness to walk up and ask them Maggie. That takes bravery for sure. You put yourself out there and they dropped the ball by not being more friendly and Christlike toward you.
Praying you find a church that feels like home very soon. Its a big decision and one you and Zack have to feel a unity about.
xo
[…] + I wish I would have tried harder a couple years ago}. I know where it’s gotten us with finding a church {not a demon church […]
(This is where I go to church, Mags!)
Shucks. That was supposed to be in response to someone recommending High Point Church. Awkward.
Anyway, we’re in Eagan, which may be too far of a drive for you guys, but you are SO WELCOME to visit us. We are a smaller church (like around 300) with a diverse group of attendees and we just moved into our new building. Everyone here is so friendly and so welcoming. We have connection groups starting soon, too, to help keep people connected during the week. Check us out here: http://highpointchurch.tv
There’s nothing I want more than for you to feel connected here, hun. I’d also recommend Substance Church. They do an awesome job of getting people involved and into a community with others like them. <3
Hi! I know you have a whole list of beautiful churches to look into now but may I recommend upper room in St Louis Park. It is by far the greatest community I have ever experienced with truly biblical teaching and god centered worship. Just google upper room Minneapolis and see for yourself.
As for being bold – I am so proud of you! God calls each of His daughters to be warriors for Him and the fact that those women didn’t sit you down and ask you about your relationship with Jesus and why they love their church community so much is beyond me. Loving Jesus is about sharing Him and so thank you for writing this blog, doing #shereadstruth, and living out your faith in the cities.
If you need a sister in Christ in the MPLS area just let me know – otherwise I pray for your journey to finding the right church for YOU. Blessings!
We have been searching for a new church in the Mpls area, too. We started attending Redeemer Bible Church in Minnetonka (the church is being rebuilt so services are held at Mtka High School. We are really enjoying the services. Paster Glenn is a very dynamic pastor. I think you can hear his sermons on their website.
Hello,I love reading trughoh your blog, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wishing you the best of luck for all your blogging efforts.