church.

Let's talk about church shall we?

This isn't the post where I berate you if you don't go, or judge you for what you do or don't believe. It's the post where I put out there just how much my heart aches for my church. Where I tell you that the search for a new church in SC is beating me down.

And that I am bummed out.

Mr. P and I have been married almost six years. We both come from church families and both are very emphatic about raising our children in a church. However, we both come very different types of churches and both like different things about church. Being as that is the case, in the time we've been married, in the four cities we've lived in, we've found one church we both loved.

One.

In Myrtle Beach we didn't go to church. I honestly cannot even remember visiting a church the entire three months we lived there. Oops. In Missouri we tried lots of churches. Nada. Nothing meshed with both of us. We were close to picking one when we moved to Savannah. We were in Savannah for almost two years before we became members of a church. We were baptized in that church and decided to raise our children there.

It had everything. The preaching was stellar. The people were nice. We trusted who we dropped our child off with each Sunday. We liked our Sunday School class. We liked the music (even if our music minister made me laugh hysterically with his antics). It wasn't too big, wasn't too small. It had a great mix of people. It had people in jeans, but more people in dress clothes. It's sole purpose was to share the love of God and it got that message across.

Man.. I miss that church.

But we're not there anymore. Which is fine because I do believe that we are right where we're supposed to be, but is also frustrating because our home church left a huge whole to fill.

I'm from the mindset that a believer must go to church. Actually, that's not a mindset, that's the way it is. I'm not stating that to cause a ruckus but church is important. In order for one to maintain their personal walk with Christ, they need church. It's true. I feed off of church. It gives me what I need to get through the week. I need church. Of course every person has things about church that are important to them (obviously the most important is bringing people to Christ, I'm just going beyond that). To me, I need a preacher who preaches the Word. I need references to Scripture. I don't want things sugarcoated. I want a sermon that makes people uncomfortable. I want a Heaven/Hell sermon.

I want an invitation time. A time to reflect on what you just heard. A time to pray over the message and the coming week.

I need good music. I'm not a hymnal fan (sorry). While I don't mind singing the old hymn's, I also love a good praise and worship tune. Music gets me ready for worship. Music moves me outside of church, of course it would do the same within. I like tearing up when I feel the Spirit move me during a song.

I believe church is a more formal event. **This could step on toes so tread lightly** I loathe cutoff jeans, short shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, etc. at church. I will NOT be a person you see wearing any of the above to Sunday service (obviously I mean Sunday morning). When I was growing up, you put on your church clothes and got cleaned up for church. You wanted to look your best. It's a respect thing.

Now I realize that I'm of the old way of thinking on that one. That I will most definitely be outnumbered on that thought. I realize there are churches that pride themselves on being the kind of church that you don't have to dress up for. And that I FINE WITH ME. Say it again, it's fine with me, but I will not do it.

All that to say, we're having a hard time finding a church that meshes all of that into one. We've been attending a "mega church" out here and I love the preaching. I look past the fact that the preacher preaches in t-shirts and jeans (my stars!) because he is an amazing speaker. The music is awesome (although sometimes I feel like I'm at a concert with one girl on the mic all the time...), but, it is humongous. I guess I should've stated this with my want list, but I want a church with community. I want people to say "Hi, PI! when I walk by. To remember BG from infancy up and watch her grow. I want to know who I'm leaving her with on Sunday. That's not possible in this church. Seriously, it's humongous.

As I tried to get out of the parking lot this morning, I got cut off by a girl in a black car who then proceeded to flick her cigarette butt back at me as she glared back over her shoulder at me. That did it for me. As I thought about cutting her (on the main street duh, not in the church parking lot), I realized that wasn't home. That's not my church. Sigh...

So back to the grindstone. Back to trying out churches where some are too formal and some too informal. Back to a different church every Sunday morning. Back to finding one that we "mesh" with.

Anyone want to start a Home Church SC version please?!