Question about Community Church

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PattyPryor

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Hi!

Let’s try this again 🙂 I think this topic is okay in Non-Catholic religions. I have not been here awhile so it is hard to get back into the swing of things 🙂

First, I love being Catholic. It is an amazing religion that I grew up with! However, I live in an area where the average age is 65 and the big towns are 40 minutes away. I know I can find Catholic fellowship in an area over an hour and a half away.

I have gone to the bigger towns and they just don’t do much or anything at all. I am 31 and need to actively be social with my faith.

I have really been thinking of going to church on Saturdays and then going on Sundays or the weekdays to a community church that has programs for people my age. It is hard for me to do that because sometimes they are very antiCatholic.

So for the people who go to Community Churches. Do you like them? do they have programs for you? Are many Anti- Catholic?

thanks 🙂
 
I do not attend a community church but I think that if you did and they knew you were “double dipping” they would try and get you to go full time to the community church. Perhaps rather than attending services to socialize within your faith you could join some other groups. I dunno, volunteer at the shelters, old folks homes, community centers etc. You would be working with and getting to know like-minded people who reach out to the community, love their neighbors and live their faith while not being pressured to turn in your rosaries to join the pot-luck dinner. Maybe even post an ad at your parish, who knows how many others like you there are out there? Good Luck:)
 
ChrissyB364 said:
I do not attend a community church but I think that if you did and they knew you were “double dipping” they would try and get you to go full time to the community church. Perhaps rather than attending services to socialize within your faith you could join some other groups. I dunno, volunteer at the shelters, old folks homes, community centers etc. You would be working with and getting to know like-minded people who reach out to the community, love their neighbors and live their faith while not being pressured to turn in your rosaries to join the pot-luck dinner. Maybe even post an ad at your parish, who knows how many others like you there are out there? Good Luck:)
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i live in a small town. I am not double dipping and honestly I am the DRE- I know how many people are out there.

Thanks anyway.
 
I attend a group for singles 40 and up. It meets at a Baptist church but members of the group are memebers of others churches, including Episcopal, etc. They do not try to get you to convert.
 
Also, I would not be attending services just going to programs and social events
 
Dorothy said:
Would you be willing to explain your faith if they should express anti-Catholic sentiments?
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Oh for sure. I have a great background on the church along with a Theology degree from a Catholic College. Honestly if they were that Anti-Catholic I would not join the group
 
I don’t see a problem with this. As long as your own faith is not put in jeopardy, I would call it an opportunity for evangelization. NOT in the sense of recruitment to Catholicism, but in the sense of bringing Christ to your community. Who knows, maybe your can start an outreach to the homeless/disadvantaged etc with some of your new friends. My sister attends a bible study with a group of non-catholic friends and none try to take anyone away from their own religion. I have attended a few times with her - really nice to find points of agreement with our Christian brothers and sisters.

In this day and age, it is perhaps more important than ever for Christians to band together over agreed upon faith rather that dither about the details that separate us. We can approach those with mutual respect while trying to bring Christ to our world.
 
parable1 said:
is it really bad to double dip?
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That’s actually what got me to become Catholic… a priest mentioned usually people only go to one church and, knowing the Catholic faith was the true one and I was just staying at the other one so I didn’t hurt any feelings, I made the switch. However, the other one helped me enormously get out of a bad relationship and understand what is faithful… So I still would recommend in your situation to go to the Community Church sometimes… AND make the Catholic Church about once a month. ALSO, you can watch EWTN mass. Not everyone receives the sacrament but you can also talk to your parish about your issues and when they travel for any particular reason they might be able to deliver it to you. I’d copy and print this and give it to a priest!
 
What I meant was that the community church may get the idea that all the OP’s spirtual needs are not being met in her Catholic Church and invite her to join their congregation. I don’t think she’s double dipping faith wise, but fellowship wise her parish obviously isn’t offering any of the dip she’s looking for. When I read that they would attend on Sunday’s my first thought was a church service not “extrachurchular” activities. Nothing wrong with going to the community church for group activities as long as everyone knows you’re strong in your faith and thats all you’re there for. I’m part of a MOPs group at a nearby Baptist church and though I don’t go to church with them or share some of their beliefs it’s been good for me growing in my own faith and changing some misconceptions.
 
ChrissyB364 said:
What I meant was that the community church may get the idea that all the OP’s spirtual needs are not being met in her Catholic Church and invite her to join their congregation. I don’t think she’s double dipping faith wise, but fellowship wise her parish obviously isn’t offering any of the dip she’s looking for. When I read that they would attend on Sunday’s my first thought was a church service not “extrachurchular” activities. Nothing wrong with going to the community church for group activities as long as everyone knows you’re strong in your faith and thats all you’re there for. I’m part of a MOPs group at a nearby Baptist church and though I don’t go to church with them or share some of their beliefs it’s been good for me growing in my own faith and changing some misconceptions.
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This is what I don’t get an like- no offense to you- please don’t take this the wrong way. Why should my spritual journey really matter to you? I understand you love your Catholic Faith and want people to remain Catholic, however you also did not give me a chance to go to a church. I have gone to Community Churches for Dave Ramsey seminars. They gave me a gift bag and asked me to join them sometime. I said no thank you I am Catholic. I think we are so scared of people leaving the Catholic Church and never think we could change that. I also don’t mind people leaving for it is someones own journey in life. As a priest told me they do come back after getting bored or not fullfilled spiritually. Some like my sister will not come back.

One thing that I don’t get is why the question has to be made into something about how I am not strong in my Catholic faith or I am losing my faith. I just live in a really small town. I used to do a lot of things when I lived in a different town:thumbsup:
 
I used to attend a Community Church before returning home, actually a few of them. In each of those Churches any program like you described was used to attract people to the church. I don’t think I’m out of line saying ti was their way of marketing their Church. Expect to be evangalized/proselytized whatever word you want to use. IMO you’re playing with matches.

Have you tried starting a program in your current parish? Asked to put a note in your parish’s bulletin to see if there are like minded folks in your current parish?
 
I think people should be carefull with community churches, that used to mean something. In the old days when there weren’t enough Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians to have seperate churches they would band together to form a mainline church for the community changing ministers from the different denominations to be fair.

But things have changed, now denomination is a dirty word and many Baptists, Pentecostals and other fundamentalists have dropped their names, but kept their doctrine calling then selves “non-demoninational”.

Their are other kinds odf community churches now composed of homosexuals, largest is the Metropolitan Community church.
 
I would say if you are strong in your faith and you want to have friendship with like minded people (christians) go for it. You say you are not looking to go to their service so test the water and if all they are doing is trying to draw you in to their church then run. I agree with some that it may not be the best idea but when you need friends who are like minded and there are none close by what do you do? I work with all protestants and pentecostals except for one guy who is not on my crew but we have good discussions on faith and the bible. They can be ugly at times but its out of their ignorance. They have a better understanding of our faith now because of me and that is the light in the situation.👍
 
PattyPryor said:
. I also don’t mind people leaving for it is someones own journey in life. As a priest told me they do come back after getting bored or not fullfilled spiritually. Some like my sister will not come back.
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A lot don’t come back. A good percentage of the Christians I’ve known in my life were ex- Catholics.
 
PattyPryor said:
This is what I don’t get an like- no offense to you- please don’t take this the wrong way. Why should my spritual journey really matter to you?

You asked for advice and people were giving it…:hmmm:
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I would say that what the Catholic Church has that others do not is the Sacraments. Not just Eucharist and Reconciliation, but also Sacrament of the sick. Many churches have Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage viewed as sacraments, but even then, the meaning is somewhat different. These are things to hold tight to. Every Sacrament is a personal encounter with Christ. Yes we do that in prayer also, but Sacraments are special. That is one area where you may want to need to offer some explanation to others.
 
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