Yep. That is currently the church I attend on Sundays. *insert shock and awe here from those who know i grew up in church*
But I believe that is the problem.
From as far back as I remember, all the way through to the age of 17, I swear I was in church 89% of my damn life.
Sunday
- Sunday school at 8am – 10am
- 10am to 2pm, 1pm on a good day for service
- 7pm to 9pm evening service
Monday
- Youth meeting 5pm to 8pm
Tuesday
- Prayer meeting 6pm to 8pm
Wednesday
- Midweek service 6pm to 9pm
Thursday
- Choir rehearsal 6pm to 8pm
Friday
- Jr usher board meeting 6pm to 8pm
Saturday
- Prayer breakfast 9am to 12noon
OH! and lets not forget those revivals they had every few months where there was full blown service EVERY NIGHT from like 6 to 9 but spilled over until after 10 and crap.
I was basically going from school, to church, with no life in between because my stepmom’s dad was the pastor of the church. 
I had no choice. I remember times where I would lay in the bed and hope she wouldn’t wake me up for church.
Soon as I hit 17 and left the house, I didn’t even attempt to go back to church for a year, and that’s only because I felt guilt because it seemed like I was SUPPOSED to be in church, especially when everybody kept seeing me on the streets asking me why I haven’t been there.
So of course, I went so people would stop asking. Most uncomfortable situation ever. I was just there, to be there, without even being….there. what was the point.
there wasn’t one, so I stopped going.
Then about two years ago, I started going to the church my mom and stepdad go to. LOVE the place, LOVE the pastor, ALWAYS learned something, felt EVERY message he delivered.
Well, here’s where I went wrong… I JOINED the freakin’ church. Great, right …nah, not so much.
Soon as you join, they want you to take new member classes, then after you fill out a contact form, people are calling you here and there wanting you to attend this, join that, help with this. Like what the HELL. You miss a day, and here comes mother so and so saying “we missed you last sunday”
*face palm*
I got so tired of being called, making up excuses, being stalked at church, that I just stopped going. Its been almost a year and I keep saying I want to go back, but all of this runs through my head every time I get the desire too.
blah. I don’t see why people feel the need to hound you about church. People always saying that you should minister and get people to come to church, but this crap pushes people away.
Who says you HAVE to go to church… I don’t remember reading that anywhere. The Lord knows my heart and my mind. I can read my Bible, Say my prayers, and everything right from home. I do enjoy a good sermon though. sad things like this push me away.
Shannon Says:
I find it discouraging when going to church feels like an obligation. I haven’t been to church and years and I believe I should feel comfortable in church. I can’t be comfortable with all of them in my business. Sure, it’s a “family-like” setting but I could do without people trying to pry into my life or tell me what to do, etc.
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Ellis Says:
The thing is I think church is cool as a refresher kind of like the reboot as to why you go to church but then people get into unecessary things like joining this or joining that doing this or doing that…which is all well and good until people start making you feel FORCED…
Things can be done at home granted but I think the thing is with Church the central focus is your spiritually whereas at home there are things that can distract you…which is why I need a new church home…bad…
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Derek Says:
Tonesa you hit the nail on the head with this one. I was raised in a religious. Both sides of the family are deep into church. My mother is a minister, my grandmother and my aunt are just deeply into it. But before my mother became a minister, she was a Jehovah’s Witness. So I was forced to go there until I was like 14. Then I tried going to church and like you said, it felt forced. Then the fact that you have so much of these so called “holy” ones that aren’t even living right, trying to tell you what’s right and wrong. I believe in GOD and Jesus, but organized religion has really pushed me away.
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icey Says:
i JUST POSTED THIS ON OUR MESSAGE BOARD ABOUT THIS. LIKE IS IT SOMEWHERE THAT SAYS IF YOU DON’T GO TO CHURCH SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU? OR IF YOU READ AND HAVE YOUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OUTSIDE OF CHURCH MAKE YOU A SINNER? I SWEAR IT FEELS LIKE THAT THE WAY PEOPLE SAY OH YOU DON’T GO TO CHURCH WHY NOT? LIKE THERE ISN’T A RULE.
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honey. Says:
I was raised Catholic so I always had religion classes & I was an alter girl and all that good stuff. Come high school I went to a Christian school & got involved in a lot of things ith that too so I had a lot of mixed religious activities going on at that stage of my life. I believe Church should never be an obligation. EVER! Yes I’m all for praying, repenting, but I think people should do it because they feel its right not because someone else is telling them it’s right.
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