I just have to say...I am so thankful for the childhood I had! We came home from an amazing morning at church, and I was reflecting on how fortunate I was to grow up in such a unique atmosphere. Growing up in a family where trying new things was encouraged had a huge impact on my spiritual life. I was raised mostly Catholic, but my parents were open to me trying all different types of churches. My Mom had the same opportunities when she was growing up and she always understood how important it is for young Christians to learn about the different ways people worship. In the 5th grade I was invited to a youth bible study at my best friend's church, and I realized that what I wanted was a relaxed atmosphere where we simply learned from the Bible. Since we were always on the road with our horses, I didn't really get to become an active member of a church on a weekly basis until I was in college. I would go to Catholic church during the week while I was at St Mary's School (the Catholic school I attended until I went to public high school) I went to Horseman for Christ camp, where accepted Christ publicly at age 12. I went to the cowboy church they would have during the cattle changes at the horse shows, and during my sophomore year at Texas State, I was invited to a great church in Wimberley TX, Cypress Creek Church, and attended there until we moved out to VA. Justin and I were members of a great home group of young married couples (some with young children, but Bethany was the oldest of the kids in the group). We really loved CCC and felt at home there and with our small group. It set a very high standard for what we were looking for in a church when we moved to Virginia, and one of the most important things we were looking for was a strong small group to be a part of.
When we arrived in Virginia we started looking for a church, and it took a few months and a lot of trail runs at different churches before we found Lifepoint Church. It is a large and very charismatic church like nothing I have ever experienced before. The music is great and the people are amazing. The first time we went to Lifepoint I was overwhelmed but very excited, the message was great and so was the music. I filled out a first time guest card for the family, and we decided to go back the next Sunday. Lifepoint reached out to us during the week with a thank you card, and an email welcoming us. By the end of the next service I was signing us up for a Lifegroup, and we were ready to put some roots down in our new church. I am so happy that we have found our place, our place we can worship and find fellowship. The Lord let us try several churches before we found LC, and we were faced with some opportunities to really decide as a couple what we want from our church. It allowed for spiritual growth in our marriage even if the hunt for a church was frustrating.
Since joining LC we have joined a small group, called a lifegroup. It has been such an amazing and rewarding experience. Our group is made up of 6 couples and we all have kids, and all of the guys are government employees. The one big difference in our new group from the one we were in at CCC is that we are newlyweds compared to the others in the group, as they have all been married for 10-20 years longer than Justin and I. But the kids are all about the same age and that makes it fun. When all of the kids are in attendance there are 19 children!!! It is a loud and fun time and we always look forward to Friday nights.
I encourage you to find a home church. It is so important, and it really can enrich your faith. You are able to make meaningful friendships with people who are there to encourage and challenge you in you walk, as well as keep you accountable. I also encourage you to let your kids try out other churches, let them see what else is out there. Of course you need to make sure that what the church is teaching is what you want them to learn, but by seeing the way other Churches opporate they are able to make an educated decision of what kind of Church will fit them when they grow up.
Texas Friends check out: www.cypresscreekchurch.com
VA Friends check out: www.visitlifepoint.org
Horse show Friends check out: www.horsemanforchrist.com
Train your child the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
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