Church Seasons Grow Us

In our fifteen years together, we have attended five different churches. Each one served as a vital instrument in our growth as children of God. Moving churches has kept us from becoming stagnant in our faith. It has allowed us to meet different groups of believers. We have learned that worship comes in many forms and God can use any means to get His message across.

While some are called to stay part of one local body, we have been called to visit many bodies. As we anticipate the next leg of our journey together - living on the road - we reflect on where we have been.

For the sake of this article we have renamed the churches with the term that best represents them for a particular season in our lives.

Blossom church was where we each came back to God. We had strayed away from biblical thinking for a season as young adults in pursuit of worldly endeavors. When a postcard arrived in the mail, it was simply time to get back on track. We were both feeling lonely and unfulfilled. We knew God was tugging on our hearts and we responded.

At Blossom, we learned how to read the Bible for ourselves. We learned how to pray individually and in groups. We learned how to have intimate relationships with fellow believers. We received marriage support and made lifelong friends. When our kids came to live with us, they were welcomed with open arms and learned Bible stories right away.

It was hard to leave Blossom after seven years. But when God showed us the church literally around the block from our house, we knew it was time to connect in our own community.

Next Door church was a very different experience for our family. We went from mega church to home church size in a day. We were all a bit outside of our comfort zones. Our kids got connected to Next Door first when they attended their vacation Bible school program. It allowed them to meet kids in our own neighborhood who they could play with more often.

Next Door taught us about the holiness of approaching an Almighty God. We learned reverence for God's word and His Sovereignty in our lives. We learned how to talk to people in all different walks of life, not just our season of life. We learned God is faithful through generations and He is worth pursuing all the days of our life.

Our first family service projects were together at Next Door. Once a week, we walked around the corner with our vacuum and cleaners to take care of an older building in great need of care. Most of it's inhabitants had aged passed the season of rigorous cleaning chores, so we were just the young brood for the job. We made it a regular part of our homeschooling each week.

Next Door sent us off with a large celebration and gifts. They were sad to see us go, but happy that we were following God's call to a new adventure.

Mountain church met us on the lawn of our new front yard to help us move in. We had never experienced such a welcome in our lives. They embraced us with open arms and filled our tummies with good food. They blessed us before they even knew who we were.

God brought us to a tiny town to accomplish some big things in our adoption story. He brought us to a church that was primarily composed of homeschool and adoptive families. We were in awe of this special treasure among the hills of a scarcely populated town.

We learned how to worship openly at Mountain. We experienced freedom in our souls and constant reminders of God's mercy. When our family met hard times, the church leadership was available to minister to our family and attend local meetings at the courthouse.

It was difficult to share our plans to move back to the city with the congregation. Some understood our predicament more than others. Some didn't understand at all. We couldn't share every detail of course, so gossip spread quickly. Whether it was from church congregants or local residents, it really didn't matter. In a small town, everyone is connected.

We landed at Desperation church with nothing left to give. We needed to be served rather than the ones serving. Desperation was another mega church with specific programs geared towards adoption and special needs. We took full advantage of what they had to offer.

Our kids came to love the large youth program. One child saved up to attend winter camp a couple years, and then left on a missions trip to Africa. Another child enjoyed the gym time throwing hoops. We all enjoyed blending in for a while. It's hard to live when the spotlight is shown brightly on every move you make.

Desperation served it's purpose in our lives for a season before God prompted us to attend church closer to our residence again. Reach church was part of our neighborhood and just the right size to meet people and still blend in too.

Reach filled something in our hearts that had been missing since we left Mountain. They provided authentic Spirit-led worship that didn't have to operate on a schedule. Since there is only one service, they have a little more leeway in providing time for people to encounter the Lord personally.

We have always had a crossover when finding a new church. Typically, we still attended our old church until it was time to make the full transition. We have stayed part of the foster/adopt ministry at Desperation while we worship at Reach. This has prevented us from becoming fully invested at our new church home. Although, the Bible studies and potlucks have been nice.

Today, we are approaching a new church season. We found Road church on a spontaneous trip to the west coast. God has revealed a place where we can worship with others simultaneously through technology. It's not what we would call ideal, but it will be a regular experience each week that will keep us plugged in. Who knows? Maybe we will be able to invite others to worship with us in our trailer.

How many churches have you attended? What did you learn at each one? How has God grown you closer to Him in the process? Can you think of one word to describe your experience at each one?

We are so blessed. The body of Christ is filled with all shapes and sizes and we have had the privilege to meet so many loving, and caring, people along the way. There is no perfect church. After all, every one of them is filled with sinners, but knowing that God is at work everywhere is an amazing thought!