Church shopping after abuse????

[Bestbirths]

Hi,

I can tell you a couple churches to avoid..... :rolleyes:

Do you want names?

Anyway.....

My kids are becoming older, like 11 and I thought of looking for a church again after not going for five years because of spiritual abuse.

I guess our main concern is that we are free and why would we want to go back to a potentially controlling abusive situation again?

Does anyone know of a church who ministers to those who have been spiritually abused in the Kansas City Area? (Johnson County), a church who may have a really vibrant yet not manipulative youth program?? Is there such a thing?

OK....... :eek:

[Doug64]

Hi:

I live in the KC area and am not aware of a church that would fill the bill. My feeling is that a community type church may be the best, but the only way to know for sure would be to visit a few times and see how it feels.

My wife and I left our former church in 1999 and except for visiting a few different churches, are happily churchless.

Doug

[Jerry]

Dear Bestbirths,,,
I searched and searched for a perfect church and finally I found one....Then I joined it and ruined it :D Seriously,I think the key is to look for a church that you can be comfortable in and grow spiritually,and put perfect on the back burner.I think we will have a "Perfect" church someday.I have a pretty good idea how this all plays out,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,See,,,,I read the book :D :D
Love Jerry
P.S. Just don't commit too fast be sure ;)

[Voyager]

I found that after the religious addiction wore off, I didn't need or want a church anymore. However, the first few years were tough. It was like going cold turkey with a chemical dependency.

:cool:

[jane]

It was like going cold turkey with a chemical dependency.


That is how I feel in a nutshell. I keep thinking that I must be decieved because I really have no desire to go to church.

I still worry about my children. I grew up in a protestant, congregational church. We learned all the bible stories and about a loving Jesus. ("What a friend we have in Jesus, all are sins and griefs to bear.....")

It wasn't until I became "born again" and started searching for all the meanings of the new testament that I became really confused and got some wrong ideas about God and then experienced the spiritual abuse.

I would love for my children to have that same experience which I had as a child. That is where my heart aches. I just can't do it. There is a Lutheran church near me that seems so simply nice. The pastor is nice, the people are actually reaching out to the community to serve-- it is simple, basic christianity. You can feel their love.

My teenage son doesn't like the old organ hymns.... my husband who claims to be a "recovering catholic" doesn't like the sit,kneel, stand thing-- reminds him too much of the church he grew up in.
So our little children attend their VBS every summer-- and enjoy it.

As much as I feel a ping in my heart that my little ones are missing something; I would not trade the freedom I now feel for anything. I LOVE having Sundays together to make a big breakfast, to laugh and play and catch up on the week or to do gardening, work on the house. It is AWESOME family time that we lost being soooo busy about someone else's vision.

Jane