how to join a church? i'm new at this!?

Question

my family has never been religious, but ever since i was about ten i've wanted to go to church and be closer to God. now that i'm a teenager, i really hoped my parents would let me make my own decisions about attending church but they are not supportive of my desire to go, and won't help me choose one to go to.
i am not going to let them discourage me because this is something i'd really like to give a try, and i've been reading the bible since age 12 and want to join a church to be with other people with the same beliefs.
i don't know anything about the different branches of christianity, so i wouldn't know which to seek out! do you have to be baptized to attend church services? i also don't know any of the prayers that are said during mass, as i've only been to mass a couple times in my life! where should i start first?
does anyone have any advice for me? thank you so much!

Answer 1

First, ask around your Christian friends (the ones you like) and ask which is a good church. Who knows? Maybe they will drive you there.



Second, see if they study the Bible. If they do not, then I would say you need to find another one.



To answer your questions:

1) No, you do NOT have to be baptized to attend a church. Once you are attending and you become a Christian, then you can inquire about baptism.



2)If you are going to a Catholic church, ask a priest or a leader there where to find the prayers.





Wow! I recognize God's hand in your life. He is leading you. Since your parents are not supportive of you, expect opposition against what you are doing. However, you still need to listen to them as parents unless it comes to church stuff or is against the Bible.

Answer 2

I'm so proud of you for your interest in becoming a Christian. God loves when a child comes to Him. The angels in heaven will be rejoicing in your decision!



To find a church you need to look at the things they believe. When looking for a church I would recommend you sit with the elders of the congregation and have a talk. Ask them what they believe and to show you, in the bible, why they believe it. Ask them about salvation and how is it achieved. I would love to speak more with you outside of this forum in email. I became a Christian a few years ago and went through this. I understand there are so many beliefs in the world it's overwhelming.



To answer your questions, No you do not have to be baptized to attend worship. You said that you don't know the prayers during mass, are you meaning in the catholic church?

Answer 3

While on the internet, research the different branches of Christianity, and see what they believe, and if you believe it. If you really like a certain branch, look in your phone book, or again, google to find nearby churches, and just appear on Sunday. You do not have to be baptized to attend Mass/services, but if you continue in the Church, you will have to be, more in likely. Well, if it's Mass, usually the priest will hand out a "program" telling you what will be said, and sometimes, the prayers are right on the program, if not, they will give you page numbers on where to find them in the books in the pew you sit in. If you look up, near the altar, you will see a bulletin board like object with numbers on them, many call this a hymnal board, and they give you the page numbers of the Hymns that will be sung. Try out different churches, and if the congregation greets you, just tell them you are searching for a Sanctuary. And if you like the Church, tell the priest (assuming it's Mass, because not all Churches have Mass) and the congregation that you want to become a member, and they will ask you for your name, e-mail address, and sometimes address and telephone number, and voila, you have joined the Church. :) But take some time, because finding just the right Church can make all the difference.



If you have any questions at all, message me, or email me, [e-mail]

Answer 4

There is a wide variety of different denominations within Christianity, so you may need to go to a few before you find the one that is right for you. You don't need to be baptized to attend a service. Just show up. If you think that particular church is a good home for you, and believes and practices most of the stuff that you believe, than you can ask a pastor about baptism.



Many churches will consider you a member if they baptize you, so make sure it's a church that believes as you do.



Personally, while I am fortunate to go to a Sabbath Keeping church (Cross Roads) that I enjoy, if they weren't available than I would go to an SDA church (though they have some practices that I don't entirely agree with).



Love and do good.

Answer 5

You heard incorrect. or possibly you heard in basic terms area of the story. at the start, the "Anglican Church" international is a very fragmented entity first of all. The Anglican Church in each us of a is its very own employer, devoid of formal bureaucratic cases to different Anglican church homes in different international locations. So, in thought, one Church, like the Anglican Church Of Canada or the Episcopal Church in the USA would desire to connect the Roman Catholic Church. yet that is fairly not happening. what's happening is that there are hundreds of individual Anglican Church individuals - even many clergymen and a few Bishops - who're turning out to be a member of the RC Church. There have additionally been diverse parish church homes that have joined Rome. and that i think of there have easily been an entire Diocese or 2 that have left the Anglican Church and fairly seen Rome. the main important motives for this chop up is an ever increasing liberal theology, ordination of ladies persons, and the marriage gay persons besides because of the fact the ordination of brazenly gay persons. The Pope has additionally devised some style of formal affiliation wherein an Anglican individual or an Anglican group can connect the RC Church and save many factors of their Anglican background. i do no longer understand how a lot of people have long previous this manner, yet i'd be curious to understand.

Answer 6

You should pray about which church to attend. Pray ernestly. Pray for the right missionaries to find you. If you're looking for the true church, it's really out there. I don't care what anyone else says about my religion.. But I REALLY believe in the LDS church (Mormon). I don't just have faith.. I know it.. It's the only thing I feel dead set on. Everything makes sense. I know who I am, where I've come from, and where I'll go after this life. But most importantly, I know God.. He's not just God, he's a Heavenly Father. Our Father. We didn't just appear with his creation of the Earth.. We're his children. He's created this Earth for each and everyone of us. He gave us EVERYTHING.. He's got a plan for us. He loves us. He loves you. If this helps, check out this web site www.lds.org

Well I hope this helps. Good luck! =)

Oh and be sure to watch the Youtube stuff on the home page! There's some great messages there!

Answer 7

Well you are on the right path. There are a lot of churches to choose from. There really should be no reason that you can't just go to any church any time. Most do not require you to be baptized to attend their meetings. But you will probably be encouraged to later on as you start to learn the teachings of the church. As a teen, it is really an important time to learn about your beliefs and to join a church that will help to support you in what you do. You should find a church that has a youth group to help you. Also, I suggest talking to missionaries of the church to find out more about the religions. Also, in my church we do not have memorized prayers and for those that do, I would assume that you do not need to know them as soon as you get there. I feel very strongly about my church and I believe it to be the one true church on the earth. Others may disagree with me, but I have so much happiness by being a part of my church. I suggest that you go to the website www.mormon.org to learn more about this church and to find out about when and where to meet. If you happen to have any further questions feel free to email me @ [e-mail]

Answer 8

Most churches have a office. Call and make a appointment to speak to the Priest, Pastor, Rabbi

or whoever is in charge. They can help you by giving you information. Don't be in a rush.

Religion will still be there when you decide. I'm sorry your parents aren't supportive. Remember

Religion is there to help you become a good person. Of course you can do this without religion.

Many people think a church community makes the journey more enjoyable. If a church can be of

assistance in that journey go for it.

Answer 9

The most important thing is that you choose a church that meets these two qualifications.

Ask the pastor of the church before you join if his church:

A) Believes that the Bible is the %100 complete and perfect Word of God.

B) Believes in John 14:6 that Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven.



While this is the best advice I can give it is not the only advice I have. contact me if you wish to know more.

Answer 10

Become familiar with Christ first before you attend a bible believing church !!! Check out the following verses!!!



Jesus is called God - John 1:1,14; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8

Jesus is the image of the invisible God - Heb. 1:3

Jesus abides forever - Heb. 7:24

Jesus created all things - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17

Jesus is before all things - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:17;

Jesus is eternal - John 1:1,14; 8:58; Micah 5:1-2

Jesus is honored the same as the Father - John 5:23

Jesus is prayed to - Acts 7:55-60; 1 Cor. 1:2 with Psalm 116:4; (John 14:14)

Jesus is worshipped - Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; John 9:35-38; Heb. 1:6

Jesus is omnipresent - Matt. 18:20; 28:20

Jesus is with us always - Matt. 28:20

Jesus is our only mediator between God and ourselves - 1 Tim. 2:5

Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant - Heb. 7:22; 8:6

Jesus said, "I AM the Bread of Life" - John 6:35,41,48,51

Jesus said, "I AM the Door" - John 10:7,9

Jesus said, "I AM the Good Shepherd" - John 10:11,14

Jesus said, "I AM the Way the Truth and The Life" - John 14:6

Jesus said, "I AM the Light of the world" - John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46; Luke 2:32

Jesus said, "I AM the True Vine" - John 15:1,5

Jesus said, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life" - John 11:25

Jesus said, "I AM the First and the Last" - Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13

Jesus always lives to make intercession for us - Heb. 7:25

Jesus cleanses from sin - 1 John 1:9

Jesus cleanses us from our sins by His blood - Rev. 1:5; Rom. 5:9

Jesus forgives sins - Matt. 9:1-7; Luke 5:20; 7:48

Jesus saves forever - Matt. 18:11; John 10:28; Heb. 7:25



And then pray a sincere prayer with all of your heart admitting to Jesus you are a sinner. Have full faith that His blood pays off all of your sins and accept His gift of everlasting life.



P.S. You don't have to go forward in a church to repent !!! You can kneel at your own bedside and repent !!!

Answer 11

Find a local church at http://wec.upci.org/churches/locator/ and contact the pastor. This is one of the few church organizations that still follows the Biblical conversion experience as taught by the apostles.

Answer 12

You need to find a bible based church. That is a church who's teachings are inline with the bible. Research some churches in your area to see if they are a bible believing, Christ centered church.

Answer 13

No, you don't need to be baptized first to join a mass. If I could suggest you- go to catholic church.

Just follow what everyone is doing except when they take communion you should sit still and pray. They may be aware you're new but that doesn't matter.



Pray, God is calling you. God bless you!

Answer 14

If you truly love Jesus, you would do as Jesus told i.e. Worship the one who created Jesus and you. Jesus was a human being and had a mother. He was one of the creation and not The CREATOR. He was a very great Prophet of God but not incarnation of God. I suggest that you do research about Islam from authentic Islamic sources and you will see the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. And always remember to pray to the One God (neither Jesus nor the 'Holy Spirit') to guide you.

Answer 15

Your church should be like yourself, you said that you have been reading, all that is left is trying the different assembly halls in your area and finding the one you feel most comfortable with keep looking till you feel like it is a good fit.

Answer 16

Just walk into a service at your local church and see how you like it.

Answer 17

Go to the one that has the best social and family programs, the least amount of silly dogma and the most handsome guys!

Answer 18

If you went to "mass, you must have been to a Catholic church, everyone else has "service"



So.... ... ... you want back in the Catholic Church? Gotcha, just VOTE FOR ME!!!! SPOON 4 POPE!

Answer 19

Why don't you do some research on Islam before coming to a decision.



For questions try this site.

http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/

Answer 20

Each person will try to sway you towards their beliefs. Go to each that you can and check them out yourself.

Answer 21

just walk into one shake hands with people and say hi... nothing big...

Answer 22

People are the church, not a building. You should focus on getting saved and learning the New Testament Bible. Here's how to get saved:



“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.“ Jesus said that in Matthew 7. It means most people are not going to heaven. Jesus said, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” That means you will perish in hell unless you repent from sin. To repent means you change your mind for better with abhorrence of your past sins. That’s a strong dislike of your sin. It’s much more than just feeling sorry for your sins. No, it also involves what you think about sin and what you intend to do about it. You must change. You need to turn to Jesus, because Jesus will give you the power to change. The goodness of God will lead you to repentance.



When you turn to Jesus and repent from sin, then God will make you born again by the Holy Spirit. You’ll then have the power of God in your life to overcome the urge to sin. The Lord Jesus Christ, He will set you free from the slavery to sin. Yes, we are all slaves to something. We’re either slaves to sin or we’re slaves to God with obedience to Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and “whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” Free means you’re no longer a slave to sin.



But if you don’t have that and Jesus Christ is not your Lord, then you will have the wrath of God. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. That’s in Romans chapter 1, and you’ll also have this: In flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord, then He will burn you up with unquenchable, everlasting fire. You will be cursed. I don’t want that for you. I want you to be blessed. Jesus said, “ blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” To keep it means to take care not to violate it.



The Bible says do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world the love of God is not in you. It is about sensual pleasures, or loving what you see, or having pride because of your life. These are not things of God doing His will.



He who sins is of the devil - 1 John 3:8. That’s talking about habitually sinful conduct. If you slip up and sin God will forgive you if you confess to Him and ask for forgiveness, because He is faithful and just to forgive you. But in order to rightfully claim that you must be doing the conditions found in 1 John 1. You can’t be walking in darkness practicing sin. You must be walking in the light practicing righteousness. You cannot confess to God those sins you are a slave to and get forgiveness. It does not work that way. My favorite Scripture is this, Romans 6:22 - But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. That means you do not have everlasting life at the end until you are set free from sin now while living a holy life. God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds.” eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness - indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil… but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good. For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law these will perish without law. That’s in Romans 2. It means even if someone is ignorant of law and discipline by not caring what the Bible says, they will still go to hell. That's why you need Jesus to set you free.



Jesus will help you if you sincerely turn to Him. You turn to Jesus through prayer and by reading His word. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Hallelujah! You can start right now to pray to God and then keep reading His word. New Testament reading will help you.