Can't Find the "Right" Church

We go to Hill Country Bible Church on 620 and love it. It is a very large church and feeling connected can be difficult. That is where the small groups come in. To get to know people, a small group is a must. They have a great kids ministry and there are lots of places to use your own talents in service. You need to look for a place that stays true to the Bible. I think a big question should be, "What can I give back to the church?" If you can find a place that is teaching the Truth and you can serve in some area (the old adage that it's better to give than receive is so true), then you are on the right track. You do need to remember that no place will fill all your needs. After all, there are humans involved! :) Make sure you give each place a good chance, not just one visit. Stay in prayer! There's also a church called North Point in Cedar Park. God bless you in your search!

If you have not already done so, check out the Hill Country Bible Church. We attend the one in Round Rock, but there are Hill Country churches in
Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Georgetown and other parts of Austin.

I personally don't look for the "wow" factor. If I did I would never decide on a church. I have been in Georgetown for 3 years now. My husband & I spent the first year looking for a church home. God led us to Gtown CoC. It certainly isn't perfect, but 2 years later we can definitely see the blessings. One of the biggest is our group of friends. One couple lives 3 blocks from us & we have gotten very close. We never would have met them had we not gone to the same church.
Let God lead you where He wants you & will use you for His kingdom. We had a few criteria that dictated where we visited, but primarily it was all about where God wanted us to be involved. I hope I haven't sounded condescending. I do pray you find the right place for your family. A church family has been invaluable to me.

Also, I've heard great things about High Point chuck in Cedar Park. Have you been there?

Everyone needs to find their own church that feels right. All I can tell you is the name of ours. It's Point Of Grace in Pflugerville. They welcome new families wih open arms and everyone is soo kind. I never went to church as a child, but when I had my own children I started going. Never thought I'd be a "churchy" person, but I feel so comfortable at our church. We've tried others, but this one just "fit". It's very casual and definitely "kid-friendly". My children actually look forward to going every Sunday morning. Hope I get to see you there sometime soon.
~S.

Not knowing what exactly you are looking for, don't know how close to your target these thoughts may be - but take them for whatever help they may offer! In general, I've found that bigger churches have a lot to offer in terms of helping people - be it working through issues (like divorce, grief, ...) or having really strong children's programs that are fun. They also tend to have a lot of different areas of service that you can plug in to serve, so that where you serve to help the church can more closely match what you like to do - behind the scenes or in the trenches, so to speak. But you have to really work actively to be a part of a small group if you are going to feel connected to the other people there. Two churches that I know of in your area or close to it are Hill Country Bible Church on 620 and Gateway @ McNeil & 183.

Smaller churches have a greater chance of you seeing more of the same people every week, which may help you to feel more connected. They don't necessarily have the hit out of the park children's ministries, but being smaller your children may feel more connected as they have fewer kids their age to interact with and so are more likely to consistently interact with those few kids. The miniistry needs of the smaller churches may require you to serve in areas that are not your absolute favorite, but that doesn't necessarily mean God doesn't want you to serve in that way in that place. We attend Crossroads Community Church, which is a smaller church (~125 adults on Sunday mornings), our children love it and it has clearly been God's place for us. For us, the WOW is in seeing God at work in the lives of others and ourselves, which we are able to see more first hand since it is smaller.

When you are looking for a church, it is hard - and sometimes the WOW doesn't show up for a while - I agree with AGR that your best bet is prayer for God to lead you where He wants you to be, and then when it has those days of not being so great, you at least have the confidence that you are where God asked you to go.

HTH - praying with you for God to lead -

I can't imagine that a church will have the WOW factor until you get involved in service. I was just talking to our pastor this week about how so many of us look for a church to do for us when it is really about what we do to honor God. Instead of looking for a church that welcomes families, I would look for a church that has the opportunity for your family to serve somehow, whether it is individually or as a family. You will then meet other families who also want to do for others instead of expecting others to do for them.

May the Lord guide you to the right place!

We also go to HCBC and love it! My son also loves the Sunday school. He loved it so much he will be starting pre-K there in August. I love the church because I can be as involved as I want to be. Everyone is friendly and open, and you can participate fully or not at all. The pastor speaks from the Bible and backs it up with other research as well. I find the sermons very current and insightful. I hope you find something soon! We tried several churches before this one as I was scared of the big church, but found it to be wonderful and not intimidating at all.