Looking for a New Religion. :)

I second the Unitarian Universalist idea. I was a member for several years. They accept people from all backgrounds and educate children on a range of religious traditions.

My stepson went through their youth education and the "coming of age" ceremony when he was 15.

I'm Catholic, but if I could cast aside all my deeply held beliefs, I'd probably go with Baha'i. It'd make me feel all warm & fuzzy :)

http://www.bahai.org/

Check out Unitarian Universalists - each church has it's own personality. You can learn about them on wikipedia. Very spritual without pushing a particular doctrine, although the church's personality may have a "flavor" of Christianity, etc. They teach the children about ALL faiths, so it's very educational.

I know a bunch of people already responded with this, but I'll add my voice to those who suggested Unitarian Universalism. What you wrote in your first paragraph- that was exactly how I felt when my daughter was born. I had always been interested in being a UU, but she was the one who really prompted me to go. I love it there and hope you will check it out!

http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMat...

What about Islam. I am a convert to Islam since 2003. You should research it your self and not believe what the media and most people say about it. It is a religion of peace and I truly believe it is the truth. We believe in one and only GOD. We believe that the good deeds and how you live your life determines your place in heaven. It is so much more - to much to write in this post. And a quick fact: Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.

Check out http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMat... This is a survey you can take that will help you match your beliefs to a specific religion. The one thing I don't like about it, though, is they lump in all the Protestant denominations together.

I personally think it's less a question of denomination and more about finding a congregation that you jibe with. Even within denominations, there can be huge differences depending on the pastor leading the congregation. Just start visiting local churches, or talk to friends about where they go, and see if you like the community, the services, the pastor, etc.

I enjoy the site: www.explorefaith.org

I think you just have to attend multiple churches to find one that works for you.

The main thing with what ever religion you decide on, is to take her to church and not drop her off at church.

When is she old enough to make an adult decision about which church to choose? When you feel she is mature enough to handle adult situations like driving a car or owning a firearm or dating who ever she wants without a curfew.

Good luck to you and yours.

I agree with a couple other posts, that based on what you said you would probably feel pretty comfortable at a Unitarian Universalist church. Certainly worth checking out at least as a starting point.

I would say that you shouldn't rule out Lutheranism as there is wide variation between them. I am considering a change right now as well. I don't attend church regularly. If you have had experience with Lutheran churches, which ones are they? The WELS are very different than ELCA (very!) and there are some in between. (Missouri is one in between these two). My advice is to do a little Wikipedia searching to compare these Lutheran churches to see if any match your beliefs or values at all. Good luck!

I did not grow up with religion but my husbands family and now myself are chirstian Baptist.

I wouldnt suggest looking for a "new religion", basically your wanting to figure out how to connect to God and feel spiritual, right? You are looking for a relationship with God, not a ritualistic, force fed bunch of rules and regs.
Best way to do that is start listening to some Christian based radio programs. Tune in on Sunday to Joel Osteen or any of the other ministry shows till you find one that you enjoy listening to.... You will get a yearning to visit some churches once you feel comfortable listening to what God wants you to personally do. You will hear him if you learn how to listen to him.

We go to the Episcopal Church. They are like relaxed Catholics. The service is structured but the beliefs are varied. For example, we have 3 gay couples, many families of various ages and many older people. We are allowed to drink and sin (without being chastised) because that's what humans do. We are all working towards being good people but not being judged by others.....just God

I'd suggest talking to people you think might share your prespectives and ask them where they go. In general, a non-denomination church would probably be a good fit, but congregations are so different even in the same denomination that you may limit yourself by not considering one simply because of their 'name'.

I came from a similar place as you, so I understand and don't judge your statements! Like me, and I think you will be happy you are making this decision. I used to think church was a waste of a Sunday sleep-in and 'I don't need to listen to a preacher'. I good congregation is MUCH more than that! It is about helping people through rough times, celebrating in good, caring about others. I don't always agree with everything and that is OK, too! I would not have made it through my husband's cancer without the help of my church family. Doctors at our church pulled strings with fellow doctors, people brought us food, gave us money for gas when we traveled out of state for surgery. Now, I know *I* need to be that person for others, so when I don't feel like going, I remember that today may be the day that someone needs ME. I think I am giving my kids something that I could not teach them on my own.

Good luck to you!

I don't understand why you feel the need to take her to church when you don't find church valuable for yourself. Don't doubt that you will be able to pass to her your beliefs. You don't need a church to back you up. :)

That said, if you really feel like you just have to take her to a church for some reason, then I'd suggest something like a Unitarian church. They're far less dogmatic than specific denominations. They're known for being sort of non-churches. By that I mean, you get the community without the issues associated with organized religion.

As others have said - Unitarian if you want to stay with God. Another option would be to find an Ethical Culture society. That would give you a lot of the positives of a church (community, values) without specifically including religion. I like the "take a quiz, find your religion" idea, that's neat!

I had friends who went through the same thing, and they spent some time going to various churches until they found somewhere they felt comfortable. It is definitely true that different churches/synagogues that call themselves the same thing can feel very different.

I'm a Muslim, and I'm sure that's very different than what you're used to.

It would probably be easiest for you to go with a nondenominational church. You also might want to check out a Unitarian church. I was a Unitarian at one time, and I still feel very comfortable at their church.

whatever you choose, good for you for doing this for your child

Hi R.,

Good for you for finding a church for your child! The best way to see if you like the church is see what kind of church you want to be in :

casual/formal, good children's program, comfortable with pastor, real people who express real problems/solutions, open-minded/narrowminded. etc. The easiest way is make a list of what you want, what you expect and start visiting! Don't narrow out any particular denomination until you see it doesn't fit with what you believe or are not comfortable. Also, you can call the church itself and ask them about the feel of the their church etc. and get a better clue if you want to try it. Thats what I did and it worked for me!

M

We're Presbyterians. I love our church, it's like family.
But like all religions not all Presbyterian churches are as welcoming, nor are all Catholic churches or Baptist.

We are a very mission orientated church with a huge youth group. My kids would rather be at church on Wednesday and Sunday nights than anywhere else. Who am I to say no??

In NC the Presbyterian Church was not as organized or well run. HTey were not as nice, so we went to a Nazarene church. I really liked it and made very good friends. It was much more relaxed than any Presby church I had ever been to but in a good way.
They had a strong childreen's program and youth group, major plusses for us.
Try the different churches a couple times and let yourself really get to know them. Then make a decision. You have a couple years yet, As long as you are getting her into a church where the mesage is being presented she will get it. By the time she is 4 or 5 then you should have a church to attend regularly.
Good luck and God Bless

I fourth the suggestion to check out Unitarian Universalists, for all the reasons already mentioned.

I'm LDS (Mormon) and very happy with it.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMat...

One thing I think would interest you is the belief.net quiz. It essentially asks you your beliefs on a wide range of subjects, then at the end of the quiz, it aligns you with the belief/religion system you most closely adhere too. I've taken the quiz myself and was impressed with it's accuracy of my personal beliefs!

Sounds like you would fit in perfectly at a Unitarian church. Their website http://www.uua.org/ can even help you find a UU church in your area.

If you want a truly open and tolerant church, try the UU church in your area.

I was "born" into the Catholic church.
Raised that way for many years...then spent some time in the Baptist church.
My husband was raised in the Southern Baptist church.
We subscribe to no denomination.
We love Christ. We believe in the Bible.
We are just plain ol' Christians. ;)
Church does not a Christian make, nor is it just about believing. Or doing good.

Don't be intimidated by the Bible! There are some translations that are hard to read. Others are very easy to understand.
I really like the New Living Translation (NLT). I have been reading it to my almost 6yo. and she understands it.
And if you want a place to start reading for your own understanding I think Romans is amazing.

I hope this helps a little! Pray for God to give you guidance. :)

My husband was raised Catholic, I grew up in the United Church of Christ... for a while, we both attended my church, and he occasionally went to Mass. Sometimes I went with him.

When we moved to Texas, we looked together, visited several different denominations (he really felt no need to continue going to the Catholic church), and chose Methodist. He also joined this church, where he hadn't joined my church when we lived in Iowa.

The church we go to has 2 traditional services, and one Praise service with a Praise Band. We prefer the traditional service.

When we chose that church, it didn't have the praise band... we chose it for the traditional feel, and the children's activities... at that time, our children were 9, 7, 5, and 6 months. (This was almost 20 years ago.) They had a lot to offer for children's activities, and were a growing, vibrant church. We've been through several expansions (and yes, some growing pains with that, as well) when most mainline churches seem to be struggling.

One thing to think about... some churches talk about what is more of a "vengeful" God (as I like to call it... the "hellfire and brimstone" type of sermon), where others preach a loving, forgiving God. The Methodist Church preaches the loving, forgiving God.

Unitarian Universalist. Best thing that ever happened to me and my family.

I'm spiritual... (started out Theravada Buddhist, then went to Southern Baptist, my senior year in HS I rebelled against my parents and was baptized into the LDS church, after HS learned a bit about a plethora of religions including Islam, Wiccan, Judaism, and more about Christianity...) I also don't believe in organized religion.
My husband is agnostic and wants nothing to do with organized religion. But he is OK with the kids attending church.

I take my kids to a non-denominational church... actually, I should say the kids chose the church. My plan was to take the kids to a different church each month, but they decided differently. My kids (ages 8, 5 and 4) enjoy the time in the children's classes. It also gives them a chance to be with kids that don't go to the same school as they do. I also do give them the choice if they want to go to church or not. If they don't want to go then they know it's ok if they don't.

I personally don't care for the music at this church. It's like going to a rock concert (IMO)... I know a lot of people like it; I'm not a fan- so for the first 30 minutes I'm in the back of the auditorium checking emails and what-not. But I do enjoy most of the messages... so I do pay attention to that portion of the service.

You might try a methodist church. I have family that is methodist and the church is not overly rowdy, so as not to be overwhelming or scary. The people of the church that I have met are kind and pretty non-judgemental. I like the idea of looking at services online. I know when we move to a new area I will try to find churches with websites. These websites generally list their beliefs, programs, volunteer opportunities and pastors, and church calendars with upcoming events, so you can get a pretty good idea of what they are all about. Start there and do a little researching.

Hope this helps

I'm a pentecostal or non denominational as some call it. I chose this because it allows me to worship God solely based on bibilical principles (mainly new testament) without it all being steeped in church doctrines and traditions. The service are more contemporary in nature with dancing singing and so on. I feel actually equipped for the week after each sunday service..

You say that you want to find a chuch that is "what you think a church should be like". Can you share what you think a church should be like? That will help narrow your choices.

I was born and raised Catholic, I still consider myself Catholic but we go to church at United Church of Christ. It is all the scriptures I am used to without all the guilt and ritual.

Have you tried a non-demominational church? I was raised church of christ and as I got older found that was not for me. I like the non-demominational churches because it doesn't focus on just catholism, or lutheran, etc. Usually there is a live band which is nice and a change from the straight out of the hymnal songs. For me it is just more modern and upbeat. And what I have found is they believe one thing, there is a God we must believe that and live good lives. It isn't oh if you mess up and have one too many drinks in a night you are going to hell, or if you slip and say a bad word, you are going to hell. Just an opinion and an option. Maybe it helps. :)

I would suggest a Bible based church. Our church has online services several times per week. You could plug into one of those. Then if you like it, find a church like it. The website is http://www.christfellowshiponline.tv/

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Visit different religious websites and learn about their doctrine and see if you agree or not. You could also start with Wikipedia. If you find one that seems to fit, look for ones in your area and go visit them.
We chose a local community christian church because we liked the people and the programs and it was Christian. After the fact, we discovered it was actually a Nazarene Church. We have been going there ten years now and love it. And, my oldest is attending a Nazarene University. What I love about the Nazarene's is their outward focus to serve others. The three “core values” of the Nazarene Church have been identified as “Christian, missional, and holiness.” We have so many missionary and volunteer projects going on at our church, I can't keep up. But I love that it's not "all about us". We've sent groups to Brazil and Mexico - to serve. My daughter personally went on two trips - one to Hungary and one to Uganda - both as work & witness mission trips - absolutely amazing experiences. Both of my teens have a huge heart to serve others and it just melts my heart. They've both been to local missions to serve the homeless. While there, my son saw an old man wearing an Army hat and went and asked him if he served. His face lit up and he told my son all about his service. He was so proud to share. It means so much to them to have someone to talk to, who cares, who listens. And my son loved listening. And, my heart was full of gladness :)
We join a group each year to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas child. We pack care packages to pass out to homeless or ship to the military. Our kids have scavenger hunts in the neighborhood to collect canned food for the local food bank. We've gone out into the community and helped seniors. We've gone to less fortunate churches and helped them with cleanup and repairs. The list just goes on. But I love the people and I love the things we do.
My wish for you is to find a church that you love and you can call home, because our church IS "Our home away from home" and the people at our church ARE our family!

I go to a bible believing church. Usually non-denominational.