Hello Ladies-
First let me apologize if my question offends anyone, it's truly not my intention.
I am looking for a church for my family to attend in The Woodlands area. My husband was raised Jewish and I was raised Catholic. Neither of us have practiced the religion we were born into since college. Although not practicing an organized religion, I continue to have a strong belief in God. My husband considers himself atheist, however on numerous occasions has voiced a desire to believe but just can't get passed the evidence that he sees every day to the contrary. Our differences have not presented any problems in our marriage as we talk about things and, in it's own way, it has become our time to be philosophical, spiritual and think about the "bigger picture".
I'm looking for a church that would welcome a skeptic like my husband. Not as a challenge to them to try to "convert" him but actually welcome and even encourage his questions to help him find faith. Also, we would like a socially progressive church that is inclusive of everyone. We do not want a church that tells us how we should feel about the various social or political issues of today. Although we are doing fine without a home church, if we can find one that is a good fit for our family we do feel that it would be beneficial to our family as we would like for our children to have the support and feeling of belonging that comes with finding the right church.
Again, I apologize if I have offended anyone, but does anyone know of such a church in The Woodlands area?
Thanks,
K.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I appreciate all of the encouragement and invitations to various churches in the area. It's nice to know that no matter what we decide there are so many welcoming places around! Thanks again!
We just visited Woodsedge this past Sat night and liked it very much. It is a very small group on Sat night and my 9 yr old daughter went in with the children's program and loved it. The preacher there is very friendly. They are located down Gosling.
Hello,
You might try Creative Life.
www.creativelife.org (about 10-15 minutes from The Woodlands in Spring. You can take 45 or Gosling south)
Best wishes with finding what you are looking for. Your post was not offensive!
I go to Creative Life Spiritual Center in Spring...not too far from The Woodlands. We are all inclusive, and do not try to "convert" people, nor shame them for their beliefs. You can go to www.creativelife.org to learn more about us.
Good luck on your search to find your home church...it is so grounding to know you belong to a supportive community where you can be yourself. I am so grateful to have found mine! :-)
K.,
I would suggest Fellowship of the Woodlands www.kerryshook.org I started watching him on television and just loved him. My husband also started watching and then started taping him every week. We have since found his brother's church (Mark Shook) which is closer to us and we go every Saturday night instead of Sunday which is much more convenient for us. I'm not sure about Kerry's church but Mark considers his a multi-denominational instead of non-denominational church because everyone is welcome and there is no pressure to convert to anything.
Give it a try, I really think that you will love it as much as we do.
D.
You might consider "Fellowship of The Woodlands" Pastor Kerry Shook. I don't attend there but watch him of TV before going to the church I attend. I enjoy his teachings and illustrations. Google kerryshookministeries or fellowshipofthewoodlands(FOTW.org)to check it out before attending. I Believe you will like it also.
Hi K.,
My family & I go to Stonebridge on Research Forest at the back of The Woodlands. Have been attending for about 2 years now. They are very welcoming & not the type to try to convert you...they encourage all walks of life to attend. It is a "come as you are" church, which I love. It's a very upbeat & friendly atmosphere & the children's ministry is the best I've seen. My daughter loves it there, she actually ask all week if she gets to go to church today. We also have a MOPS (Mother of Preschools) group that starts this September...we have women from every denomination attend & those just seeking knowledge. It's a great way to meet some new friends going through the same motherhood journey as you. The church services are Sunday morning 9:30 & 11:05. I hope you find the perfect church for your family...I'm sure it's out there & the Lord will guide you to it.
You might want to look for a Unitarian Universalist church. They are open to people of all religions, accepting and learning what they can. I believe there is one in The Woodlands.
Hi K.,
Welcome to Texas! I'm from Niagara Falls, New York and have some relatives in Chicago.
The church I know of in the Woodland's that is non-denominational, is The Fellowship of The Woodland's. The pastor is Kerry Shook and his father was the minister at my church, Champion Forest Baptist, before he retired.
Unfortunately I do not know if they try to sway you politically, even though I attended there for 2 years. I didn't see or hear any of that, but it a very large church, so you may find it. (I wasn't looking for those warning signs.)
Best of luck to you. God bless,
D.
Hi K.. I go to Joel Osteen's Lakewood church. The church accepts everyone for who they are and loves them that way. It is a very large church so no one would be aware of your beliefs. We are non denominational and we believe in the Bible. Joel's messages gives us hope and he explains how to apply the Bible in everyday life. It's a little bit of a drive, but it's worth it. I live in Tomball and I drive there every Saturday night for the 7pm service. But, you could always watch him on tv with your husband first to see if you like him and the church. You can also watch services on the internet at www.lakewood.cc. I sincerely hope you and your husband find the church you are both looking for.
God Bless!
B.
First of all I want to commend you on taking your family's spiritual welfare seriously. It is important. I'm not familiar with The Woodlands area much. I have never been but I hear that The Church of The Woodlands (I think I got the name right)is really good. If that's too big for you I'm sure you could find a really nice Baptist or Assembly of God church or the like in your area. It has been my experience that they not only welcome you, they can be an instrumental part of your spiritual walk with The Lord. The main thing, K. is that you are where God wants you to be. I would encourage you (if you haven't already) to pray and ask Him to show you. Since you were raised Catholic then you probably already know the importance of finding a church that teaches salvation through Jesus Christ. Even though your husband might not understand that completely The Lord can & will reveal that to him. Just keep praying. The old testament clearly leads us to Jesus being the prophesied Christ and Savior. The new testament tells us that He is The Only Way to God The Father, (John 14:6. One last thought, it's not about religion it's about Jesus. God bless!
My family goes to Cypress Creek in Cypress. However we have a Pastor friend in the Woodlands that practices at Community--www.cbcwoodlands.org. He and his family are truly incredible and have such a wonderful family. They are kind and loving. I know their church has many programs including a children's ministry and mother's day out program. You will be blessed and truly inspired by them.
You are more than welcome to come to our church FBC the woodlands! We have a great childrens ministry and some great adult small groups! We would love to have you!
I go to Christ Church United Methodist on Research Forest, beside The Woodlands High School - have been a member for 13 years - my kids both "grew up" there - son is 18 and daughter is 15. She's VERY active in the church's youth program and my son was until his "little" sister became involved. They have a wonderful Sunday School program for the children and although they have many small groups, it's not essential to join one (I go to an all women's Sunday School group, it's for unmarried, or divorced, widowed, or just those of us whose husbands don't go to church).
Our preacher does touch on "hot" topics of the day, but just to express what the Bible says about such topics. We are ALL sinners, so there's no condemnation passed - it's merely to acknowledge God's view and what we need to change in our lives.
I love my church - and would love to meet you there - they have Church traditional services at 8:30 & 11 on Sunday mornings and a praise and worship service at 9:45. Sunday School for all ages is at 9:45. This month we're having "Summer Revival" and there's allot more singing than "normal".
