If you moved or changed congregations by choice, how long did you wait until initiating the membership process and why?

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Rich Koster
1689'er
Browns Mills NJ USA
Often Goofy Reformed Eccentric
Romans 7:14-25

This is an interesting question given my recent situation. I am currently investigating reformed churches in my area. I attended a local PCA church for about 6-8 services and I'm now in the process of looking into a local OPC church. Normally I would attend a church, get a feel for the worship and preaching, and then make a choice. This is different because I want to make sure I find a good theological fit in a church, so to answer your question...

1. Visit the church at least 4-6 times. Making sure to hit a communion service and any other ancilary services other than the main Sunday service including Sunday School/Bible Study
2. Meet with the pastor and elders to find out more about the denomination, their worship philosophy, their preaching philosophy, etc.
3. Pray, pray, pray!
4. Make a decision!

As of this moment, I have yet to make a final decision, but I am definitely leaning...

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Carl Gobelman
Long Grove Community Church (Evangelical)
Vernon Hills, IL
Blog: http://newcreationperson.wordpress.com

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

We waited 9 months because I had to finish my Field Education placement at PC(USA) church before becoming members at Fairmount ARP.

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Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div, Licentiate, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
Member Fairmount ARP Church
Pittsburgh, PA

Deo Vindice

I waited about a year. I had never been a member of a church before the church I am currently in, bc I never liked any of them and didn't feel that I could live up to my vows that I would need to take in order to join those churches. I wanted to make sure that this church was one that I could do that with.

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sarah
WI
OPC
My Pastor's Sermons: Mark Jenkins...he's awesome!!!

Took me about two years. The first time I attended my church I was only 15. I absolutely fell in love with it immediately and wanted to become a member right away but I couldn't drive so it was hard to get really involved; I didn't have any connections yet because since I was so young I assume that everyone just thought I was someone's kid and didn't realize I had zero Christian leaders in my life; and I was such an immature Christian that I wasn't disciplined in making it to church every Sunday or in forming relationships with Christians, and I hadn't yet made an effort to make Christians my true, best friends instead of non-Christians.

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Megan Meisberger
River Hills Community Church - EFCA (yes... same as charliejunfan)
Janesville, WI

Wife of matt.meisberger

<---- Naming my first son after him. My husband was saved while reading Religious Affections.

I started attending in April and I'm joining on Nov. 1 (both of this year). I would have joined sooner, but they just had the first membership class since I started attending because COTC is a relatively small church (not particularized yet).

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Austin
EE student at Texas State University
Member of Church of the Cross (PCA) in San Marcos, TX
Ps. 8:3-4 "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

We waited about 4 months and then joined. We love the people at our Church and want to be a part of it.

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David
PCA
Richardson, Texas

Saving faith is an immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, resting upon Him alone, for justification, sanctification, and eternal life by virtue of God's grace.
--C.H. Spurgeon

Almost a year. I take church membership pretty seriously and wanted to be certain that I could fulfill the commitment I was making. I also wanted to get a good feel for the church - sometimes there's a lot hidden under the surface and I wanted to make sure I knew about all of those things before I joined.

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Kathleen M
nondenominational
Montana

Our first PCA church, we joined because it was the closest to our house and we didn't have a car. We showed up and attended, from day one knowing that we were going to join (keep in mind, I was 20 and my new wife was 23 so we didn't know any better). The second one we fled to because of the effects of the hasty decision we made in joining the first one - but I knew that group well and joining them was like joining with a family whom I was already well acquainted with. The one I am at now we attended for six Sundays before discovering that the misfits had finally found their home (the fact that we could walk there was merely a big bonus). For the record, the only reason we left PCA church #2 was because it was a long drive and we were "invited" to attend #3.

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Rich Brown
Deacon/Webmaster
Aisquith PCA
Parkville, MD

We waited a little over a year after finding the church, going regularly, and attending the other fellowship opportunities.
We moved and still considered our old church our home church, and even our old home, home. When a second school year started and we knew we'd be here for at least another nine months, and when we were about to have a baby whom we'd want to baptize, we became members.

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Shalom,
jessi
PCA
Steelers fan exiled to Virginia


“Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.”
Martin Luther

I saw no reason to unduly wait. I knew what the church believed. I spoke with the pastor (church plant, no elders yet in place). I joined at about the three month mark.

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Bill Brown
Elder
Reformed Baptist
Maryland

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?
Visit my BLOG Theology for the Rest of Us

We joined almost immediately because there was no where else close for us to go.

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Evon Taylor
Community Bible Church
Swansea, Il

With the exception of the church where we are currently members (we couldn't join fast enough), we waited awhile to make sure we were doing the right thing.

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J Baldwin
Keowee Presbyterian Church, PCA
Pickens, SC
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

Check Out My Blog: http://reflectjoy.blogspot.com/

We joined really quickly too. Less than 3 months, maybe even only 2. We were so thrilled with our new church. We had come out of a Pentecostal church. That was five years ago in Sept.

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Traci
Lynnwood OPC
"I have taken all my good deeds, and all my bad deeds, and cast them through each other in a heap before the Lord, and fled from both, and betaken myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him I have sweet peace."--David Dickson

Dh was ready to join three weeks after we began attending - I was a little more hesitant, but not much. Our pastor recommended that we not jump in too fast (we had just left the train wreck of our previous church and I believe his advice was very good, given our circumstances). We ended up joining four months almost to the day of our first Sunday visit. We've been members for almost three years and it's been great! BTW - this is the first church where either of us have been formal members.

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Sue Scott
First Evangelical Presbyterian Church - PCA
East Liverpool Ohio

I must say - I think it's amusing that you're using a photo of that true California wacko, Gene Scott (1929-2005) as you're avatar photo. He was truly "out there" - theologically, and in all sorts of other ways - but, I must admit, he was entertaining to watch. I also had an opportunity, some years ago, to wean a guy I knew away from Scott.

( - I know...)

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Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.alexandermaclaren.wordpress.com
www.reiterations.wordpress.com
www.spurgeonswords.wordpress.com

Devout souls do not take offence at the depths and difficulties of God's Word, but are, thereby, drawn to intenser contemplation of them. - Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)

GET ON THE PHONE !!!

I know he was out in left field.....I just did it for amusement purposes. You'll like my next choice too

Ok, back to the polls.

We narrowed it down quickly, and even tested out services at two different churches on a single Sunday when we could, making a decision in about two months. We visited our top two choices about four times each, and also showed up at some mid-week activites. Had lunch with the pastors, dinner with an elder, etc. Went at it pretty hard.

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Jack K.
PCA, worshiping with some fine Baptists in Colorado

You're right!

Ahhh, you remember Rev. Jim

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Norm
IA PCA

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. Ephesians 1:4-5

Shore due. He's the guy who fired his own son from being the successor/pastor of his "church" because he was using too much Bible in his sermons. The horror!

Is anyone seeing a pattern.....