How many people have to drive 30-45 minutes or more just to go to a good church?
Does this affect how much you can get involved in the church?
Do you stay around for the evening service, drive home and come back, or not go to the evening service?

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Erick Bohndorf, Covenant Baptist Church, KS
http://qayaqtraveler.blogspot.com/
The question for us today is, will we be like the majority of Israel and continue to look in fear at the giants in the land and urge our fellow Christians to be "realistic," or will we be like Joshua and Caleb and faithfully follow our king, trusting to fulfill every one of his promises completely?

My wife and I drive about 30-35 minutes to church. Fortunately, we had a small group closer to our home so we could be involved in the church that way. In some ways it does affect our involvement. We do not have a building so evening services do not happen. We do have Wednesday evening adult classes but that usually does not happen either, because I am usually in class or we are too tired from work to attend. I really understand what you are saying. It can be tough so you have to do what is best for your family if there is not a church in your community to suit your needs.

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Kenneth Kneip
New St. Peter's Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Dallas, TX
M. Div. student @ WTS Dallas

We drive 35 minutes to church.

It does affect evening service attendance for us, as it is hard to drive all the way back with small children especially, but otherwise, we feel we've been able to enter into the life of the body. It's more than worth it to us - we have a wonderful church and would drive even farther if we had to.

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*~Dawn~*
Reformation Fellowship OPC, CA

I drive 25-30 minutes to go the church I have been attending this summer(which is PCA). However, there is a solid Reformed Baptist Church about 15 minutes away and another PCA church about 20 minutes away. So I don't know if this counts.

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Brian Vandenburg
Attend Intown Presbyterian Church (PCA)
"The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God."-Westminster Confession of Faith
http://wittenberg1517.wordpress.com/

We drive about 30 minutes to church; a combination of surface streets and, mostly, freeway. No biggee.

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

Faith and repentance are born together and aid the health of each other. - Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), on July 23, 1865

We drive an hour! But I'm the pastor. Right now we don't have an evening service. We are hoping to move to the church field within a few months.

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Ivan Schoen, Pastor * Maranatha Baptist Church * Poplar Grove, Illinois USA www.maranatha-sbc.org/
"Mankind is divided into two sorts: such as live according to man, and such as live according to God. These we call the two cities...The Heavenly City outshines Rome. There, instead of victory, is truth" — Augustine of Hippo

I drive about 45 minutes. Before gas went up last year, it did not hinder the activity level with church. Now, with the loss of an income + the gas, it does put a damper on some of the travel.

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soli Deo gloria!
~N!ck Nap!er~
Ordained Pastor, Associate, Cornerstone Church, NC
Christians are like snow covered dung; it is the purity of the covering which the Father sees.
-Luther-
There is nothing more ugly than a Christian orthodoxy without understanding or without compassion. -Francis Schaeffer-

We drive 40 miles all state road so it takes about 45 minutes.

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Dale Cosby
Kirklin, Indiana
Member of Faith and Family Baptist Church
Independent and Reforming Baptist.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever

It takes me about one hour and 20 minutes to get to church, one way. And it definitely affects how much I can be involved in the church, during other weekly activities. When they have evening services (it's out in farm country, so the evening service is at 7:30), I always end up staying at somebody's house for lunch.

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Sean P.M. McDonald
Communicant Member of Springs Reformed Church (RPCNA), Colorado Springs, CO
Infantryman, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY (Deployed to Iraq)
Engaged to Laura A. Doman of Grand Rapids, MI
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"I die by the decisions of the last free General Assembly, and I appeal for vindication to the next free General Assembly."
--Saying of Covenanter martyrs

Yea, back when I was in the 10th I used to drive to Lisbon (OPC) {now tell me, how dumb is (15 years ago) it to have 2 reformed churches in the whole north country, and both about a mile apart?}, it took me an hour and 15, 70 miles one way. I usually stayed the afternoon at the pastor's manse. Sometimes I went up the night before, and slept it over.

Its a bit better now up that way, as far as options, but not much.

__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


When posting friends, kindly bear those words of earthly wisdom in mind:
Oh, that God the gift would give us
To see ourselves as others see us.
--Robert Burns, 1786 (modernized) ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions? --

Those in a long distance situation need for members to open their homes, in hospitality to help them to attend to the fellowship. Biblical hospitality is a good opportunity for service and really getting to know the brethren.
There were times in the past when I was travelling , and had to visit other assemblies.
Trinity Baptist Church in NJ was one of the first churches I visited where before I hung up my jacket I was greeted and invited to 4 seperate homes for the afternoon.
The saints there were so used to doing this that they enjoyed it almost as much as I did.
I observed also that they had some members who would stay in the fellowship hall as a ministry to travelers,and visitors. Food was provided, the sermon was reviewed,and there were cots available if anyone neededto get a nap in,before night service.
I experienced this in several other churches also,and it was very instructive.
Maybe you could ask the pastor of your church to address this from the pulpit,if he has not been able to do so.

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Anthony D'Arienzo
Sunday School Teacher
Hope Reformed Baptist Church:
Medford, N.Y.

There are six of us that drive one hour and twenty minutes to the nearest Reformed church; three of us are members, the other three are in the process of becoming such. The communion service is at 10:00AM, and the catechetical is at 11:30AM, to accomodate us and others in the same situation. Sometimes one of the members or the pastor will invite us over for lunch (or drinks and smokes! ), which is always enjoyable.

It's far less work to spend nearly three hours on the road going to a church where law and gospel are clearly distinguished and the sacraments are rightly administered than it was for the bunch of us to drive 5 minutes to a local "Reformed" church where this was not the case.

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Philip A - Member, High Desert United Reformed Church, Apple Valley, CA.

"Reason also is choice" - Milton, Paradise Lost
"And then shall every word also seem consistent to him, if he for his part diligently read the Scriptures in company with those who are presbyters in the Church, among whom is the apostolic doctrine, as I have pointed out." - Irenaeus, Against Heresies, IV:XXXII.
"where there is text, there is hope" - Richard A. Muller

The folks at TRBC are indeed good, hospitable folks. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there during one of the pastors' conferences.

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Philip A - Member, High Desert United Reformed Church, Apple Valley, CA.

"Reason also is choice" - Milton, Paradise Lost
"And then shall every word also seem consistent to him, if he for his part diligently read the Scriptures in company with those who are presbyters in the Church, among whom is the apostolic doctrine, as I have pointed out." - Irenaeus, Against Heresies, IV:XXXII.
"where there is text, there is hope" - Richard A. Muller

30-40 minutes here.

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~Keon Garraway~ Brooklyn, NY Member of Franklin Square OPC

Love for God demonstrated by the love for our children in giving them a God centered education is the only hope for our country. by David Morrow
Pslam 71:20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

No, they're actually about two miles apart.

As I understand it, the RPC in Lisbon has been there since the "old days" (over 165 years ago)... the OPC broke off from the United Presbyterian Church (once it went PCUSA) in town, which started out as an Associate Presbyterian Church -- again, back in the "old days." When that OPC was forming a new congregation, if they had wanted to join with us Covenanters, I'm sure that would have been fine by us. But they still have great fellowship and cooperation with each other; the pastor of the OPC has preached for us a few times, and vice versa... the churches do VBS together every year... our members are invited to a farewell for one of the families from the OPC this Friday, etc.

Today I was just at the RP pastor's house between services, in the town proper; usually I go to the home of one of the elders who lives in Ogdensburg.

I usually take 11 North, left onto 68 once you come to the "T" in Canton, then right onto Lisbon Road in Flackville... if you were coming from the Fort itself, and not Watertown, I'd imagine you probably took a similar route?

__________________
Sean P.M. McDonald
Communicant Member of Springs Reformed Church (RPCNA), Colorado Springs, CO
Infantryman, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY (Deployed to Iraq)
Engaged to Laura A. Doman of Grand Rapids, MI
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"I die by the decisions of the last free General Assembly, and I appeal for vindication to the next free General Assembly."
--Saying of Covenanter martyrs

yeah reformed churches need to start proliferating much more and making themselves more visible.

__________________
~Keon Garraway~ Brooklyn, NY Member of Franklin Square OPC

Love for God demonstrated by the love for our children in giving them a God centered education is the only hope for our country. by David Morrow
Pslam 71:20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Sean,
When I lived west of FD, I went up 37 to Ogbg, and turned off.

When I lived south of FD, I went up to 11, but I usually turned off on various backroads ziging and zaging all the way. It would take me a while to relearn my routes...

__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


When posting friends, kindly bear those words of earthly wisdom in mind:
Oh, that God the gift would give us
To see ourselves as others see us.
--Robert Burns, 1786 (modernized) ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions? --

My wife and I drive about 35 minutes to get to the place with our congregation worships. It's usually a very pleasant drive through scenic Chester and Lancaster counties. We ocasionally take some back roads that may add 5-10 minutes and definitely makes the drive (or ride, as we sometimes take the motorcycle) even more scenic.

The present activities of the congregation consist of two services on Sunday, a monthly fellowship meal either at the facility we are renting or at the home of another member, and bi-weekly men's study and women's study.

We have been able to be fully involved to the extend that our schedules permit.

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Tom Albrecht
Member, Covenant URCNA, New Holland, PA.

"I'm not a famous man. I'm just a simple country doctor with horse sense."

One tank of gas could easily make 168 round trips to my local church, that's over 3 years if I go every Sunday!

(Then again my church is only 2 miles up the road, and I get about 45mpg in my VW Jetta Turbo Diesel.)

But I also go other nights, and being local, my church community is not an isolated social sphere. I actually interact with them in local government and commerce as well. (Not as much as I think is ideal, but as oil gets more expensive, the world will get smaller again.)

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Chad
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. (Psalms 15:5 KJV)

30 minutes

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J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

We have several members that drive over an hour to get to our Church in Wylie, TX. To accomodate them, and the others who do not drive so far, (30-40 mins.) we begin at 10:00, and right after the morning worship service enjoy a meal together, taking about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes. (Everyone brings their own food--but there is normally a lot of sharing that goes on). We begin our second worship service at 2:15-2:30, and then have a catechism class at 4:30 or 5:00. In this way we have good time for interaction, and 2 services. To facilitate discussion and some comfort, we have what we call our Theological lounge, a room with couches and tables for relaxing and "chewing the theological fat" in between services, and afterwards. Last Lord's Day some of us were there until almost 9:00P. Really great fellowship!

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Rev. Todd Ruddell
Pastor, Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCGA)
Wylie, TX
www.christcovenantreformedpc.org

Our best marks can contribute nothing to our justification, ...that is proper to faith. Faith cannot lodge in the soul alone, and without other graces; yet faith alone justifies before God.--G. Gillespie

Used to drive 2 states away...under present circumstances we realised that that is not doable (finances, the van kept breaking down, and pregnancy) and neither were we getting any fellowship during the week. Naturally we could used reformed friends within our own area. We're attending in the same town we live along with my mother-in-law.

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JC
URCNA
PA

"Forgiveness is primarily for our own sake, so that we no longer carry the burden of resentment. But to forgive does not mean we will allow injustice again." --Jack Kornfield

I hate to say this but I live 5 minutes from church. 10 if traffic is bad.

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Bill Brown
Elder
Grace Baptist Church
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?