Church Group

[Kayla in TX]

I recently switched churches and I feel a little bit guilty about it. My old church is the church I grew up in. I was baptized and confirmed in this church, and was very active in their youth group. My family has gone to this church since it was founded, so my great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and myself all were members of this church. So since my family and I have gone to this church for 100 years I feel a little bit guilty about switching to a new church. However my parents are no longer active in the church either. They only go on Christmas Eve and Easter, but they've remained members.

Youth group was great at this church. But after high school I just felt like I didn't belong anymore. My church was full of rich people who all went away to college and couldn't understand why I was still living in my hometown. My parents can't afford for me to go away to college. So everyone I knew from youth group went away to college. There was not a single person from my youth group that stayed in town for college except for me. The singles group at this church is so snobby. Lots of doctors, lawyers, engineers and people completely focused on getting P.h.D's and making lots of money.

So I switched to another church of the same denomination in the same city. This new church is not too far from my old church. I love the singles group there for 20-30 year olds. There are people of every occupation- teachers, accountants, business people, lawyers, undergrad students, grad students. Its just a lot different and more accepting group than my old church's singles group was. And its a lot bigger group. My old church had a college sunday school class but it was mainly for students from this Ivy League university right near the church. Those college students were so snobby and so young. There were freshman that were 17 years old. A lot of them graduate from college at 21. I can't even imagine graduating so young. I'll be at least 27 when I graduate from college and those college students from the Ivy League university thought that was "old" to be graduating from college. These Ivy League university students have their parents paying everything, and have actually asked me why do I work during college. So you could say I have nothing in common with those rich college students. So its a good thing I switched to a new church with a singles group where I feel comfortable.

I just feel a little guilty for switching since my family has gone there for so many years. There are still people at my old church that I like, but they are mainly older people like the ministers, youth director, youth counselors, parents of kids that I have babysat, ect. There's really no one my age that I connected with that I would want to be friends with. But still I feel a little bit guilty for switching churches. But at least I switched to a church of the same denomination.

 

[Krissy]

It's such a shame

I am so sorry you feel that way. At church especially, you should feel comfortable and welcome. It is such a shame to see what the world is coming to. People who only care about bragging about how much money they have, how much their house is worth, their career, where their children go to school, etc... Everything has become so materialistic. I've lost some great friends due to these things because suddenly they felt superior to me because they had a better paying job, etc... If you ask me, it is your church's loss. You shouldn't have to subject yourself to that type of behavior. Do what is best and what is comfortable for you and don't look back.

 

[Kayla in TX]

church

Well I do know that I made the right decision in switching my membership from my old church to my new church. I guess I just wish that my old church where all my family has gone was not that way. My parents know exactly how I feel. They have felt that way too at church. My dad never went to college and my dad has gotten some rude comments by these church people who have all these advanced degrees. These people at my old church are just rich people who are not very accepting of people who are not rich like them.

So I do feel like I did make a good choice at joining my new church where I feel accepted. I just wish my old church wasn't the way it is. But I can't change that. And I know its not just me. There's been several people from my old church(not the snobby ones) who have joined my new chuch. My old church is loosing a lot of members, yet they don't do anything new to change that.

 

[dee]

Embrace it!

Your old church was wonderful at a time you needed it to be (when you were little).

Doesn't sound like you parents like it either! Perhaps your family will be at this new church for the next 100 years!! Invite your mom and dad along to some services, they may like it!

Religion is not about a building, it's about the people. Good for you for having the courage to find the congregation that makes religion help you be closer to God.