A New Church Home

At last - we have found a home! Since moving to Bloomington, Illinois, we have been searching for a church home. We were going to a church and had gotten pretty plugged in (at least some of us). I was in a Bible study, had attended a ladies retreat, was asked to help with another ladies program, the kids were in choir and really liked the Sunday morning program. Despite all that, Greg and I did not feel comfortable there. Now I am not saying that church is to be a comfortable place, but I do feel like there needs to at least be a welcoming feel there to draw people in. I am not saying that the first church did not have this - they did, but we just did not "feel" that we belonged there. I decided to pray about it, telling God (what He already knew) that I needed to REALLY know. From the first time we entered the new church, I felt at "home". I cannot explain what or why, I just "knew". Each time we have gone there since, the "feelings" have become stronger. Today, after walking out of church, I said to Greg - this is it, this is home. He felt the same way, although I think he felt it before today. The people (and people of all ages - old, young and in the middle) were so welcoming and each time we went back the welcoming continued. It was not a one time thing. This is what I was looking for - a smaller church where people of all ages come together to praise the Lord and grow together, from each other. What is even funny about it is that we go to the "contemporary" service (or EPIC as they call it), and I love to see the older people (and I do mean older) dancing around, arms raised, praising the Lord to what amounts to rock worship music. The pastor there really is led by the Lord to adapt the service to the prompting of the Holy Spirit - which was shown in the service today. This church is not that same Nazarene church I grew up in - yes some is still the same - but much of it is different, and I am happy to call this place home. Thank you Jesus!