Featured Would you drive 30-60 miles to attend church?

I used to, when I was first saved. Was into the Charismatic movement (what was I thinking???) and the only church like that was about 25-26 miles away, so I was more than happy to make the drive.

My drive nowadays is right around 10 miles.

 

So...How did your Saturday go?

I spent a wonderful Saturday going on visitation with a couple who attends my church's plant called the City Church of Woodbine ( www.citychurchwoodbine.org )!!

His wife had the privilege of talking to a lady who's a refugee from war-torn Somalia how the tabernacle Moses was instructed to build (this lady is a Muslim) pictures what Christ did for us on the cross. Her daughter (who's part Hispanic and nominally Roman Catholic) had to translate Hebrews 9 for us.

Then I had the privilege of witnessing to a young man who was born in Nepal (That's the country where Mt. Everest is located---part of the Himalayian Mountain range between India and Tibet), who had to flee to neighboring Bhutan due to the civil war that's been going on and off again for years who is nominally Bhuddist but "interested" in the Gospel of Christ from John Chapter Three. (He, in turn, translated what I said in English to his parents who only speak a dialect of Nepalese.) (Pray for this young man whose name is Brad.)

Then we came back to his apartment where his wife and another lady conducted a Children's Bible Story Time for the neighboring Hispanics (most of them came from the country of Guatemala--located just south of Mexico).

Finally we visited the home of a family from Iraq where on the husband speaks just a little English but their next door neighbor, who was visiting with him (from Kurdistan) translated what we told him in English into Arabic.

All told, I hope that someday some of what we told all of these people will find a lodging in their hearts.

 

I have read every post in this thread, and am personally appalled that only one person mentioned "what does God want?" (At least I only remember one mention). I drive 19 miles to attend my church. There are at least 5 Baptist churches that are nearer to where I live. In fact, one is just over 1 mile away.

I was a member of that church ten plus years ago, and we had to close the church down. Another church bought the property and have started a mission there. However, by the time they did that, I had prayerfully considered where God wanted me to worship. So did my wife. We visitted several churches, and finally attended a service at our current church. After the service, we looked at each other and said in unison, "This is where God wants us". I now work with grade-school kids in Sunday School, and will be helping with a new AWANA club that starts this Wednesday. I am also a greeter/usher, as is my wife. We both have kept prayerfully considering if God wants us to go elsewhere, and the answer has so far been "no".

One family in our church currently drives about 40 miles to church, and is looking at having to move about 20 miles further away due to a job. Several people in our church travel between 15 and 25 miles. ALL of us have come to attend this church BECAUSE GOD INDICATED TO US THAT HERE IS WHERE HE WANTS US. (Sorry about the shout, but it IS the most important reason for worshipping anywhere!)

Why do we keep attending here? 1. God led us to attand here. 2. God has given us the spiritual gifts needed here. 3. God has not told us to go elsewhere. 4. At the first spiritual suggestion that we should move to another church, we will continue to pray for God's will to be revealed to us. People's suggestions are treated as having only slightly less importance.

By the way, times have been hard on us, yet we still go worship where God has led us.

May God bless all of you!

Bill :godisgood:

 

We drive about 4 miles. Several churches are closer but its the Only church I have ever been a member of. Been 17 years now. If God ever lets me know where else he wants me I'll go.

 

I'd ask if they needed any help moving?

 

....And if that were a bed-ridden layman who is victim of polio who was staying with the only surviving members of his family---his lost and widowed daughter-in-law who took in her disabled father-in-law in the new house that his late son (and her late husband) so that she could tend to his now 24/7/365(6) year-round medical/physical needs so that he wouldn't have to be placed in a nursing home?

 

Even more reason to offer to help when God calls someone to move to a particular church.

Based on what's already been done by our church members for people in need, I'm sure that if someone in that situation asked for help, in order to come to our church, it would be given.

At the scheduled time, volunteers would show up with whatever it takes to make the move. That includes any special accomodations that circumstances would dictate. Even if it means digging into the church coffers if donations for the effort doesn't cover special expenses.

Bill, I have absolutely no doubt that God called us to the church we attend now. After being absent from church life, for many years, He sent a messenger to us. Twice, in fact. Yes, it was a neighbor inviting us to come to his church. Over the years we'd had invitations to attend other churches. But somehow (I can't explain it) this one was different.

Further, without going into details, God's call has been sorely challenged in recent months. It would have been so easy to walk away had emotions held rule. As it has turned out God's call was stronger than satan's temptation to depart. I can't take any credit, as all the credit must go to the Holy Spirit who's guiding my life.

 

It seems to me that it depends on where you live. If you live in an urban area I do not see why a drive of over 10 miles would be necessary. In most urban areas there are quite a number of churches in a ten mile radius. In a rural setting it would be different, especially if you live in a sparely settled area, say like rural Utah. Then a longer drive would be necessary often just to get to a church.

 

I was going to say that a lot of Old Regular Baptists do but you beat me to it. I can remember my Mom and Dad setting out even on icy roads to drive a long distance to Church. On those weekends when worship was at the home Church we fed a lot of folks and on occasion kept some overnight.

 

Little Jewell in the Indian Bottom Assoc was my home church for a while, until we were given an arm that formed the Little Martha. When I went to L.J., my intentions were to stay there, but God had other plans. It is about 60-65 miles for me one way there, but I didn't see that as a problem, seeing that their doctrine and mine were pretty much the same.


I have heard dad talking about back when he was growing up, church lasted until 2:00-3:00 in the afternoon, with preachers preaching close to two hours, and them using three preachers. Nowadays, it seems like the faster church is over with, the better. I am not saying that our forefathers were more spiritual than us based on having church longer, but church back then was their outlet to let the world go. They worked for "can see" to "can't see" six days a week in the garden(or whatever else they did to put food on the table), so sunday was their only day to let all that go and bask in the glory of the Lord, or that's what I think.

 

Bumping this thread in order to give another chance for you preachers out there to give a very specific answer to the question this "not-called-to-preach/pastor" lay person posed in post #27.

 

Post #27, wrote:

Since I'm not a preacher, may I ask for a bit of clarification, please? What are you asking of preachers with this example that was in reply to helping someone move?

Thread: Distance to drive to church.
Bed-ridden FIL requiring round the clock care.
Lost DIL, a widow, who provides his care.

 

So, exactly, i.e., citing very specific scriptures (i.e., book, chapter and verse), and not just "Well, 'I think...'," is a lay person who is not a preacher and is bed-ridden (due to having polio), and requires 24/7/365(6) care which is provided by his DIL who lives 200-300 miles away from any so-called Baptist church that boldly proclaims that it preaches "the whole truth and nothing but...," in his particular situation since his only form of transportation is a specially-modified, wheel chair and external oxygen tank accessible car that was bought and paid for solely by his lost AND widowed DIL (who refuses to have anything to do with any church that calls itself Baptist due to the fact that she was made a widow thanks to the drunken son of the Chairman of the Board of Deacons of that very same Baptist church) supposed to do?

 

I am getting old, and I haven't yet.