I was wondering if anyone on here could help me out.... I have been trying out different churches in Raleigh, but I haven't been able to find one that I really like. I would prefer to find a church that has a large number of people in the 20-30 year old range, that is either non-denominational or Presbyterian (Baptist is okay too, but would prefer one of the other two), and that has a lot of young adult activities. Basically, I am just getting back into church after a break during college, and I want a place that is fun where I will be able to meet other people in my age range (i'm 25). I tried out Providence Baptist Church last week and that has been my favorite so far. Any other suggestions? Also, does anyone know of any other churches that have the Wednesday service like Providence? Thanks!

10/15/2007 3:36:10 PM

http://www.gracecommchurch.com

10/15/2007 3:38:02 PM

mormon?

10/15/2007 3:45:17 PM

http://www.churchofsatan.org/

10/15/2007 3:47:00 PM

colonial baptist church.

off of tryon. in cary.

http://www.colonial.org


[Edited on October 15, 2007 at 3:50 PM. Reason : ]

10/15/2007 3:50:01 PM

10/15/2007 3:50:16 PM

Quote :

"I am just getting back into church after a break during college"

10/15/2007 3:52:13 PM

I go to Providence and I have enjoyed it for the past several years. I would also say colonial would be a good choice as well. When you went to providence did you go to the singles class?

10/15/2007 4:12:34 PM

try Hope Community Church, pretty good place, we've been several times

10/15/2007 4:30:37 PM

Just extend the break.

10/15/2007 4:33:20 PM

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

10/15/2007 4:52:47 PM

Why do you want to go to church anyway?

10/15/2007 4:53:15 PM

All the cool kids are Catholic...

Some things we like to do are get drunk, have premarital sex on the daily and curse at the TV while watching Notre dame get beat... then repent on Sunday morning. It's a good deal...

10/15/2007 4:54:56 PM

Vintage 21 is ok. Only thing is the pastor is into church planting, which is kind of problematic for the casual church goer like myself.

10/15/2007 4:59:48 PM

The fact is, no church will have a large number of people our age.

eewww, baptist.......

stick to the presbyterians

10/15/2007 5:04:50 PM

I think Catholics say "goddammit" more than even atheists and agnostics.

I'd entertain the thought of going back to church if I could find a denomination that didn't take things so fucking literally and had female members that would entertain the thought of naked playtime before or regardless of if I bought her a ring.

I think I've been a little too jaded by having been a member of a country Original Free Will Baptist Church.

Oh...another stipulation...they're not going to hound me to accept Jesus as my personal savior in front of the damn church and won't question me openly or attack my lack of open Christianity or my personal agnostic tendencies (which I don't share unless asked).

I have no problem if you are a follower of God and Jesus Christ, but I really don't know if I feel anything like that at all, and I'm perfectly content to feel like I do at the moment. And it would be nice if you don't feel like you have to take the "impose dogmatic convictions on other people, often against their will" approach.

But being a member of a church is often a good way to meet people with moral convictions (though some have a few too many, bordering on self-righteous zealotry) and be a part of a community which strives to better the world around them, though I feel that they often do approach that goal through less-than-altruistic means.

10/15/2007 5:10:28 PM

I 2nd Hope Community Church.. Mike is a great speaker and they have plenty for ages 1-35. my parents felt outta place when they went once b/c they are more traditional churchgoers

i need to get back into attending..

10/15/2007 5:12:03 PM

you can come worship me if you'd like


the congregation is growing

10/15/2007 5:12:56 PM

Do you "need" to get back to attending?

Or do you truly feel like you WANT to get back to attending. Do you really have the desire?

10/15/2007 5:13:25 PM

Hope Community is definitely the best in my opinion. Half of the congregation are college aged. The sermons are really interesting. When I went there, church was over before I knew it. It was the first church that I had gone to where I looked forward to going each week.

10/15/2007 5:30:34 PM

I remember how all of us at my church would get laid on our retreats


good times

10/15/2007 5:32:39 PM

Perhaps, like myself, she put religion aside in college and now wants it back in her life.

It's easy to get jaded by the stereotypical bible-thumper. That's because people fitting that description are more "vocal" about their beliefs. True christians pay heed to that "Don't judge, lest ye be judged" doctrine. I have no problem reminding them of it either. Christians should be more loving and accepting as opposed to hateful and judgmental. I wouldn't put up with it and neither should any of the rest of us.

I too have some agnostic tendencies. When you consider the similarities in modern religions, it makes sense. I was born catholic, didn't see any particular reason to choose anything else, so I stuck with it. I don't see the point in debating which religion is better/right. That's a judgment call to me, and it wouldn't be called "faith" if we knew without a doubt which is correct.

The bigger concern is the falling percentages of people of faith in general. The problem isn't that more people disagree with modern christian doctrine. The problem is that fewer and fewer people seem to forget the necessity of serving each other, not just ourselves. In such a relatively wealthy society, it's easy to forget we in fact do not have control over a majority of what happens to us....

Now I'm just ranting... so I'll stop

10/15/2007 5:33:24 PM

Hey, I too am shopping around for religion. Are there any sales going on right now, or should I wait until right after the holidays, I heard Christianity gets cheaper then?

10/15/2007 6:21:31 PM

Quote :

"The problem isn't that more people disagree with modern christian doctrine. The problem is that fewer and fewer people seem to forget the necessity of serving each other, not just ourselves."

and obviously religion is the only possible way people can ever manage to become unselfish and care about others

10/15/2007 6:25:43 PM

^Now that's really jumping to conclusions. Not once was that explicitly stated. Hell, I don't really think it was that implicit.

obviously, it's an extremely popular and common means for people to become unselfish and care about others. It's far more pervasive in our culture than just about any other. Let people follow the paths with which they feel comfortable, and as long as they don't openly denounce the paths of others (and there are more than a few enlightened Christian denominations and/or sects who embody tolerance), perhaps they shouldn't be criticised so vehemently.

Your intellectual/elitist zealotry is at times as bad if not worse.

10/15/2007 6:40:43 PM

10/15/2007 6:55:33 PM

http://vintage21.com seems to fit your requirements

10/15/2007 7:23:05 PM

I wouldn't say it's full of college kids, but the church I went to some while in HS, and is about the only church I'll go back to, is Hope Chapel (not to be confused with Hope Community).

I'm no longer familiar with the various programs. If chronological age really matters to you, I'd suggest emailing and asking, but this is a pretty young at heart congregation. Check out the 'have a cow' page.

And the pastor is a pretty funny guy, and somewhat nerdy

10/15/2007 7:34:38 PM

Quote :

"obviously, it's an extremely popular and common means for people to become unselfish and care about others. It's far more pervasive in our culture than just about any other. Let people follow the paths with which they feel comfortable, and as long as they don't openly denounce the paths of others (and there are more than a few enlightened Christian denominations and/or sects who embody tolerance), perhaps they shouldn't be criticised so vehemently."

That is bullshit: he said that it wasn't that "more people didn't disagree with Christian doctrine." Uh, well, I do, and speaking from experience with it first hand, it's not cool to blame selfishness on secular society any more than it is to attribute unselfishness to Christians (because there are plenty of examples of intolerance to their credit as well). I wasn't making this into a big deal or trying to knock Christians, that statement is just very biased.

Besides which, popular and common don't necessarily note the value of something.

Quote :

"Your intellectual/elitist zealotry is at times as bad if not worse."

What are you talking about? He even went on to say:

Quote :

"it's easy to forget we in fact do not have control over a majority of what happens to us...."

When that's a philosophical question that you have to answer for yourself. I didn't even touch that bit of dogma.

[Edited on October 15, 2007 at 7:37 PM. Reason : .]

10/15/2007 7:35:49 PM

just for the record, there isn't a God

with that out of the way, I think churches are wonderful social groups and opportunities to get people to be engaged with cooperative community

I just wish that there were organizations for such things that weren't centered around some theism

10/15/2007 7:50:31 PM

Quote :

"he bigger concern is the falling percentages of people of faith in general."

I think this sentence was just poorly worded as the word faith was used to mean unselfish when really it should be reserved for certain belief patterns into the unknown for things such as creation myths, supernatural creatures like angels & demons, and either very potent or omnipotent being(s).

When clarified into this statement on selfishness in our society, I couldn't agree more.

Quote :

"The problem is that fewer and fewer people seem to forget the necessity of serving each other"

10/15/2007 7:53:42 PM

my parents make me go to church with them sometimes, so i have been to a few in the area

i would not recommend Colonial baptist. it is an awful mega-church and in my experience their only intention is to gain as many members as possible. and that was both in the youth group when i was in hs and the church. also, the people that go there are primarily upper middle class white families, and overly eager christian kids.

just avoid baptist churches in general. and all other churches while youre at it. but non-denominational and community churches seem to be the best kind if you're interested.

10/15/2007 8:04:29 PM

http://www.calvarycary.org/

If diversity is important to you, our church is a wonder in itself.

It's a ways out, but it's not that big a commute for once a week. The pastor gives good sessions, there's a good band that plays contemporary Christian music for the first part of service, and there are a LOT of a lot of activities to do in the church, including volunteering in the church or with activities outside of it (affiliated with a church activity or another church or something) that will have something for you to do.

Two Things about this church that might throw you off though:
1. There's hugging. Oh yes, hug your neighbor and don't pick their pocket. Once per service. If you don't want to hug, you can just shake hands. It's just meant to be an act of friendship/welcoming like you would a family member. For a big church it does feel like a small church sometimes. Bear in mind however, even with 3 services, the church is currently overflowing into the lobby if you don't get there early to get a seat, haha.
2. Our pastor describes it as "bapticostal". It's both upbeat and serious. We enjoy the songs of praise, and we take the lessons taught there to heart.

Some things about the church you might like:
1. Everybody is represented there, culturally, ethnically, economically.
2. Everybody is friendly.
3. You can participate as much as you want to. You're not coerced to sing, you don't have to take notes or lift up your hands in praise if it's not something you're used to (honestly I don't do either right now).
4. There's a lot of community activities and a lot of fellowship. There's bible studies, couples and singles events, and things for people from all walks of life with all sorts of interests.
5. The pastor is a funny guy and often times he's quite a dork. He uses his humor well to break up the more serious parts of the sermon. It keeps things interesting.
6. They have a bookstore and a coffee shop if you like to keep it in the family. Haha...
7. There's no altar call, and there's no plate passing. You aren't pressured to proclaim how much you love Jesus to everybody, nor are you pressured to empty your pockets for Him.

Really though, the website has more info. It is more of like a family style church, but it's not filled with a bunch of old fogeys. I think with the size of the church, you'll find plenty of friends there. I'd estimate there's well over a thousand or more people that attend the church regularly.

10/15/2007 8:13:58 PM

Quote :

"female members that would entertain the thought of naked playtime before or regardless of if I bought her a ring. "

Atheist chicks FTW

10/15/2007 8:16:09 PM

Quote :

"Do you "need" to get back to attending? Or do you truly feel like you WANT to get back to attending. Do you really have the desire? "

well i dont want to get out of going like i have. i still have the same beliefs, it's just easy in college to get caught up late on saturdays and just sleep in sunday when there's no one to make you go to church. I want to get involved post graduation especially, and I think in order to keep my life on track where i want it to be, I need to be attending so i dont get into a bad crowd kinda deal. know what i mean?

10/15/2007 8:21:20 PM

http://tinyurl.com/26w5co

Google Maps always helps!

10/15/2007 8:30:20 PM

^^^^ haha that is where my parents go actually

[Edited on October 15, 2007 at 8:30 PM. Reason : .]

10/15/2007 8:30:30 PM

Hope Chapel in Apex fits all your wants.

non-denominational
tons of 20-30 (like 500 ppl per service, 2 per sunday)
tons of activities
live band, fun, easy going, not pressuring

10/15/2007 8:59:51 PM

Quote :

"Help me find a church"

More like


" Help me find a husband "


amiright ? or amiright?

10/15/2007 10:31:44 PM

LOL .. exactly

10/15/2007 10:47:27 PM

Quote :

"my parents make me go to church with them"

lol

10/15/2007 10:56:14 PM

Haha... no, I am not looking for a husband... I just want to get back into going to church. I was raised Episcopalian, but I am more interested in finding something that is enjoyable at this point...

10/15/2007 11:26:20 PM

http://www.subgenius.com


it's the only church you'll ever need. Salvation guaranteed or triple your money back!

They're serious. No gimmicks. You can have salvation for the low cost of $30.00. If, upon your death, you find yourself in hell, Bob Himself will personally present you with a refund check for $90.00 (*)








(* this just requires a commitment to then purchase their companion book "How to Enjoy Hell on Five Cents an Eternity" for the conveniently low price of $89.95 )







[Edited on October 16, 2007 at 12:52 AM. Reason : ]

10/16/2007 12:50:30 AM

Quote :

"I would prefer to find a church that has a large number of people in the 20-30 year old range that has a lot of young adult activities I want a place that is fun where I will be able to meet other people in my age range (i'm 25) "

^^ yea right

[Edited on October 16, 2007 at 12:54 AM. Reason : x]

10/16/2007 12:52:10 AM

phew. For a second there I thought this thread was going to go from unintentionally humorous to StillFuchsia bitchfest.




Sounds like ncstategal is looking for a dating service from the way she describes it.

10/16/2007 2:05:54 AM

Well, StillFuckstick did get a little bit of a rant or two in there. I still don't buy her thinly disguised militant attitude toward ignorant Christians.

I've dated one girl with whom I went to church. And she was fucked up in the head.

[Edited on October 16, 2007 at 2:11 AM. Reason : Of course she was. Small town FTL.]

10/16/2007 2:10:35 AM

^ i totally cant follow what you just said.

are ignorant christians good or bad?

10/16/2007 2:22:50 AM

Fuck if I know. Ignorance is quite often bliss. There's a lot of truth to that.

But when ignorant folks attempt to pull you into their brand of ignorance (or stupidity because some of them, deep down, know it's all a load of steamy doo but still practice their steamy doo-dom)...that's where I personally draw the line.

However, I think that, for the most part, man is a very social animal, and if orthodox Christianity gives him or her the foothold they need to reach a certain contentment in their life and better the lives of those who are less fortunate, then more power to them. Of course, i realize that this is all very subjective, as one's perspective of what's good for man often differs significantly than another's.

But I fucking digress here. Ignorant Christians, good or bad, are often, more or less, content with their choice in life, and, well, maybe that's good for them. No absolutes here, sir.

10/16/2007 2:34:41 AM

^ zxappeal, you're all right with me, but I think this sums up your last post:

Quote :

"But I fucking digress here."

10/16/2007 2:48:56 AM

Quote :

"Well, StillFuckstick did get a little bit of a rant or two in there. I still don't buy her thinly disguised militant attitude toward ignorant Christians"

Yeah, I took all that time by saying that I wasn't hating on all Christians because what I really meant was that I TOTALLY HATE THEM ALL.

I didn't knock them, I merely said that it's ridiculous to expect that Christianity is the only vehicle of unselfishness out there. I don't care if people want to use Christianity that way: by all means, go for it. You made up some huge and elaborate argument that you think I made, when I didn't at all. It's just silly to say that church is the only place where people can learn to be unselfish.

10/16/2007 2:49:51 AM