Do you feel God calling you to go back to church? Overcoming church hurt, rejection, and shame to get involved with a local church in your community.
In the last two years, I have had conversations with several women who feel called to either begin attending or go back to church. I too have had my own personal experiences about feeling as if attending church was pointless. I know it sounds harsh, but it appeared that most church attendees were going through the motions. I wanted no part of it until my friend convinced me to try it one more time. Because of Natasha, I gave attending a local church one more chance and I'm super grateful for her push.
Watching online, settling for a podcast with your favorite preacher's messages... (Does anyone else love listening to Steven Furtick's podcast episodes of his Sunday messages? If so, I see you, girl!)
God wants more for you.
Challenge yourself to:
- Acknowledge personal fears, rejections, and past hurts that could have you self-protecting and avoiding
- Recognize your need for local believers to pray and connect with
- Stop living offended and instead use it as an opportunity for intentional conversations
- Recognize when avoidance to what is uncomfortable gets in your way of spiritual growth
- Trust in God's guidance and provision, remembering my favorite bible verse; Matthew 6:8: Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
- Be courageous and take steps to go back to church, even if it's terrifying.
- Reflect on any past church hurt, remembering that people hurt you, not God, and that it's important not to put the church on a pedestal. The church is full of broken people who are in need of a Savior and help.
- Research churches in your area, considering factors such as location, denomination, and community involvement and pick three to try out.
- Attend a church service or event, keeping an open mind and heart.
- Get involved in a church community by joining a small group, ministry, or volunteering in an outreach program.
- Consider reading the book Triggers: How We Can Stop Reacting and Start Healing by David Richo
- Reflect on any past experiences of rejection or abandonment and how they may be influencing your feelings about attending church
- Remember that God is calling you back to the church not only for your own growth but also to be a part of a community of believers and serve others.
Re: Recognizing Triggers
Triggers are specific cues or situations that cause an emotional reaction or flashback from past traumas or hurt. Becoming aware of one's triggers allows for better management of emotions and reactions to challenging experiences. Identifying these triggers and working through them ensures past emotional baggage does not hinder your growth. Triggers do have a potential impact on rejoining a church community. Previous experiences of rejection may lead to negative emotional responses when contemplating attending a new congregation. While this may be uncomfortable, I want to challenge you to flip the script and work through these emotional triggers, analyzing the root causes, and seeking support as needed to overcome them. Doing so will enhance the individual's ability to develop a healthy church experience free from the influence of past emotional scars.
God is calling you to get involved.
Delayed obedience is disobedience. Not only do you need the church, but the church also needs you.
Want more on this topic? Tune in to episode 25 of Priorities on Purpose, where I share it all about acknowledging all the elephants and some of my own personal experiences.
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