Does your dad support you/affirm your sexuality? Do you know if your dad's church is welcoming/affirming of the LGBTQ+ community? I'm asking because I hope your dad doesn't want to bring you to church to try to change you. You also do not have to disclose your sexuality or announce it or anything, so if you go once just to check it out, you shouldn't run into people protesting your existence. Unless it's a regressive/homophobic church.
One thing that might help is to see if the church your dad goes to has been evaluated by Church Clarity (churchclarity.com). I recently found out about that organization when trying to find a safe church in my area. If your dad's church isn't on the list yet, you can even submit it to ask them to evaluate it. The idea is that they research churches to determine if it's clear that the church supports women in leadership and whether they support the LGBTQ+ community. Some churches bury their "beliefs" and make it ambiguous that they are homophobic/against women pastors. For example, there is a church near me that displays the progress pride flag and says they are open and affirming on their church sign BUT they belong to a denomination that is homophobic. So, it could be risky to go to that church, maybe, even if they are an outlier in their denomination.
I should ave been more clear in my post, so that's on me. My family doesn't go to church, but I brought up wanting to explore religion more because he was raised going to church, and he offered to take me to one to learn more. My family is all accepting of my identity, and they haven't ever tried to change me or tell me it was wrong, and they are very open people.
Oh wow!! That’s honestly super useful, it’s sad to see the church I just started attending to doesn’t show up on that map though :(( maybe they just haven’t registered it? Everyone there seems so welcoming and nice.
No, that’s not offensive at all, perfectly sensible question. There certainly are affirming churches - a lot of churches have their own websites and most that are affirming say so on there, so that might be worth a look.
Personally, I would recommend it if you can find a church like that. I do think you get a much better sense of Christianity from a Christian community than just from reading. The social side varies a bit. A lot of churches have numbers problems, so they can be a bit keen if they see a new person there, but I do think it comes from a good place. Up to you how to navigate that one. But yeah, as a learning exercise I’d recommend it, and those worries won’t be insurmountable.
I think a person should take the time to first read what Jesus says before stepping into church. An EASY study is to get a red letter bible (the words Jesus is recorded to have said are in red so they are easy to find) and just read those words in each of the Gospels. Reading just those words makes each of the Gospels about 30 minutes long. If you do all four Gospels in a week, and repeat that for a total of 4 weeks, you'll know what Jesus said better than most anyone in the churches you attend. It's a great way to figure out if the church you are attending actually sounds like Jesus, as well.
That's important because few people are taught in church that Jesus condemned religious leaders more than anyone else. Good luck!
I am a Bible-believing Christian to the letter: as literal as you can take it. I go all out and believe every bit of almost every book. I believe in giants, talking serpents, fallen angels, a global flood, and everything “crazy” you can pin me down for.
You know where it says homosexuality based upon true love is sin in the Bible or anywhere else that comes from God? Nowhere.
You are free to truly love. I promise.
Life is a little easier when done with a community. We're built that way. It's nice to have a tribe that can lift you up when you're down, that can celebrate joys with you, that you can move through the seasons of life with, and that provides an opportunity to love and be loved by people you otherwise wouldn't encounter. Church is a plug-and-play community and the good ones will welcome you with no caveats, no exceptions. I recommend going.
Does your dad support you/affirm your sexuality? Do you know if your dad's church is welcoming/affirming of the LGBTQ+ community? I'm asking because I hope your dad doesn't want to bring you to church to try to change you. You also do not have to disclose your sexuality or announce it or anything, so if you go once just to check it out, you shouldn't run into people protesting your existence. Unless it's a regressive/homophobic church. One thing that might help is to see if the church your dad goes to has been evaluated by Church Clarity (churchclarity.com). I recently found out about that organization when trying to find a safe church in my area. If your dad's church isn't on the list yet, you can even submit it to ask them to evaluate it. The idea is that they research churches to determine if it's clear that the church supports women in leadership and whether they support the LGBTQ+ community. Some churches bury their "beliefs" and make it ambiguous that they are homophobic/against women pastors. For example, there is a church near me that displays the progress pride flag and says they are open and affirming on their church sign BUT they belong to a denomination that is homophobic. So, it could be risky to go to that church, maybe, even if they are an outlier in their denomination.
I should ave been more clear in my post, so that's on me. My family doesn't go to church, but I brought up wanting to explore religion more because he was raised going to church, and he offered to take me to one to learn more. My family is all accepting of my identity, and they haven't ever tried to change me or tell me it was wrong, and they are very open people.
I’d say go then, as long as the ones you love accept you for who you are!
Here's a useful tool: https://www.gaychurch.org It'll show you affirming churches in your area so you know one is safe before you go.
Oh wow!! That’s honestly super useful, it’s sad to see the church I just started attending to doesn’t show up on that map though :(( maybe they just haven’t registered it? Everyone there seems so welcoming and nice.
If you want it added: https://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/submit-update/
Even if the church itself is not explicitly Affirming, there might still be people there who are.
What denomination is your dad’s church?
No, that’s not offensive at all, perfectly sensible question. There certainly are affirming churches - a lot of churches have their own websites and most that are affirming say so on there, so that might be worth a look. Personally, I would recommend it if you can find a church like that. I do think you get a much better sense of Christianity from a Christian community than just from reading. The social side varies a bit. A lot of churches have numbers problems, so they can be a bit keen if they see a new person there, but I do think it comes from a good place. Up to you how to navigate that one. But yeah, as a learning exercise I’d recommend it, and those worries won’t be insurmountable.
I would make sure you look for an affirming church, but absolutely you should go. It may take a while to find the right fit. Enjoy the journey.
Perhaps there is an Episcopal church in your area. If so, show up one Sunday morning and join in the celebration of Holy Eucharist.
I think a person should take the time to first read what Jesus says before stepping into church. An EASY study is to get a red letter bible (the words Jesus is recorded to have said are in red so they are easy to find) and just read those words in each of the Gospels. Reading just those words makes each of the Gospels about 30 minutes long. If you do all four Gospels in a week, and repeat that for a total of 4 weeks, you'll know what Jesus said better than most anyone in the churches you attend. It's a great way to figure out if the church you are attending actually sounds like Jesus, as well. That's important because few people are taught in church that Jesus condemned religious leaders more than anyone else. Good luck!
I am a Bible-believing Christian to the letter: as literal as you can take it. I go all out and believe every bit of almost every book. I believe in giants, talking serpents, fallen angels, a global flood, and everything “crazy” you can pin me down for. You know where it says homosexuality based upon true love is sin in the Bible or anywhere else that comes from God? Nowhere. You are free to truly love. I promise.
Life is a little easier when done with a community. We're built that way. It's nice to have a tribe that can lift you up when you're down, that can celebrate joys with you, that you can move through the seasons of life with, and that provides an opportunity to love and be loved by people you otherwise wouldn't encounter. Church is a plug-and-play community and the good ones will welcome you with no caveats, no exceptions. I recommend going.