If you’re not at a GCx church, where are you?

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[UffDa]

If you’re not at a GCx church, where are you now?
My family and I are members of Wooddale-Eden Prairie and we have extended family that attend Mount Olivet Lutheran in Mpls.

[AgathaL'Orange]

Presbyterian.  😁

[Linda]

Anglican.

[araignee19]

Baptist. Been going to the same church for almost 6 years. Very happy there.

[omelianchuk]

Anglican.

[AgathaL'Orange]

Wait.  You aren’t GCx?!

[omelianchuk]

Wait.  You aren’t GCx?!

Nope. We moved to California so I could get my MA at Talbot. That was in 2010.

[Differentstrokes]

Can I add to this and ask how you chose a church and how long did it take you? I am missing the community but I haven't been able to go to church...

[omelianchuk]

We checked out churches near the seminary and found one that other students attended. They were officially Baptist, but followed the church calendar and served communion every week. Doing communion every week became really important to us, and so we ended up in a "high" church format (Anglican) when we moved to SC.

[GodisFaithful]

Non-denom, Baptist roots

Different Strokes: The Holy Spirit can lead you. Radical thought there.

[Free now]

I felt like it was difficult to define "church" after leaving, Different Strokes, and I understand how you're not able to go but how you miss the community. We really bounced around a lot...like, for years. It was hard to replace the history we'd had at ECC and join something in our 40s. It was definitely a process and looking back, I know that God was patient with us. I'm thankful that we didn't give up. I also really believe that He used the churches we were at for His good purpose. For example, one church that we got pretty involved in (and didn't end up staying in) really taught me the value of corporate prayer in the church. I'd never seen that modeled before and it was transformative for my walk with the Lord. It ended up being something that I've taken to our current church, and I see now how (for at least a couple big reasons) that I needed to be at that particular church for that season. We've now been at the same church (Berean Baptist in Burnsville) for 6+ years. We really like it there and appreciate the teaching very much, but I will never again see our specific local church as the "best." I am thankful that the Gospel is preached there every week, not only for salvation when we die but for living day to day, and how that plays out in our daily lives. It is refreshing to go through books of the Bible and hear the Word preached in context, and then to discover how it points to the Gospel and reveals Jesus. It took a while, but I finally found my people and what a gift they are to me. I hope that you will find that, too. There were definitely some times where I wanted to give up on church altogether!

I am also involved on a monthly basis with people from other area churches. We meet in a prayer network to cultivate prayer in our local churches. There might be around 12 of us representing 9+ local congregations. It is so sweet to my soul to experience unity and regular connection across the body of Christ. It's actually one of my favorite church experiences. There is another church that I go to regularly to partner with them in ministry to refugees/immigrants. I think it's GREAT that one local body doesn't necessarily have it all; we really do need each other. Different Strokes, are you local, by chance? (Minneapolis area?)

[UffDa]

My background was growing up in a very conservative Lutheran Church and schools. I liked Evergreen because of its modern worship style, the small groups(life groups), and personable style of the pastors and church members. There were lots of reasons why left Evergreen(different thread topic).
Criteria for finding a new church for us was:
Protestant with adult baptism
Seminary trained ministers that lived authentic Christian lives
Within 5 miles of our home (we wanted a church that our neighbors would attend and that our kids could have crossover friendships with church & school)
Large membership because we were burned out from over serving at church and needed some anonymity
Contemporary and traditional worship styles
Opportunities to study the Bible and develop new friendships

We still periodically evaluate our church to make sure we are at the right place for our family. I was pleasantly surprised that my former Lutheran church in Bloomington has made some changes in a positive direction.

[Huldah]

We were military for a while, and moved several times, so we attended various churches in the US and overseas including Independent Baptist, nondenominational, and Christian and Missionary Alliance. Since my husband got out of the military in the early 90's, we've attended a small Village Missions (nondenominational) church in a semi-rural area in a western state.

[Godtrumpsall]

We were military for a while, and moved several times, so we attended various churches in the US and overseas including Independent Baptist, nondenominational, and Christian and Missionary Alliance. Since my husband got out of the military in the early 90's, we've attended a small Village Missions (nondenominational) church in a semi-rural area in a western state.

i must thank you and your family for serving our country.  Maybe your husband is the only one who officially served in the military, but the whole family sacrifices much to choose that life.  So thank you to your and your husband, and kids. 

[observer]

Raised GC from the mid-seventies, left around '91 a confused young man with no idea what a healthy spiritual community should be, now United Methodist.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Huldah, we are presently at a church started by Village Missions also!  Been there awhile.  Before that, we were at a Southern Baptist church where I met my husband.

[Godisgrace]

I kept with nondenominational. I watch each sermon, making sure follows scriptures. I went from a GCC church who gave lists of what you should be doing or the GCC ways to refreshing of Who God is. The gospels, holy spirit, the power that God has, something that is a good difference and biblical.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Welcome Back, Observer!

I just read your previous posts written years ago with some at the start of this forum.  You have a great gift in observing, studying, understanding and articulating what GCx is!!  I am grateful for the thought and work you put into explaining it's culture.  Giving educated and intelligent description to something that has been so "strange" to so many.  

I think any like myself who started reading here later, who weren't aware of your helpful and really insightful commentary on GCx, would draw clarification of it from the mechanics you outlined; especially from one who literally grew up in it.  I think some other children who grew up in the GCx culture would also find it beneficial.

[GodisFaithful]

That's so funny, Janet.

I was  just checking out Observer's old posts, also. Some of it goes over my head, but interesting.

I've always called GCx a movement, but you disagree.  I thought your reasons were really interesting. 

You probably do not want to disclose, but I am curious what "work" you grew up in. 

[GodisFaithful]

Those last comments were directed to Observer.