Church Suggestions

Try an Episcopal church. It's a good fit for a lot of former Catholics.

But just start going to churches and checking them out and do what feels right to YOU.

Ah, church shopping. It can be a fun (and strange!) process. Spiritual and religious community and life is such a deeply personal thing, a place that is truly right for one person can be "just ok" or not at all the right thing for another person. You're wise to solicit suggestions, and I strongly suggest you visit a number of places, and walk into them with a "just looking" attitude - you will know the right place for you when you find it, but you may have to visit a number of places before that happens. Maybe "dating" is a better metaphor than "shopping" . . . ;-)

http://saintmarysepiscopal.org

This is the church we have been attending since we moved back to the Twin Cities three years ago - we walked through the door "just looking", and by the end of the service knew that we had found what we were looking for: fun, smart, engaged, caring, unpretentious, community-focused people who sit all across a spectrum of religious and spiritual belief. One of the great things about the Episcopal Church is how much room there is for a whole range of belief - there are very few non-negotiables (and those would be, like, love your neighbor always, do good in the world for people who need it, live in community.) As you were raised Catholic, you will likely find an Episcopal service very familiar. (There's some great info about the Episcopal church in general, and Saint Mary's in specific, on the website, under the "Welcome" menu, in the "Curious?" section.)

It's in the Merriam Park neighborhood of St. Paul, on the corner of Laurel and Howell (just west of Fairview, between Summit and Marshall.) There are three services - 7:45 is extremely simple, plain, small. 9:00 is a new "progressive" service (a new service started up this fall, "an Episcopal expression of worship that encompasses a progressive theology, uses art and multi-media to enhance prayer, and offers an eclectic global musical sound.") and the 10:30 service, which is based on the standard Episcopal service, but is itself always changing and growing. There is Sunday School (based on a montessori-style system called Godly Play) from 9:45-10:30 (so kids from the 9 and 10:30 services can both attend, ages 3 and up) and a "Junior Church" from 10:30-11 for kids who don't want to sit through the sermon with their parents - although kids of all ages are welcome all the time (it's a joyful noise, says LeeAnne, our priest.) And all people (and all kids) are invited for communion.

Good luck with your search, I hope you easily find a good place for your family.

I am not sure what area you are looking for a church in (geographically) but Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in SW Minneapolis is great! It has wonderful programs for families! Their website is www.mtolivet.org. I have gone there all my life and LOVE it! Good luck in your search!

I'm interested in reading peoples' answers here too.

Like you, my husband and I were raised Catholic and have a 5 year old. We were not married in the Catholic Church but had our son baptized, more for the sake of the grandparents. Traditional or modern, Catholic is Catholic and neither my husband nor I think that that faith is worth following anymore.

Think hard if you want to pursue a religion that one parent is "not a big believer in." Maybe we'll go Unitarian, too. But we're pretty sure that Catholicism is still treading in 16th century thinking. The kicker for us was the CD-ROM denouncing gays and lesbians that the bishop mailed to our parishes. That made us both decide to wash our hands of this faith for good.

I am in a very similar situation - grew up Catholic and didn't go to church since I went to college. Have two kids and wanted to get back into Church but the Catholic church I tried had a nursery that was only open for half of the masses and the sunday school program didn't go through the summer months.

We now go to Lord of Life in Maple Grove which is a Lutheran church and has a great family/child program. Not just "Church School" and the nursery but they also have many great family activities, school release activities, after school activities, Lock in's for older kids, etc.

My husband works out while I take the kids to church so I know what you are going through there but if you find a church that has a lot of support for the children through activities it makes taking them by yourself a lot easier.

It took my mom a little while to get over the fact that I wasn't taking my kids to a Catholic church but I just tell her that at least I am going!

Good Luck!

Hi J.-
You and your husband may want to consider a Unitarian Universalist Church. Our communites are unified by a shared search for spiritual growth and by the idea that what a person believes is a result of that search and not belief in a creed. We draw on many different sources including, but not limited to the Bible and have a wide range of views about God and practices.

There are several congregations around the Twin Cities, the largest being in Minneapolis. They have excellent children's programming and are welcoming to everyone. More info available at www.uua.org Good luck in your search.

I am not sure exactly where you live or what you are looking for in a church, but I attend and work at Grace Fellowship in Brooklyn Park. I am the Preschool/Kindergarten coordinator there. We have 2 Sunday services - 9:00 and 10:30 with kid's programming for both. We also have a Friday night service. This service is new and very small and there is childcare, but, at this point, not really kid's programming. We also have a Wednesday night AWANA program for kids 3 years through sixth grade and there is both Jr High and Sr. High programming on that night as well. Our music is contemporary. Our pastor is very real, funny, and honest. Feel free to email me with any specific questions ____@____.com or check out our website grace2you.org Good luck. No matter what I hope you find the church you and your family are looking for.