Good church in west knoxville (Maryville, Kingston: house, school, college)

[jasony0423]

So my wife and I are moving down this weekend, it's been several months in the planning, and it's finally here. I'm working and living within about ten minutes of turkey creek, and we would like tj get some recommendations on a church to attend. There seem to be a vast number of them. We tend to prefer the larger, non-denominationally strict churches, but I was raised Lutheran, and she was raised in a Greek orthodox one. We have been doing baptist lately, but again, borderline non denomination baptist, not southern baptist or anything.
We are a married couple, one toddler daughter and another due in march so we would want a family friendly, as well as kid friendly church in our area.
Suggestions?

[Barking Spider]

I go to Concord United Methodist Church. Its a block off from Kingston Pike between Lovell Road and Campbell Station. We have 4 services each Sunday, 2 Traditional, 2 Contemporary. We have a great child care program.

[airen123]

I don't live in Knoxville anymore, but many people I know (late 20's, early 30's) attend Faith Promise-non denominational and large, with a great family feel, and friendly couples, etc.
Faith Promise Church - a contemporary church with locations in Knoxville, TN and Maryville, TN

[EastTNSuthernBelle]

I would recommend trying Faith Promise (link posted above); I know several families who love Fellowship Church, although I've not ever gone there Fellowship Church Knoxville; I have recently started attending Cokesbury UMC Cokesbury United Methodist Church and like it very much. I know several families that love Cedar Springs Presbyterian church HOME | Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church. All of these churches are large churches by Knoxville standards and have great family/kid programs. I know that Cokesbury and Cedar Springs also have great "Mother's Day Out" programs that you might be interested in for your toddler daughter. Bottom line, as I have been recently visiting different churches, I dont get too hung on up on what denominational sign is in the yard as long as I like the "feel" of the church and it meets my basic beliefs. Welcome to Knoxville!

[hiknapster]

I recently visited Faith Promise Church due to the urging of someone. I did not like it. They have something like a "inner circle" that has exclusive membership based on your giving among other things. I didn't care for the concept. Giving is pushed there in a massive way and they have the funding to show for it. Something about that church and the pastor really gave me the creeps. That's a first.

Only my opinion, though, which is worth what you all paid for it.

By the way, I was raised Lutheran and most of my children are baptised Lutherans. I attend a wonderful contemporary Episcopal church just north of downtown. I may need to switch, though, when I move, thus the recon visit.

[inave]

Try Providence on Lovell Road just off the Pellissippi. Geared toward young families, both ones raised in church and those new to church-going. Very friendly folks. Hiknapster, are you leaving North Knoxville? I must have missed that. I didn't like Faith Promise either. Felt too much like a Broadway production.

[jasony0423]

Thanks for the replies so far. Looks like we will be staying away from faith promise. My wife is very turned off by the hypocrites that sometimes attend church, and this one sounds like its got a whole inner circle of them.

[hiknapster]

I really get what inave is saying about the Broadway production. It was so bizarre. Everyone was singing and out of nowhere a curtain opened on another stage, the pastor dunked someone in the baptismal pool and then the curtain closed as if nothing happened. I had never seen a baptism done that way. It looked like it wasn't real, just part of a stage production. No mention of a baptism before or after.

If you Google "Faith Promise tithe" you'll see that the pastor is big on this. But the whole "inner circle" stuff really turned me off. You have to have a certain amount of giving as well as volunteer work, etc., to belong. That reminded too much of the Bakers back in the day, before they went to prison. I try to Google this pastor since he says he has his doctorate but there is nothing on him other than his affiliation with this church. I find it odd. I can't find where he went to school anywhere.

Oh! And he had just come back from "mission" work to London during the Olympics. I found that hilarious. How convenient.

Please know that there are wonderful churches all over Knoxville, though. I just have to figure out where I will live before I know if I will stay where I am or go elsewhere. I loved to be near work which is kind of near Lovell and Pellissippi, but at this point I will be lucky to find any place to live.

[eddyh]

Freedom House is a penacostal on Lovell rd. We just moved here 2yrs ago and it is a great church.

[DWDurham]

I'm a 5th year senior at UT and I go to Fellowship Church. It's right on Middlebrook Pike (take the Gallaher View exit from 40 and the church building is just east of the WalMart and Weigel's). It's a bigger church, I think about 6,000 among the three services and the two church plants they have, but I'm not exactly sure on that. It's Evangelical Free, which, though technically a denomination, functions as if not one. The big thing in the EFree church is "in essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty", meaning that they rally behind the thing that matters, the Gospel, and everything else they preach they will honestly explain why they are convicted Scripture teaches that but offer that it is their interpretation and that you don't have to agree with them to be a part of the church. The two main teaching pastors, Greg Pinkner and Rick Dunn, explain Scripture better than anyone I've ever know, especially hard, "meaty" doctrines that others are too scared to touch. Rick is one of the most humble men I've ever met and is like a father figure to the church. Greg tells it like it is and isn't afraid to offend folks if they need offending to open their eyes to mistakes they're making and sin they're in.
The kids ministry, from what I know of it, is top notch and the staff involved cares for the kids like their own (if they have any, that is). Also, the church is very missionally minded, so if you feel called to missions or mission trips, they go all over the world, from Tennessee to Vietnam to Central Africa. As well, they are heavily involved in missions here in Knoxville and the surrounding area, and have community groups for people in all walks of life, from those who are dealing with a terminally ill friend or family member to newly weds to folks struggling with homosexuality. They are doctrinally rock-solid and their passion for people is equally matched. As well, every Monday night at 8 at the church there is a large service called Crossroad which is specifically for 18-25 year olds in the area. There is about 30 minutes of worship followed by about a 30 minute message by either Greg or JC Neely, the college pastor. Around 900-1000 kids show up for this every week, and it has by far been the biggest blessing I've had since being in Knoxville.

Sorry to take up so much space, just wanted to be thorough. Praying you all find a healthy, wonderful church body here in town! Welcome!