Springfield Church Recommendations (Liberty, Ozark, Republic: fit in, hotels, homes)

[Ittybitty24]

So, we have 36 days left before we move to Springfield. I was hoping that we could find a nice church to go to when we get there. My husband and I are both Baptist. I prefer a medium to large size church, but I'm open to anything. Any good church recommendations would be greatly appreciated. My husband and I are both 25 years old, so young married couple sunday school would be nice too.

[mrsgenealogy]

(Drawling as best as I can here) Why, IttyBitty, honey! You're movin' to Baptist Country! You shouldn't have any trouble at all findin' a church you jus' luv!

I reckon you know there's a Baptist Bible College here, too, so ya'll can just give them a call and see what they have to say! If'n ya want the numbah, it's (417) 268-6694. They'll probly fix ya right up with a list that'll make yo head spin!

Hahaha!

But as silly as all that sounded, I meant every word of it. I don't know which Baptist denomination you are interested in nor which one the Bible college is, either. I have recently attended a very nice Southern Baptist church in Ozark called LifePoint. They have a great contemporary worship service, a coffee/juice bar and have a lot of young people and young families there. It is a nice size church without being too big...which for us, many of them are.

LifePoint Church Online is their website, in case you want to know more. I am a mature woman and would like to think I'm a mature Christian and have been very impressed with the messages we've heard each week, whether given by the senior or associate pastor...and that's saying a lot!

Hope this helps!

MrsG

[jayhawks]

Loved your post Mrs. Genealogy...I tried to give you some reputation for it but they say I have to spread it around some before giving you more!
Just wanted you to know it was so precious.

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by jayhawks

Loved your post Mrs. Genealogy...I tried to give you some reputation for it but they say I have to spread it around some before giving you more!
Just wanted you to know it was so precious.

Awwww, thank you! I just couldn't resist! I have been reigning in my humor, keeping it all business for too long, I guess.

And thank you for trying to give me some good reputation! It somehow validates me, I think. I've sure gotten that message a lot when I've tried to rate others. Sometimes, I wondered if it was right because I didn't realize that I had already rated them recently. The first day that I was at the site, I even hit my MAX on positive ratings! Apparently, THERE'S A LIMIT! Hahaha! I was just so impressed that people took time out of their busy lives to help others and wanted to "tell them so" whenever I saw one that stood out.

I guess they stood out a lot.

I must admit, though, that I never took the time to actually write a note like you did! You're a sweetheart! Thanks!

[Ittybitty24]

Thanks for the reply MrsG. I'm actually from the bible belt myself, but have been living in D.C. metro area for three years. Most churches here are located in highschools or hotels on Sundays and it's just been so long since I've had a home church.

[lacyelet]

I went to Ridgecrest Baptist most of my life. Its of the big side, but everyone is quite friendly and the pastor is great. Its on Republic rd and Kansas Exp. Check it out!

[mrsgenealogy]

Originally Posted by Ittybitty24

Thanks for the reply MrsG. I'm actually from the bible belt myself, but have been living in D.C. metro area for three years. Most churches here are located in highschools or hotels on Sundays and it's just been so long since I've had a home church.

I'll tell ya, Ittybitty...being from the Bible belt ain't all good. As much as I hate to say it, there are a lot of people in the Bible belt who are just kind of into religion. For them, it's not about walking with Jesus and doing His will daily. It's just about going to church on Sunday and saying they're Christians. Living in CA, there were a lot of churches meeting in schools and hotels, too. I have found, however, that if we get past the physical surroundings, we'll find that there are a lot of people who are excited about Jesus and about their relationship with Him.

Don't get me wrong...most churches have those who are serious about their faith and many of these I've found here in the Bible belt...I'm just making a point about what you said about struggling to find a home church there in DC.

We're still in the midst of looking for a home church here and it doesn't help a bit that they're in "real" church buildings. Don't get me wrong... I've been to a lot of nice churches... but for one reason or another that I won't go into here on the forum, I haven't been able to decide on one, yet.

My husband and I still go to church though, because the Bible commands us to...and because we know we'll still benefit in many ways from going...and we believe we'll figure it out soon and learn to see things in a new way. We know that there's no way that God would have brought us here if He didn't have a church for us. I think we haven't found it because it doesn't look like what we expect it to. Sound familiar?

I don't know if you're still going there in D.C. but if you aren't, please start again...even if it's temporary. And when you move here and find a church that seems pretty good, attend for awhile and learn more about it, getting to know the people and vision...and if it doesn't work out for you, move on. Remember, you're searching for what HE has for you so it WILL be worth it! You wouldn't buy a pair of pants that didn't fit so don't "buy" a church that doesn't fit just because the name is right or you don't want them to feel bad. It's not about liking the people or not...it's about seeking the place where God can best minister to you and where He has people and opportunities already lined up so you can begin to minister using the gifts He's given you.

If you want to talk more about this, I'd be happy to chat privately with you. I think we can be more open and productive that way.

Until then, keep looking up...and believe!

MrsG

[whatzaname]

Not meaning that in a sarcastic way. I don't go to church, but as family from other areas of the Midwest have made their way to Springfield (they fell in love with the Ozarks, and we were here to help them get started), they each quickly found church homes where they felt welcomed and found all the activities they desired. If you know roughly where you're going to live, I'd try doing a google search for area churches and start there. Lots of them have websites etc.

Good luck!

[8 SNAKE]

You might consider visiting South Gate Baptist Church. I've been there for several years and have been extremely happy. We'd love to have you.

[dbg1974]

There is a nice little new church that has just sprouted up in Republic, MO. (10 miles west of Springfield) Liberty Faith Church of God. www.libertyfaith.org There's only about 20 or so going right now, and they are meeting in a storefront, however the Pastor and his wife are a sweet couple and the people are wonderful.