My hubby and I have attended the same church for over 23 years. My kids know every nook and cranny and hiding place. I’ve served in every room and office.I’ve made the coffee, the cookies, and the bulletin inserts. I’ve run my hand along the cool cinder block walls in the basement, rocked babies in the Mother’s Room, and squirted gallons of Elmer’s glue onto paper plates for VBS crafts. You name it – I did it.

But

1. I was yearning for a change
2. My kids were stagnant and negative about attending
3. I needed a place that would embrace my specific spiritual gifts, not just my willingness to serve
4. Boredom and apathy were creeping in and I didn’t want to be that person
5. I was usually helpful and encouraging, instead I found myself being critical, sometimes judgmental
6. I kinda dreaded Sunday mornings
7. My family needed a new challenge

Have you ever felt this way? It was hard for me to even think about. I intensely loved my church. So many beautiful experiences happened within those walls. The people were like family. They knew me so well and we’ve been through so much.

I was torn up about it, but last Summer we decided to look into other churches with the thought that we could always go back in the Fall. As we walked into other churches, I felt just awful – kind of like I was cheating on someone. I felt like a traitor.

But guess what happened? We found a ton of fantastic churches, and our tired eyes were opened to all God is doing every weekend that we had no idea about! It was invigorating and inspirational to me since my own flame had dimmed.

After months of visiting, we landed at a stimulating, vibrant church that was the soothing remedy to the issues we were having. (Katie at ahundredaffections.com has 5 great steps if there is a church change in YOUR future.)

• My family now has buy-in and enthusiasm for attendance

• They feel ownership in where we are attending

• Each is committed to plugging in and using our gifts

• I feel an eagerness and energy to serve God in a new way

So, that is our story. It was painful (I still get an ache in my heart when we pass the old, beautiful brick building of our previous church), but we ended up growing in ways I could never have imagined.

What about you? What was your experience with your church? Did you stay or go? How did it affect your family? Share your experiences in the comments below. Please don’t share specific names of churches or people. Thanks for sharing!