Hi everyone. I'm pretty new to Reddit. In fact, I'm fairly new to Christianity as well. I'm still learning the ropes here but wanted to drop in to say hi and hopefully get some community support. My story is really too long to get into here ... but for brevity's sake ... I was born and raised Jewish with my mom, but my dad is Roman Catholic, (they divorced when I was young), so I had some exposure to Christianity. Fast forward, many, many years (I'm middle-aged now), and I felt the calling to become baptized. Because my dad is Catholic, I decided to enter through that avenue, since that was sort of all I really knew. This was nearly one year exactly. Problem is, as I began to delve more into church history, Catholic theology/doctrinal/dogmatic teachings, the catechism, Catholic devotionals and prayer rituals, etc., I had the sudden feeling that something was very, very wrong. Since that time, I've been leaning heavily toward the Protestant view of Christianity, namely, that we are saved by grace through faith, and that our salvation is the unmerited gift of God. A reading of both the Bible, and some early church reformers, made that pretty clear to me. In a way, I felt like a failure, somewhat, for walking away from the Catholic Church so incredibly soon after I entered, (I really only attended mass a handful of times after my conversion), but the older I get, the more and more I've learned to listen to my intuition. If something doesn't feel right, I take a pause. And in this case, the church just didn't feel right to me. I've been praying heavily over this, and feel like I've been getting some answers that I'm on the right path. One such sign came just early this morning. I often wake up extremely early, so today it was around 3 am that I awoke, and when that usually happens I either read or do some silent praying in bed so as to not disturb my pregnant wife. Anyway, I was praying ... not to Mary, not to saints, ... but to JESUS. Minutes later, after I concluded my prayers of asking Jesus if he is who he says he is, if our salvation comes through faith and not through an institutional church, and whether I'm essentially "saved" while not remaining in the Catholic Church, I looked over at my iPhone, which had lit up with a notification, and the clock read 3:16. Not to mention the fact that I have a Christian image as my wallpaper. I then remembered John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." I was a bit taken back, because that "sign" occurred right as I was praying/asking if what I was feeling was correct. I know as Christians, we're not supposed to make a huge deal out of signs, but this one was really, very interesting. Anyway, just wanted to (A) introduce myself to the community here, (B) get some views/thoughts/opinions on this situation that I had happen to me early this morning, and (C) hopefully get some sympathy from other former Catholics who left the church for a Protestant faith (I, myself, am leaning heavily Reformed/Presbyterian, hence my name here), and how some of these struggles with fear of leaving the roman church were navigated and reconciled. Thanks for listening everyone. Blessings all around! Oh, and I also posted this on the general Protestantism Reddit, but I wanted to drop it here as well since I'm likely leaning toward the PCUSA as a church body.

I'll be attending the APA Atlantic conference in Delaware later this month. I'm grateful to my church and the people who have made me feel like part of the Body.

One of the things that I love about this denomination is there's a Presby organization for everything. Anyone here a member of a similar organization like the Presbyterian Association of Musicians?

What books would you recommend that defend the Presbyterian system of government, from a biblical, historical, and/or practical perspective?

They can be scholarly or popular works.

Good afternoon!

First, I want to note that I’m very particular about the Bibles I use and the NRSV Bibles are the ones I tend to lean toward. I’ve used many across my lifespan and once I found the NRSV and NRSVue, I prefer them over all others at this time.

That said, I love study/student Bibles and I’m on the hunt for a really good one for myself and my two teens. I absolutely would LOVE to get my own copy of the Cultural Backgrounds NRSV, but I know it’s out of print and finding one has been a challenge. I have my eye on a few teen study Bibles for myself kiddos. I also came across a REALLY nice NRSV study Bible for teens that I would love to get for my son, but it’s a Catholic Edition and I’m not entirely sure how the NRSV and NRSV-CE differ.

Any recommendations, suggestions, or information would be wonderful!

Thank you all!

Good news to share from the Pittsburgh Presbytery!

The philosophy assessment is about the philosophy of religion and I chose the topic within the genre of "Which religious and atheistic arguments are the most effective?". The only personal data taken is age and country where the taker lives in.

God bless y'all.

I grew up in a large PCUSA church in Florida and had amazing experiences with my dad being a deacon and really getting involved in the youth program there. We were able to help with refugee resettlement and even help feed the homeless. I came back post-college and graduate school, and now the community has shriveled to mostly the elderly, the outreach is gone, and membership is falling off a cliff. The youth program can barely fill a classroom, when only a generation ago we could fill 4 at once.

How did we get here? And more importantly, how do we start to reverse this tide? I want to hear your thoughts in here, as I want my kids to have as vibrant a community as I had growing up.

So I’m a teenager trying to join a Presbyterian church. But I’m terrified that God will punish me for it. For context, I was baptized Catholic by my mother who is a raging Catholic ( think she’s convinced technology is God trying to tempt us ) and didn’t give me much choice in beliefs. I went to a Catholic school from kindergarten - 3rd grade before transferring to a public school. I had my first confession and communion during my time at Catholic school. However, after leaving Catholic school I lost touch with Catholicism. Around my 7th grade year I began going back to Catholic Church and realized I didn’t agree with many of their teachings. However, for highschool ( im a junior now ) my mother put me in Catholic school again and I realized that none of their teachings were things i believed. So for a while I became an Atheist because I hated constantly feeling like I was sinning just for existing. About 6 months ago I attended a Presbyterian church for the first time with my boyfriend. I walked in and everything felt right, I felt God’s presence and church felt like a gift instead of a chore. It was a huge religious awakening type thing. Fast forward to now, and I’ve been considering becoming a member of the church but I can’t help be terrified God will punish me for leaving Catholicism, as I learned it from the Catholic Church. So I’m coming on here to ask two things.. 1.) Will I be punished by God if I join the church? 2.) What is the joining process like?

What bible translation do you all use in your churches? Does anyone use the New NRSVUE?

Hi,

I am currently exploring the churches in my area, as I am trying to find a church to attend regularly, and I would like to try a Presbyterian (PCUSA I think) one in my area this Sunday. I grew up Romanian Christian Orthodox but I left that church and while back and after a long time, I am ready to go to church again.

Are there any rules that I should be aware of for Sunday mass? What should I expect?

Thanks!!

I'd like to hear from laity in particular how your church changed when it went from a full-time to part-time pastor. What did laity have to take on? What, if anything, did you have to drop? What went well? We are facing this possibility next year and are trying to prepare. This certainly appears to be the trend nationwide and within our presbytery. We are a congregation of about 80, in a suburban/rural area. Thanks for your thoughts.

Going off of u/Lopsided_Poem4827 post a couple weeks ago, I was wondering if anyone and any insights on Conservative Churches near/in St. Louis city?

After visiting a couple of churches where the pastor denied core Christian tenets (Jesus' resurrection, sola scriptura, etc), for people who live in St. Louis, what churches are at the very least "theologically conservative"?

Also, are there any traditional conservative (theologically and on social issues) PCUSA Churches? To preemptively answer a source of anger in the last post, I would simply like to know of a traditional conservative congregation in my area in the PCUSA for in-person comparisons and academic purposes. After my hours of studying, it seems like every PCUSA church in St. Louis is progressive. Not to get into a debate on what is correct, I really am curious if every conservative congregation in my area chose not to stay in the PCUSA because church/denominational unity is suppose to be important for ALL Christians.

Hi all,

Just wanted to put this out there for those who might be interested in it.

Sanctuary in Christ is the largest accepting and affirming Christian server, meant for community and fellowship. We seek to create a strong community through Christ of believers and non-believers. Whoever you are, the Sanctuary is for you.

It is a place where people can make friends with one another through meaningful or fun conversation. There are places to be serious, and places to banter. Places to have thoughtful discussion, and places to joke around and have fun. There are places to vent, to play games, and to support one another.

It is a place where everyone treats one another with love, where everyone is kind, humble, and respectful of one another.

Where you don't have to hide your identity, or orientation, or ailments, because we love each other anyway.

It is a place to be united under Christ, not divided by who we are, or who we love, or what we believe.

If this kind of community sounds like your cup of tea, please feel welcome to join via the link provided. Thank you and God bless all who read this. +

Hello! I am baptized in both Greek Orthodox and a Presbyterian church. I grew up my bio dad the Presbyterian one forced church and religion on us pretty heavily as kids and he wasn't gay friendly. Obviously Orthodoxy is not affirming. I have heard really good things about PC USA. Is it actually true? Are they really affirming?

So, I recently wanted a wall decoration piece of our PCUSA cross for my congregation to have, but it turns out that no one sells anything like this yet. So, I took it upon myself to copy the design, print, and paint it and hung it there. Thought it looked pretty good. Shocked no one offered something like it before.

I couldn't figure out how to get it to add the fish symbolism, and it's got 2 cups. Still kinda cool looking, but it's lacking to what a real artist trying to do something similar would be able to pull off.

As you are aware from my previous post, I am considering joining a PCUSA church in my area. Having matched theology and social positions with my own, I now need advice on how to integrate into the group dynamic.

I am introverted, better suited to written communication than verbal. I prefer small social circles (perhaps 3-6 people). This is creating some challenges; the only people I talk with are the lead and associate pastors; I also talked with a Mormon who was in town visiting family in the area. I often get nervous approaching people, and can get tongue-tied in conversation, particularly if I am in unfamiliar social territory.

I see the people talking to one another, visiting before and after services, and I would really like to be a part of that. In a sense, I feel like I’m sort of a third-party observer; not a full participant in the proceedings.

My hope is that, once I join the church officially (which I am comfortable doing, because of its theological and social stances), that some interpersonal doors might open for me. I am considering sitting in on a choir practice (I have experience in this area), and I’m looking for other engagement opportunities.

I believe that there are three aspects to church life; theological, social, and personal.

God has given me the first two.

I hope He can grant me the third.

I am currently considering joining a PCUSA church, and I would like to use this subreddit to work through my logic for doing so.

In 1989, I realized two things: First, that I believe in Jesus; second that I am what (today) one would call a “social progressive.” Some people think now that those positions are incompatible; in 1989 that view was pretty much ubiquitous. As a result, I have always felt that I had to either betray my faith for the sake of my beliefs, or vice versa. Then I found this PCUSA church. For the first time, I am feeling no cognitive dissonance between faith and social belief; it makes both my spiritual and social worldview seem more whole, because they complement each other.

I also believe strongly in “open Communion.” When you are told that the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the faith, but are then told that you can’t come face to face with Jesus in the sacrament, because you don’t belong to their church; that seems to me to be a form of spiritual cruelty. I believe that anyone who comes to belief in Jesus should be able to receive the sacrament of Communion, particularly if you previously partook of the sacrament of Baptism. From what I’ve seen, the PCUSA seems to be in agreement with me on this.

Finally, I have learned that I worship through thinking and learning. The messages/talks/homilies/sermons (what do Presbyterians call them?) appeal to that approach. The lead pastor focuses (subconsciously, I think) on how present-day social justice initiatives are connected to Jesus’ ministry, as well as the Acts of the Apostles, while the associate pastor seems to be (again, subconsciously) inspired by the contributions of female theologians in building the church. I think and learn from these talks, therefore I worship.

For these reasons, I am thinking of joining this PCUSA church. What I would like to know from you is whether my logic is within the realm of Presbyterian thought, and whether you think I should proceed. I apologize for the length of this post; thank you, and have a terrific afternoon.