BCA

Well, I did it. I went to BCA this morning. When I first moved to my city, I had actually found BCA on the net and was going to try this church. However, one day while I was unpacking stuff from my car (the movers had just come on Friday, and I was still moving stuff from my apartment to my house), a neighbour stopped by to welcome me. (granted, I have NEVER seen her again...). It was a Sunday and she was coming home from church. We talked about churches and that I was looking for a new church in my area, particularly one that had a Singles group. She was divorced and told me about NCC. I attended there until this morning.

So, I drove up to the church worried I was going to be late because I was very slow getting going (the service starts at 9:45...good in that I can sleep in, bad in that I get doing things between breakfast and time for church and lose track of time...) I was surprised to find that it really only take maybe 5 minutes longer to get to than NCC.

As I walked in, there weren't that many people around, I found the information area, and grabbed a pamphlet on the women's ministries and the small groups. Then, I went in and sat down. The church is set up in much the same way as my favourite church to date (back in Victoria...). The sanctuary is definitely smaller than the church I have been attending, but comfortable and cozy. I sat down, found the communication card (a card to let them know you were there...if you are new or if you have prayer requests or something...). The sanctuary never filled really, and I am still rather surprised at how few people were there...I wonder if it's the service (there are three...8:15 (but that is traditional, and I prefer contemporary worship), 9:45 and 11:15.

Noone talked to me specifically, that is not new. However, I did not sit alone in my pew.

I LOVED the worship...songs that I knew, raising hands, clapping. While I liked that NCC was tame because I wouldn't be as worried about bringing my mother, I realized how much I missed being able to just raise my hands and lose myself in worship..It was a bit of the best of both worlds...lots of raising hands, quiet amens, etc, but no tongues. I am weird in that I love the Pentecostal church worship services, but I can feel overwhelmed, even uncomfortable at times, with the speaking in tongues...

The sermon...well, I am trying not to base my decision on attending this church on the sermon. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the sermon, and in fact, it was relevant to most people in the room. But as a single woman, unhappy with her single status, and a first timer at this church, a sermon to teach men "What women want" to create strong marriages...well, it was irrelevant and, frankly, painful to be reminded of what I did not have. They are in the middle of a series on building strong families, so I can expect more of this...probably through June. Next week is for women teaching about "what men need". Ironically, why is it only what women want, but what men need?

They have a single bible study, at 11:15. I could have stayed, but as always, felt shy and scared to go on my own. Plus, the sermon had really brought me down...so, I left, stopped at Safeway for groceries, and bought a donut to drown my sorrows in sugar. LOL.;)

In all, I will go back. I will give it a try for a little while..I may even go to Ladies Evening Edition (Wed night Bible Study). I will try and contact some of the small groups that interest me and see, I will await communication from them based on my filling out the communication card, and most importantly, I will give it a month to see if anyone talks to me...

Oh, and from a friend's advice, I dressed up for church. I used to love putting on skirts and dresses for church, it made me feel good, but I just haven't done it in a couple years...it really did help me feel better. I have never been a make up/hair person, so I just can't see myself going that far...but wearing a skirt or a dress on a Sunday morning is one step to feeling good, I guess. :)