is "church shopping" a sin?

Hi there craft talk, I do not think that what you were doing is a sin. It is your right to be able to choose where you want to go to, and where you would feel you belong. I have attended several churches myself and It is always at this one church ( a bit far from us ) where i am more comfortable with and I know that I would always go back there whenever possible and i would feel renewed. Many people do say that jumping from one church to another may be a sin that isnt a sin, for me its trying to find where you should stay and where you would want to stick around. What i think is a sin is when you back slide. =)

I don't think that looking for the church where you feel like you are going to be able to learn the most and where you feel like you really belong is a sin. You see, you are professing your faith in the fact that you do attend church. In addition to that you are looking for the place where you really belong. There are subtle differences between all churches and finding the place where you truly belong is the best feeling ever.

Church is a social group. Shouldn't you chose the group you feel most comfortable with? It seems to me this would allow you to put your attention toward God and not be distracted by the human eliment?

Did you make any oaths? any promises you'll see others from there again? even any 'words' like "see you next time"? (which--I'm not sure--I think 'goodbye' is sort of a short way of saying) Because if so, then you need to go one time that you tell everyone is 'the last time.' Just so that they can "wash their hands of you" (like Pilate did of Jesus---forever setting "government" on a separate path). The only thing that's important to Church is that everybody there agrees that Jesus saves everyone after they are destroyed. Then they charge FULL-SPEED-AHEAD making themselves feel 'holy,' forgetting the curses that befall the disobediant between birth & destruction. They forget that disobediance happens when they serve themselves rather than 'the LORD' (as is sometimes 'excused' by 'the needs of reality') That's why the Church needs a touch of 'Buddhism' (which is not 'worship of Buddha,' but is more like "following the path of an Enlightened/Awakened One"---making ALL religions forms of Buddhism). The specific touch-of-Buddhism? The 'law' of cause-&-effect (keeping in mind that "law" is not 'the rules one says all must follow,' it's "the way things have always worked and will probably always work in the future"), coupled with their 'The One will appear when the environ is ready to accompany him' (like the famous 'when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.') That might inspire a 'prophecy'-discussion later; but right now we're talking about you appearing among one congregation vs. another. The leaders of each specific group have the most control over that group's 'environ' (mostly the words-&-thoughts they encourage to fill that space); the LORD loves a servant (one who does not control the environ, but only proceeds as commanded), and the good servant does not proceed into the environ that handicaps his ability to serve. If your service is amputated by an environ that's less than full-WORD, it's only natural that you will move toward an environ where you have full use of all your service-limbs.

shopping for a new church is not a sin if you feel you are not getting all you need from the old church then yes as a Pastor I have told this to all my people when your no longer learning there will be no hard feelings and leave in gods good graces after all he does love you

I don't believe that changing church is "church shopping" or a sin. It just means you are trying to find a church where you can learn about God in a better way. You are in search of the right path with Him, so you don't have to feel "sinful" for this.. The mistake would be to not search God anymore. In facts a verse of the Bible says: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremy 29:13 NIV). The important is you don't seek perfection from men, because human beings are imperfect, but it's good that you look for a church where pure Bible teachings are being teached. I hope you will find the most appropiate church for you! Have a great day, Donato

Of course it isn't a sin. If you go to a restaurant and never feel satisfied with their meals, is it a sin to go to a different one? God has given different men different messages which they emphasize when they preach or teach. If the message isn't what you need to hear, then by all means, find one that is. And if, at some time in the future, you find yourself feeling disillusioned or simply bored, feel free to go elsewhere. No preacher or church has a monopoly on the truth, or even on the teaching that you need at any one time. Follow what the Lord is guiding you into and ignore those who would stop you from growing in Him.

Churches are made and inhabited by men and women for the purpose of gathering together to worship God and to teach about the Christian life. Some pastors are better at leading their churches than others and some churches have a social life which is more compatible with you. There is nothing sinful about "church shopping" as long as you are doing it for the right reasons ... to find a church which helps you to make a personal relationship with God.

Do you want to be at Jesus feet and learn God's ways? Well, as far as i know you will achieve all you want by means of true faith with God. There is no church shopping sin stated in 10 commandments of God but maybe it was just a part as the one who told you about it. Now i believe that only by faith we will save. Any religion can do all good teaching about Jesus or God. All of them are faithful to God and teach all about faith. It is on how we implement into our life the word of God. How do we accept it and live by it. Now it is simple.. if you want peace and good things to happen into your life all i can share is have a happy life in Jesus way, enjoy it and let His word sink-in have a deep faith and believe in HIM. It is up to you on where you will find happiness with Him...

you are doing the right thing....It is not a sin to find the right Church... Many Churches are as you say feel good churches, and they do not teach the whole Bible. Jesus is the only way to salvation, and anyone that believes differently is going down the wrong path. Good deeds alone will not get you everlasting life. Keep looking Keep reading your Bible..Pray and ask God to help you find the right Church. Keep asking questions, do not be deceived . Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

You go to church to hear the word of god, and if the church isn't giving you that, then it is okay to find one that will. It is much better to shop so to speak, to find the one that feeds you, that it would be to not go at all. I don't believe it is a sin, as I wasn't happy for the longest time, and found another church to go to, and now I am satisfied, as I am fed every week. I don't go for the people, as I go to hear about God. our church always preaches from the bible, and if it didn't, I wouldn't stay there. I have heard that some pastors, won't preach from certain books from the bible, and to me that is crazy, as god is in the bible from Genesis to revelation. I would never go to a church, where they only pick certain books to preach from, and not preach from the whole bible. Take care, and God bless you.

Pray to God to guide you to the church He had prepared for you. Asked for the Holy Spirit guidance and when you are at the right place, you will find the joy, the peace and you knew that this was the House of the God that God want you to grow and prosper spiritually and physically. I too have been to a few churches. Some I stayed for a year, some three years but at this current church I have been about 17 years already. I can really see God works in this place for His Kingdom to grow.

Churches have not only different organisations and people, that may be more or less interested, but also different teachings about God. This tells me that some are closer to the truth, and some are not that close. I think the best option for a church is the one that shows what God really is, not the one with the biggest charity missions etc. I suggest you to try to read more about confessions, their history and what they preach, and choose one taking this facts in consideration.

I don't know if it's a sin or not, but I believe that if you don't like something be the change in it or involve yourself with activities to grow with people and not only with people but with God.

oops I just posted a roughly similar query based on something that I do too on the same lines...then I saw your discussion! To answer your question, I do the same thing and for roughly the same reasons, I want that one hour to be meaningful and I don't see how it can be a sin to search so painstakingly for the right place to get something out of instead of being a sheep following a crowd.

Not really.. i think what you are doing is all right, since you are just looking for a Church that suits you, a Church where you think you will learn and grow more... What is bad is that you stay at a certain church where you learn nothing at all..

It depends in which culture you are raised and what a particular church teaches about grace. I don`t know of any church that will teach its followers to go to "church shopping".It can be, but i never heard about it. But if you go deeper into protestant ideas you will see there are teachings on how the grace is spread to the whole christian community. So if this is true then "church shopping" is not a sin as long as you search for truth. It will be a sin if you run away from the truth. (What truth really means, that is the big problem ). For the traditional churches, "church shopping" is a sin.

It's not wrong. It is best if you read the Bible so you will know what church is teaching the right doctrine. I was also in your situation before. I believe their is no perfect church but their is a right church.

i believe you have crises of faith most especially with those that should connect you with God. you are in search for the real message of God that will earn you eternal bliss which Church has in abundance often misdirected. I feel you should try one church. it might be what you are looking for that has the ability to connect you with God without any intermediary. it will offer you all that you ever wanted or need in a spiritual journey which has more than 1.5 billion followers or worshipers globally. it will answers most of your doubtful questions and queries about faith. do you know this church? and are you willing to try it?