My husband's employer is closing his oil refinery here in PA and we are transferring to the St. Louis, MO area where we will be on the IL side of the city in the Edwardsville, IL general area. Sorry to leave here, but nobody is hiring and the company is very generous in helping with relocation. So my question is --
Is there anyone on the forum who could recommend churches in that area?
Thanks and hope you all have a blessed Thankgsgiving season.
Paula
Fellowship in IL?
Re: Fellowship in IL?
I live in that area, south of there in Smithton. I currently attend a small Calvary Chapel in Belleville. I haven't really attended many churches north of Fairview Heights toward Edwardsville. CBC is a good Reformed church where many homeschool, they are in the Fairview Heights/Swansea area. It just depends on what you are looking for.Quilter2 wrote:My husband's employer is closing his oil refinery here in PA and we are transferring to the St. Louis, MO area where we will be on the IL side of the city in the Edwardsville, IL general area. Sorry to leave here, but nobody is hiring and the company is very generous in helping with relocation. So my question is --
Is there anyone on the forum who could recommend churches in that area?
Thanks and hope you all have a blessed Thankgsgiving season.
Paula
He will not fail nor be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth. (Isaiah 42:4)
Re: Fellowship in IL?
Paula,
I believe you are still probably Anabaptistic, rather than Reformed, in your inclinations, so it may be that the latter will not be the kind of church in which you find yourself most at home. I will say, though, that I envy you moving within shouting distance of Sean and his family (though I would not wish to live in Illinois for that privilege). If your family can fellowship with Sean's, it seems that this would be a good start, while looking for a larger group. I have met Sean and his wife more than once, and would be delighted to have them within fellowshipping distance.
I believe you are still probably Anabaptistic, rather than Reformed, in your inclinations, so it may be that the latter will not be the kind of church in which you find yourself most at home. I will say, though, that I envy you moving within shouting distance of Sean and his family (though I would not wish to live in Illinois for that privilege). If your family can fellowship with Sean's, it seems that this would be a good start, while looking for a larger group. I have met Sean and his wife more than once, and would be delighted to have them within fellowshipping distance.
Re: Fellowship in IL?
Thank you for your reply, Sean. Right now my husband has a rented apartment as he had to report to work on Jan. 23rd. I am still in PA trying to declutter our house and research nursing homes long distance for my mother who has to move with me, as I am her only child. We probably won't get there before the summer. Our daughter has to finish college here in May. And she has not decided yet if she is going to move with us. I'll try to post again after we get there.
As far as reformed is concerned, Steve, you are right that I am still Anabaptist mostly but the closest plain Mennonite church is in Farmington, MO which is about 90 miles away, south of St. Louis. There are a few others sprinkled down in the Mount Vernon area. While I appreciate the Anabaptist amil theology, sometimes the sociology is a little tough to deal with coming from another background. I would concur with the covenant viewpoint, being decidedly nondispensational. I grew up in a church that was not dispensational, then spent 20 years in the Plymouth Brethren, much of which I also appreciated. But the chopping and stringing together of verses to support Darby's ideas never seemed right to me. I don't know how many amil Anabaptists would be 'partial preterist' but I think that label fits my views also. My husband is more a less on the same journey but working 50+ hours a week has less time to think about it although he is a serious Bible student when he has the time.
I am going to try to attach a picture so it will show on the forum. Here goes ~
As far as reformed is concerned, Steve, you are right that I am still Anabaptist mostly but the closest plain Mennonite church is in Farmington, MO which is about 90 miles away, south of St. Louis. There are a few others sprinkled down in the Mount Vernon area. While I appreciate the Anabaptist amil theology, sometimes the sociology is a little tough to deal with coming from another background. I would concur with the covenant viewpoint, being decidedly nondispensational. I grew up in a church that was not dispensational, then spent 20 years in the Plymouth Brethren, much of which I also appreciated. But the chopping and stringing together of verses to support Darby's ideas never seemed right to me. I don't know how many amil Anabaptists would be 'partial preterist' but I think that label fits my views also. My husband is more a less on the same journey but working 50+ hours a week has less time to think about it although he is a serious Bible student when he has the time.
I am going to try to attach a picture so it will show on the forum. Here goes ~
Re: Fellowship in IL?
Sean, I found this in Google. Is this the group you mean?
Calvary Chapel, 1026 North Douglas Avenue, Belleville, IL 62221
Phone: 618-806-3788
Thanks
Paula
Calvary Chapel, 1026 North Douglas Avenue, Belleville, IL 62221
Phone: 618-806-3788
Thanks
Paula
Fellowship in IL?
Hi Steve, Friends,
You were talking to someone last week about the fact there are improperly divorced and remarried people in the churches in many cases. We have in the past discussed on the forum table fellowship.
As we look for a church in the St. Louis area, unless we travel 90-100 miles to a plain Mennonite church with closed communion, what do we do about the table fellowship issue? Do we look for a church that is strict on divorce and remarriage and figure it is up to the elders to screen people? Do we stick to a closed communion group? Do we go where there is good teaching and hope it doesn't come up? How important is it to pick a church where you aren't in this situation?
Trying to firm up our thoughts here...............
Paula
You were talking to someone last week about the fact there are improperly divorced and remarried people in the churches in many cases. We have in the past discussed on the forum table fellowship.
As we look for a church in the St. Louis area, unless we travel 90-100 miles to a plain Mennonite church with closed communion, what do we do about the table fellowship issue? Do we look for a church that is strict on divorce and remarriage and figure it is up to the elders to screen people? Do we stick to a closed communion group? Do we go where there is good teaching and hope it doesn't come up? How important is it to pick a church where you aren't in this situation?
Trying to firm up our thoughts here...............
Paula
Re: Fellowship in IL?
My husband came first, then I sold our PA house. My mother then became a hospice patient so our daughter and I remained in PA until she passed away. We all finally here in IL. I hope to visit Sean's church at the first opportunity as I have never visited a Calvary Chapel before. Yes, Steve, I am still Anabaptist but Reformed does not bother me. At least I won't have to deal with the Dispensational stuff that is nearly everywhere.
Paula
Paula