Since our first Sunday here in the South Bay area (L.A.'s beachside communities), we've been busy checking out a new church each Sunday. We've recently met up with a woman who had visited 21 different churches before she found the church we had met her at. Wow - I hope it won't take us that long or that many visits to find a church home.
The kids don't really bother to ask why we can't go back to our old church anymore (we miss you Boston Vineyard!) since they've perhaps lost touch with church consistency. For Lolli, as long as she gets to go to the same Sunday School class as 'Shroom, dropping off the kids isn't too bad. For 'Shroom, as long as there are dinosaurs and match box cars, he's content. We've been lucky the past couple of visits!
For those of you who have roots in the LA/OC area and/or know a bit of the churches around here, please feel free to suggest a church that we may be interested in visiting.
We've visited the following churches so far:
1. Life Springs Church (Torrance)
2. Lighthouse Community Church (Torrance)
3. Hope Chapel (Hermosa Beach)
4. Bread of Life (Torrance)
5. Mosaic (Beverly Hills)
6. New Song (L.A.) <--- we'll be visiting this church this Sunday
A few things I've learned now that I'm a "visitor" or "newcomer" to these churches, friendliness and greeting one another totally makes a world of difference. A website, in my opinion, is a make-or-break deal. If I've heard of a church but can't find a website for them, I most likely will not visit the church (unless someone I know personally is going to take me to the church). Even with a website, if there is little to no information on children's ministries and small groups (home groups, minichurch, discipleship, whatever the terminology is for that church), I still may not check it out. It is tough to drag kids to a church not knowing if there is an age-appropriate program for them.
From experience, Air Boss and I know that a church may be great and the Sunday teachings may be awesome, but if there is no outside community in the form of small groups, it's going to be tough to thrive spiritually.
So . . . any of you out there with recommendations (or even just encouragement to press on!), please feel free to let us know. Thanks!
4 comments:
Heard good things about Bread of Life, and we visit Newsong-Irvine when we're up there.
We've never been to these personally, but some LA transplants we've known came from these churches. Check out:
-First Chinese Baptist Church in LA (www.fcbc.org)
-Evergreen Baptist Church of LA (www.ebcla.org)
Thanks Ling for the suggestions! We've heard of both and it's great to hear of recommendations especially from friends (of friends or cousins in this case!).
denise, i'm so sorry for your homesickness. that sucks. :(
have you checked out any vineyards in the area (I know, i know - we're not a franchise.. :))
My husband and I just moved to southbay too and we have been doing the same thing... we already went to Mosaic and we visited Hope Chapel today. One church we loved was "The church of the Beach cities", it's in Manhattan Beach and they have a website. The only thing is that the church is kind of new, so they don't have a small group meeting for young couples, and we want to make new friends Christians friends around... and it's hard by just going on Sundays, u know? But you might like it! They have great music, they're very friendly and the atmosphere is very casual!
Good luck! anton-and-cassia@hotmail.com
By the way, I think we'll be trying the Seacoast church in Redondo Beach next Sunday :)
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