try other churches?

[gord96]

hello,

i was wondering if some of you guys went to a few different Orthodox Chruchs before staying at one......I have gone to one church for about a month now and really enjoy it's services and the people and the Father there are very nice....there is still a few other Orthodox parishes nearby that I have not visited.....would it be wise to check them out even if I like where I am??? sometimes I still think I should maybe try them.....thought someone here might have some experience in this matter....

thanks very much :)

[xenia]

I am a member of my Greek church, but I still visit around. Today I went to my local Russian Church and was very blessed.

[Orthosdoxa]

Hi Gord,

I went to a Serbian Church the first time I ever stepped foot in an Orthodox church. It was very nice, and in English, but the priest's accent was so thick I couldn't understand it! For my second visit, I went to an Antiochian one, and that's where I stayed for the next several years (until we moved out here). Even though I loved it at St. Mary's, occasionally I (and after I married, "we") went to other Orthodox churches for Divine Liturgy. Not b/c we were shopping around or wanted to switch, but just because it was nice to visit and forge relationships with people from other parishes. If you like where you are, I say stay there, and after you're Orthodox, go visit different ones every few months, just to get to know people from the other parishes.

LK

[Paisley]

Whenever I get well, I'm going to go to an Antiochian Church (actually a mission), and I may go to the local Greek Orthodox Church later on that has been in this town for many years. First, it has to be the Antiochian, it seems. :)

[Greg the byzantine]

I wish I could go around to different orthodox churches, but I've been practically raised in my church so I feel obligated to go there + I like it there because I know a lot of the people. Also a plus it's within walking distance from my house. I have never actually been to a service that was held in English so I've wanted to go to the local OCA church which is only 6 blocks from the GO church I attend, but haven't found th right opportunity.

[gord96]

I have never actually been to a service that was held in English so I've wanted to go to the local OCA church which is only 6 blocks from the GO church I attend, but haven't found th right opportunity.

that's what I am thinking.....i am in a bilingual church but there is an all English one very close to me as well...I would like to try an all English service as that is my only language

[Maximus]

I could be wrong, but I think most of us consider ourselves lucky if there is even one Orthodox Church of whatever jurisidiction within a reasonable distance.

I envy those of you who are close to several Orthodox churches.

[Greg the byzantine]

LOL You should come to NYC I've discerned that within a 15 mile radius of my house there are at least 13 (if not more that I don't know about) Orthodox churches.

[Xpycoctomos]

I could be wrong, but I think most of us consider ourselves lucky if there is even one Orthodox Church of whatever jurisidiction within a reasonable distance.

I envy those of you who are close to several Orthodox churches.

I'm learning to be more thankful that there are three with in 20min of my house the more time I spend at TAW. I honestly don't knwo if I would have become Orthodox were the closest Church more than two hours away. Knowing what i know now, I would have become Orthodox even if i were more than 6 hours away... but at the time I think convenience made things much easier to consider the Church.

My area is truly bless... all though not like Greg the Byzanitne's ;)

[Lotar]

My parish is 2 miles from my apartment, but the next closest is a good 45 min drive. So no, I've only been to the one I now attend.

[Eusebios]

If you are happy gord, stay where you are. There is certainly nothing that keeps you from attending DL at another parish. That is the great thing about Orthodoxy, you are able to visit other parishes and the service will still be very familiar and still feel "homey".
And,I know exactly how fortunate I am to be in a place where there are 6 parishes in a city of 100,000. :)
In Xp,
Eusebios.
:bow:

[Vasya Davidovich]

I met a godly man (a priest) and studied Orthodoxy under his guidance. When I became Orthodox, it was but natural that his parish would be mine, and he my spiritual father.

Now, I have visited the Serbian, Antiochian, Greek, Romanian, OCA, Ukrainian, and Bukowinian parishes in my city, and one of the two Russian parishes in my city, as well as two monophysite parishes, one Coptic and one Tewahedo... but I always come back to my own parish - this is home, this is my family, this is where I belong.

[gord96]

thanks for the responses......i will pray about it and see......who knows what will happen....thanks again :)

[Alexis OCA]

LOL You should come to NYC I've discerned that within a 15 mile radius of my house there are at least 13 (if not more that I don't know about) Orthodox churches.

Amen to that.

I did some on-line research and kind of knew what I was looking for so I am very fortunate that the first one I checked out was the one I would call home. Knew it when I crossed the threshold. I was either very lucky or very blest...or both!

[Monica, child of God]

If there are other Orthodox churches in your area you might want to try to keep abrest of their schedules. The Greek church across the street from my cathedral parish has services (the Akathist on Fridays during Lent and the Paraklesis during the Dormition fast) that we don't have. We have regular confession which their church does not have. Other churches have retreats, special speakers, classes and of course wonderful ethnic festivals. So its good to get to know other parishes.

Blessings!
Monica

[Xpycoctomos]

And,I know exactly how fortunate I am to be in a place where there are 6 parishes in a city of 100,000. :)
In Xp,
Eusebios.
:bow:

Wow... where are you? This must be out East? That is amazingly concentrated!

[gord96]

there are about 6 parishes in my city of about 1,000,000 people.....I narrowed it down to 3 that I was interested in.....the first one I tried was great so I stuck with it.....I think I will stay there for now....nice people, great facility and the Father has already helped me alot and made me feel welcome.....thanks for your advice guys :)

[Emmanuel-A]

I "tried" a couple of parishes before I chosing the one I attend.

But like Maximus underlined it, I do not forget how privileged I am to live in a city were about 6 different jurisdictions (and I do not include ROCOR, that would make 7) have at least one parish. That's not canonic at all, but well, it's nice to have the opportunity to see different traditions (with a small t).

If I lived in Normandie where most of my family lives I would have to drive about 100 km to attend a parish that has 2 DL a month.

[Matrona]

I "tried" a couple of parishes before I chosing the one I attend.

But like Maximus underlined it, I do not forget how privileged I am to live in a city were about 6 different jurisdictions (and I do not include ROCOR, that would make 7) have at least one parish. That's not canonic at all, but well, it's nice to have the opportunity to see different traditions (with a small t).

If I lived in Normandie where most of my family lives I would have to drive about 100 km to attend a parish that has 2 DL a month.

Yup, when I was an exchange student in France, the city of Tours has one Orthodox mission that has liturgy once a month. Unfortunately I missed that one weekend, I was so disappointed. But I continue to pray for Orthodoxy in France and for that mission's priest. Have you, by chance, heard of Pere Jean-Clement Jollet?

I would love to hear Divine Liturgy in French... :clap:

[Mary of Bethany]

I am also blessed to be in a metro area with quite a few parishes. And we have a wonderful spirit of cooperation among the parishes. During Lent, we have Pan-Orthodox Vespers on Sunday night at different parishes. Last night it was at St. Seraphim (OCA) Cathedral with Abp. DMITRI, and many of the clergy from the various jurisdictions. Next week, it will be somewhere else. I love it.

Mary

[Emmanuel-A]

Yup, when I was an exchange student in France, the city of Tours has one Orthodox mission that has liturgy once a month. Unfortunately I missed that one weekend, I was so disappointed. But I continue to pray for Orthodoxy in France and for that mission's priest. Have you, by chance, heard of Pere Jean-Clement Jollet?

I would love to hear Divine Liturgy in French... :clap:

Thanks for your prayers, I do not know Pere Jollet though.

I hope you had a nice stay in Tours, it is said that Tours is the place where the purest french is spoken (no accent at all).

[Xpycoctomos]

Yup, when I was an exchange student in France, the city of Tours has one Orthodox mission that has liturgy once a month. Unfortunately I missed that one weekend, I was so disappointed. But I continue to pray for Orthodoxy in France and for that mission's priest. Have you, by chance, heard of Pere Jean-Clement Jollet?

I would love to hear Divine Liturgy in French... :clap:

My friend did that same exchange program (although years ago) and attended that same mission for the year he was there (I would assume it was the same one). I'll have to ask him the name.

I went to St. Serge, the Russian Seminary in Parish where i was able to confess and commune. The whole thing was in Russian, but the nice thing is that the liturgy is that same so you basically know what's going on and you can just soak it all in without feeling confused. I love that.

John

[Eusebios]

Wow... where are you? This must be out East? That is amazingly concentrated!
Yeah, NE, though technically still Midwest. I live in Canton, OH. (a drinking town with a football problem). But there are 6 parishes here and many others within a 25 mile radius. There is a good deal of cooperation amongst the parishes too. Yesterday, 4 of them gathered together for DL of the Sunday of Orthodoxy with His Emminence JOB celebrating the HDL. We also go from parish to parish for Wed. presanctified liturgies, a real blessing!
In Xp,
Eusebios.
:bow:

[Matrona]

Thanks for your prayers, I do not know Pere Jollet though.

I hope you had a nice stay in Tours, it is said that Tours is the place where the purest french is spoken (no accent at all).

I did! I had a very nice host family. I also visited La Rochelle during the Pentecost weekend and Chartres on my way back to Paris. France is such a wonderful country, I would love to go back. I am American and I was there in the summer of '03 which was when a lot of that "Iraq war" hostility was going on, but I was treated very well everywhere I went.

[Michael the Iconographer]

I would love to hear Divine Liturgy in French... :clap:

I will attend a Divine Liturgy in French with you if you attend a Divine Liturgy in German with me. Deal? We could probably kill both birds with one stone by taking a trip to Alsace-Lorraine.

[Wiffey]

Right now I'm looking out my window at the dome of my church...it is wonderful walking to church when the weather is nice! [And yes, proximity to church was a factor when we bought our house!]

[Rilian]

I think trying/visiting other churches is good. I think it makes you realize we are a family and not a bunch of isolated enclaves.

[countrymouse33ad]

You folks who have multiple parishes within reasonable driving distance are fortunate indeed!

I may be having to answer the original question before very long. Rumor has it that there are 60 Greek families who have recently relocated here, and that they are getting ready to establish a parish. If they have their services in English and aren't clannish, then hubby will surely want me to consider it, since it could be half or less the driving time, not to mention saving money on gasoline. It will not be an easy decision to make now that NHV has become my church family.