Christian friendships and sense of community

I have been a member at our WELS church for 5 years now. I have strived to talk to all kinds of people at church in order to gain that strong community within our church. I know that God's word and truth is the most important thing at church, but I think Christian friendship/community is also important. Our church speaks truth but the community is lacking. My husband is super involved with church. He is spiritually fed. I struggle because I am raising my young children and can't quite gain those Christian friendships that I am craving. I noticed other churches in our area emphasize community. How do I know when to seek another church? I also read that children can sense when you don't want to be at church. I want to love my church but I don't. I am really struggling and wonder how to manage this when my husband has a completely different experience. I don't want to be a stumbling block to others because of my experience within our church. I have an amazing Christian community with a women's ministry I am involved in but I'm craving this at my own church.

You have a good understanding of how all-important Scripture is and how important Christian friendships are. Christian fellowship is certainly a blessing from God (Psalm 133:1).

I would encourage you to speak to your husband about your concerns (if you have not already done so) and also your pastor. Your pastor and other church leaders will want to be aware of ministry needs and opportunities. The history of the Christian Church shows that some ministries expanded, involving and including more people, when there was input from congregational members (Acts 6:1-7). By speaking with your pastor and other church leaders, your congregation can be in a position to assess the needs and viability of a moms’ group, for example.

Hopefully, having conversations like the ones suggested above will enable you to feel more at home in your congregation.

Enjoying friendships with other Christian women is also a blessing. There can even be additional blessings by benefiting from the ministries of their WELS churches.

God’s blessings to you and your family!