Church services are generally open to anyone. You don't have to be Christian to attend (just don't take communion if it's offered). You can attend and get a vibe of the church and the community without committing to anything, just show up.
If it feels right, there will probably be flyers or adverts for other events/meetings that might be appropriate for you. Maybe introduce yourself to some people. If the vibes are off, try a different church next Sunday.
I don’t think Jesus would mind if they take communion but they need to find out what it means first. And talk with the pastor about repentance is probably important.
BUT….. this is not what the Original Poster asked: they want to know how to go to a church and become a Christian, basically.
Simple Answer: look on Google for a list of your local churches. Choose one that you like the look of; look at its website; find their activities and service times, wait till Saturday, get tidy clothes ready, if possible, Sunday get dresses neatly, or go as you are able, sit in the church and watch. After church talk with the pastor or members that look friendly to you. They might ask you if you are new and you can chat with them and find out more about the church.
See if you like it. If you like it, you can start going every week. Everyone is welcome.
If you don’t like it, go back on Google and find the next one in your area and try that one too.
If you are not sure keep going every week until you make a decision about that Church.
Go to a church that teaches about Jesus Christ and him, crucified and dying to pay for our sins. It is called the good news of the gospel.
If you want to become a Christian, go and speak to somebody there or the Pastor and tell them when you are ready, and they will help you.
If there are things you don’t like about the church, you can keep searching until you find a church, that you really like, where they teach about the Bible, and where the people are loving, caring and friendly. Real love is a sign of true Christians.
Also, I was raised a catholic and I switched over to a Protestant church because they were more friendly, and they study the Bible and make sure that everybody has their own Bible to study. For me, I find the Protestant church better because it’s more modern and more friendly with great music. I love and enjoy the music.
My mother stayed in the Catholic Church and she used to say to me ….boy you are lucky, you have so many great groups and classes to go to in your Protestant church. She was always honest and observant and knew what I was involved in.
She was a leader in her church, and she was doing as much as she could to help the church be friendly.
There is a difference between catholic and Protestant, so you might investigate both and decide which one you prefer, but they both believe Jesus Christ is our saviour, so basically they are very similar.
I wish you all the best.
"Protestant" is non specific. There are many denominations of protestant churches which have their own doctrine, style and format. Really is quite variable
My old church used to welcome in people with shady pasts, criminal records, etc. One dude had been in prison for 20 years and I think you know what he needed to do to get that kind of sentence. As a result, there were a few thefts etc. Having said that, there were plenty of people with troubling pasts who made better choices and turned their lives around with the support of the congregation, including the 20 year prison guy. I think, all things considered, the number of people who benefited from the church's open door policy far outweighed any negativity from people who chose to abuse it.
I'm not religious so please correct me, but would you not expect someone to stop sinning (extreme, illegal stuff, not just normal challenges) to be accepted by a religious community?
Depends what you mean by "accepted". If they're continuing to do those things you might question their authenticity, and certainly if there's risk of harm to others in the community steps should be taken to mitigate that and not give the person access to people they could hurt, but Christianity teaches that no one is blameless so it's not anyone's place to be rejecting or excluding people from a community because of their sin.
I'm not a Christian but I've gone to christian church services occasionally for the music. As long as you are quiet and respectful there is no problem. Sit, and listen and soak up the atmosphere.
Most churches are super excited about new people coming. Find a church and find a time and head on in. Stay for a cup of tea afterwards.
You can try a couple of different churches too. Look up there website and your find the contact details of the priest/ pastor: minister etc and make contact but really just rock up and listen and have a chat.
I don't give a penny to my church due to my situation and I'm still a member and they've actually helped me out on many occasions. They also currently do a lot of community outreach which keeps them in the minus. The pastor and his wife are on a very modest salary and very open about it. They pay a lot of things out of their own pocket to help people from anything with groceries when they're sick to legal fees for immigration related issues to running a foodbank where people struggling can come buy a food shop for £3.50. I've never once been asked to give money. When I am in a better position to I will because I want to and I can see where the money is going.
Come off it, that's inappropriate. At the end of the day, priests need to be paid as it is their full time job. It's not just Sunday, it's day and night, 7 days a week. They are always on call. Furthermore, the Church itself needs to pay bills so of course, money is needed in this day and age. And let's not forget about the countless works of charity that Churches offer including counselling, supplying food, clothing and shelter, emergency assistance, etc. Please look into just how much Churches offer before being cruel. There are always bad apples in every community but for the most part, we're all just here trying to help each other.
The Catholic church has an estimated $30 billion in assets in Australia alone. That's not just real estate for churches but they own office buildings, schools, hospitals etc and have funds in superannuation and telecommunications. Yes they do a lot of charity work but let's not pretend that the church is poor in any way.
While some priests may be paid modestly and genuinely try to help people, others are collecting fleets of private jets in the name of serving God.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/06/04/wealthy-televangelist-explains-his-fleet-private-jets-its-biblical-thing/
Again, there are always bad apples in every community. These people are not a reflection of the community as a whole nor is this something that is exclusive to Christianity. This is really not the most suitable forum for your comments, if you want to make fun of people and spread hate, please take that elsewhere.
To become Catholic call the priest at the local parish they will explain what is required. After which eventually you will be baptized and then you will progress with communion and confirmation.
Adult converts(EDIT: from other Christian denominations frequently) don’t do a confirmation. That’s the rite for baptised children to confirm their parents decision to be part of the Catholic faith. You might be thinking of Reconciliation (confession).
You’re right. I think I’m recalling the differences between RCIA catchumens and Christian candidates incorrectly. Christian candidates often have their sacraments recognised and don’t have to repeat them. A relative did not have to receive confirmation, and only went through communion and reconciliation - but apparently this is a parish by parish decision.
What’s super interesting is rereading the new literature on this. My family was M E G A religious and involved with the church really closely, so I’ve had a million conversations and arguments about the catechism growing up with priests, and went through altar-server training before ditching it. Growing up in Canada isn’t he 90s we did Baptism as babies, followed by First Communion at about 7 and Reconciliation at 8, then we were supposed to be Confirmed at 13 (I got confirmed at 18 and was drunk at the time, they scheduled our confirmation the same weekend as prom weekend FFS). Confirmation was very much communicated as making a decision to enter the church willingly as an adult and to be accepted by the church community as a conscious member of the church, and to be ‘marked’ by god as one of his followers. That order and explanation made sense to me growing up, as it roughly corresponded with the ability of a child to understand and take part consciously in the sacrament.
Whereas [this](https://catholicidentity.bne.catholic.edu.au/scripture/SitePages/Sacraments-of-Initiation.aspx?csf=1&e=zuN4hs) explanation seems bonkers to me.
Confirmation as sealing
Confirmation (or Chrismation in the Eastern Church) is the sacrament through which the baptised are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The symbol of anointing with oil (chrism) is used. This points to one's consecration as a Christian: sharing more completely in the mission of Jesus and in the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which Jesus is filled. A seal is a sign of authority, of personal ownership. So, slaves and soldiers bore the seal of their master. Confirmation imparts a spiritual seal or character, which marks the Christian as belonging wholly to Christ. It calls one to share in Christ's priestly, prophetic and kingly mission.
What is the point of ‘sealing’ the baptism of a small child? They got pretty freshly baptised and aren’t that much more developed in their understanding of the faith. What’s the point of asking a small child to more completely take part in Christ’s mission? Are we REALLY referring to SLAVE branding as a model and explanation for a sacrament? It just seems bonkers to me.
Hey, where you living? If you are in Sydney and of Middle Eastern origin, check out Crest Baptist Church. They're a multinational Middle Eastern church with songs/sermons in Arabic and English. They're legit good people and even I as a pasty white guy have felt really welcome :)
59 Johnston Rd, Bass Hill NSW 2198
the right church will be welcoming, i went into a random cathedral one time, volunteering is a great way to get to know people at church, no fancy paperwork, people are often upkeeping the building for some churches, i just went in and had a fun time cleaning plaques and noone was judgy. now to convert, im not too sure, but a good church will be friendly.
You'll find that some churches are quite happy to accept members who are of different religions. I went to Christian Churches in Sydney and Melbourne that sponsored speakers from other religions who went up on stage to talk about their own religions.
On the other hand some churches assume that all members are Christians. And some churches will try to ram some sectarian Christian message down your throat.
Try perhaps dropping in on a Sunday to three or four churches. You don't need to take communion or even give a donation.
I'd avoid Pentecostal, and therefore avoid Hillsong.
A keyword to look for is "ecumenical", which is acceptance of other religions. The Uniting Church in Australia, and some Catholic churches, claim to be ecumenical.
If you aren't game to drop in on a church service, you can ask at an Opportunity Shop what the volunteers recommend. A lot of these charities are church run, sometimes by people from different religions.
PS. When asked how to become a Christian, one Christian minister said "Christianity is like a disease, you catch it by hanging around Christians".
PPS. If you don't drink alcohol, you'll find that a lot of Australian churches these days serve unfermented grape juice instead of alcohol. Ask for one that does.
Most churches I've been to don't seem to have resumed using wine at communion since Covid - or if they do, it is very much optional and only a few people take it,
Our religions have conquered countries and enslaved people to find new people to teach their beliefs.
They will welcome you with open arms if you walk in.
Considering the number of "Turkish" people who are directly descended from Armenians and other Anatolian Christians who were forcibly converted to Islam, I'm sure most Armenian churches would welcome a sincere Turk who wanted to convert, especially when they want to return to the religion of their ancestors. And this seems to be increasingly happening.
Most Armenians are fully aware that many of their people were forced upon threat of death to convert to Islam, and many of their kids were stolen and raised Muslim, not just hundreds of years ago, but within the living memory of some people still with us. So yes, I'm sure most Armenian churches would accept sincere conversions by Turks, especially from those people who are wanting to regain their roots and their culture.
Historically churches have discriminated in everything from skin colour to sexual orientation. If it’s a protected category, churches have discriminated on it.
Historically there were churches that fought against discrimination too. Abolition of slavery campaigns were interwoven with religious philosophy.
Everything good and bad about the European enlightenment is impossible to untangle from Christianity. Religion was central to just about everyone's life and moral philosophy. Whether colonialism, manifest destiny and the KKK or freedom of conscience, democracy, and human rights.
Churches are always happy to accept new people from all different cultures and backgrounds.
My suggestion is do as much research as possible into the branch of Christianity that is most appealing to you as there are differences and some of them are pretty major.
Many of the older Christian religions like orthodox and catholic have rich deep histories with direct links to the apostles however, they are often seen as backwards and non progressive. Never branches may not have the history but are more ok touch with today.
Do as much reading as possible, talk to as many people with knowledge as you can and then make a decision.
God bless.
I’m a lifelong atheist and even I know you can just turn up to most mainstream churches and be welcomed. You can even contact the priest and go in for a chat.
Be mindful that there are many denominations, if you were to decide, please explore as many as you can before you make a decision. Find one that suits you.
Hi! I’m a practicing Catholic. Where are you located? Catholic churches are open to everyone, even to non-Catholics. There’s no one there who’ll ask you what your religion is. Just find the Mass times of your nearest church or a church you wish to go to and sit anywhere. If you are able to, approach the priest whilst there or you can call the church office and ask about how to convert. You would need to go through a program called RCIA, and after that, you will be baptised and confirmed on Easter Sunday. It would be easier if you have a friend or family who is a Catholic to be your sponsor.
As part of the Catholic church, we’d be delighted to welcome you home (i.e. to the Catholic church), brother/sister.
The woman’s weekly always (haven’t read it for years) had a little ad titled “so you’re marrying a catholic” or words to that effect. It basically advertised conversion courses.
Personally i reconnected with the catholic church some years back through the Alpha program. It’s basically a series of videos followed by group discussions that are non denominational, it’s an Anglican that actually made the series. It’s good though. After that my teenage daughter wanted to be baptised so we did a course together, it was an our or so each Sunday before church, all churches would run similar basic instruction courses.
As an aside i drifted away. Some of the teachings don’t align with my conscience.
No I believe these day *Women’s Weekly* is mainly low GI recipes and what Camilla wore to Ascot.
Edited: to make it clear what “it” I was referring to.
No .. go to your local church .. don’t be scared at all
The priest will talk to you .
You could ring and explain what you told us and make appt to talk with them
As a lapsed catholic .. they love us and new ones
Please go ahead
I don't think this is a serious question. Christian churches have been taking converts as long as they've been in existence.
I have heard, by contrast, that it's frowned upon, and even dangerous in some parts of the world, for Muslims to convert to another religion.
Just go to a church if that's what you want man. They'll be thrilled. You'd have to find a hard core fridge sect for anyone to be weird about you wanting to convert from Islam.
Most Christian churches run a course called Alpha. It’s for new Christians or those interested in learning more. You can contact them online and they will happily connect you to a church that is local And even attend the course in person to meet others in your situation.
By the way, if a church doesn’t accept you, then that church isn’t full of Christians! The whole premise of Christianity is acceptance, forgiveness and grace. A Christian church should be the safest place for you. (I understand that’s not always the case, but in my opinion, as a Christian you should expect nothing less than open arms).
Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God and the way to eternal life is through the teachings of Jesus? Congratulations, you’re a Christian and there’s no need to convert. If you’re interested in exploring those ideas, you could try visiting a bunch of different churches of varying denominations (“types” of Christianity) until you find one that fits with your beliefs, but church attendance/membership isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Bible as a necessity of belief.
If you don’t believe the above, there’s also no need to convert because you’re either atheist/agnostic/still Muslim/something else.
Conversion is more of a ritual thing for certain religions and you may find you want to follow that path once you find the one that fits.
If you want to convert to Catholicism, you're looking at RCIA / the Catechumenate; you can google around to get a feel for what that means or have a look at the CEC website ( [https://becoming.catholic.au/s/](https://becoming.catholic.au/s/) ), but the first real step will be to approach a local church.
I wouldn't stress too much, OP, if anything can be said for christianity it's that it's extremely open to converts.
Are you already an adult?
If you are, in order to convert to the Catholic faith, you will need to undergo [the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults](https://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-rcia-stages), also known as the [Order of Christian Initiation for Adults](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Christian_Initiation_of_Adults). It can take a year or more in order to fully immerse oneself into the faith and complete the journey of conversion. For more information, please feel free to reach out to a local parish priest.
God bless, and peace be with you.
If you wish to be a follower of Jesus, there are three main streams of Christianity: Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. Most churches will belong to one of these streams, with there being many variations within those. Those variations are called denominations usually, with some being more welcoming than others. It’s similar to how there are Shiite and Sunni Muslims, so there are Anglican Christians, Baptist Christians, Catholic Christians, etc.
i would recommend going to a Christian-run food provider (example: HopeStreet in Sydney provide food and services to the homeless) and talking with someone there as they tend to be more compassionate and connected to the broader Christian church than the average local church attendee is.
Seeing as you are all ready planning on committing apostasy, this sounds like an ideal time to do it properly.
These guys will be happy to help.
r/atheism
All churches I have been to love visitors. Just check out the service times on their websites and turn up, if you tell people you are just there for a visit you will be totally welcome.
A lot of churches have a youtube channel, so you could take a look beforehand to see if the size and age demographic suits you.
Another idea is to look into 'Christianity Explored' a lot of churches run the sessions [https://www.christianityexplored.org/what-is-christianity/whats-next/find-a-course/](https://www.christianityexplored.org/what-is-christianity/whats-next/find-a-course/)
I can’t speak for all churches, but the nes I’ve been involved in would all accept you. You’re very welcome to just show up to a Sunday service, but if you’re nervous you can always give the church office a call and speak to the pastor/minister about your concerns beforehand.
If you’re willing to give a general location I might be able to recommend a good church.
First of all, start by thinking what your reason is for wanting to convert and take it from there. Most places are fairly welcoming - if they are not, then try a different one. Be aware that there are many different sect of Christianity (some big, some tiny), that may seem on the surface to be a very different experience - i.e. some are very traditional and may even do the services in Latin, while others are very informal with a less structured service and some don't have a church as such at all, but meet at each other's houses. In between these is a multitude of options.
If you are not sure, go to somewhere and sit through the service and decide how you feel about the place. In a lot of places it is unlikely that anyone else will even talk to you unless you want to speak to them.
It may be worth checking out the websites of churches as it can give an idea of the type of place it is - nearly all will have some services in English, but in my area of Sydney, many also have them in Vietnamese or Italian or Arabic, or a range of other options depending where you go. Depending on your ethnic background you may find it easier to fit in at ones where there are others from a community that is more adjacent to you culturally.
(Background - I'm now a Catholic and have been to 7 or 8 different churches in Sydney. I used to work at a Uniting Church school. My father and grandfather were both Anglican priests and a heap of my friends are Greek Orthodox).
Lots of comments here suggesting you just walk into a church service are good. Keep in mind that any given church could have multiple congregations and service times, for example, my church has four services every Sunday. Typically the early morning ones are very traditional, the mid-morning and mid-afternoon ones are for families with younger kids and the evening ones are for younger crowds.
Try more than one church in your area and have a few conversations at each if you can to get a sense of the congregation. A lot of bigger churches sometimes offer great information-type sessions run about Christianity but the best way to learn about Christianity is to pick up a bible and start reading, when I was an early Christian I found the new testament particularly encouraging. You will have many questions, write them down, and ask someone at a church you go to, it's an easy conversation starter and people will help you.
The catholic church has a program called RCIA (rite of Christian initiation for adults). It is specifically designed to welcome those wanting to become catholic. It is a program that gently introduces you to teavjings and rituals before a public welcome into the church at easter time. You could contact your local parish and ask if they are running the RCIA.
All the best!
Could've sworn all you have to do is read the book and take it to heart that Jesus Christ is your bro. The rest of it is just picking your favourite flavour of group therapy and is optional.
Catholics are world wide and quite accepting. Just go. They have classes to teach you about how to be a Catholic. I’m not a catholic but I go to a Catholic Church.
I’m fortunate enough to have gone through all of this and come out the other side. What I learned is this. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Compare the Content of ’The Sermon on the Mount’, because this Sermon on the Mount is The Messiah’s/ Creator’s Manifesto. Those who are not freely transformed by him to any one of the individual elements of this Manifesto, will be asked to give their account of Why they didn’t allow him to do so. His transforming actions are free and with his forgiveness for our rebellious nature and going our own ways. Organised religion will not tell you this.
You being a person of another faith, converting to Christianity would be a trophy for any church . You would be more than welcome, actually they would want you to film a testimony just to show how great Jesus is .
Go church shopping and find one that best suits you.
No disrespect but you should probably be more scared of your own pointy building and faith for leaving it than the one you’re trying get into! I left my faith and pointy building when I was 15 and couldn’t have been happier. But you do you mate!
Im not a fan of any religion, but if you do go down that path, just make sure not to join some fringe nutcase group like hillsong church. All religions want your money, but these smaller cults are obscene.
I'm not practising anymore (I still have a vestige of faith), and don't know where in Australia you are. If you are contemplating Catholicism, consider the High Church Anglicans too, especially if you are outside of Sydney/Armidale Dioceses. The role of the Minister / Priest in the High Anglican Church is to help you find what you believe, while sticking with largely Catholic ritual. All Saints Anglican Church in Brisbane was doing regar Latin Mass long after the Catholics stopped doing it.
Many of the conversations I've had with a friend who is an Anglican Minister we're comparable to what I have had with an Imam in Canberra at the shops: deep, meaningful, and making you wonder about the meaning of life, the universe and everything (to quote from The hitch-hiker's guide to the Galaxy). Ironically, my son learned more about Jesus from that Imam than he learned in six years of Roman Catholic schooling.
Literally 99% of christian churches drool at the idea of new followers, they do not care where you're from or what you previously believed as long as you accept Jesus
Depending where you live and your cultural background d there may be churches near you that have a more familiar demographic, some churches are a tub of Vanilla ice cream
Swapping one set of bullshit for another isn't the solution mate.
Millions of Aussies manage perfectly with no religious affiliation.
Try it. You might like it.
Not to mention the OP is specifically asking how to convert to christianity. It's like saying to an atheist "Hey try religion, try believing in God you might like it". Yet here these people are, behaving like insufferable twats.
Why jump from one brand of outdated fairytales, dogma and oppression to another? Just join the modern world and become an Atheist. You can always join your medieval religion of choice later.
Why? But if you really want to do it, just take off your Muslim garb and go to any Catholic church or priest and tell them you are interested in being initiated into the faith. They’ll tell you what you need to do next. I’m sure they’ll be glad to have you as there are plenty of people who want nothing more to do with the Catholic church due its crimes and sexual abuse scandals etc.
I can't imagine a single Christian in any country that would reject someone wanting to join the faith. In the rare circumstance this happens then find another church. Christianity is broken into a few major pathways and they may not be all to your liking but you should find that people will be accepting of you as they were told by Jesus not to be judgemental.
Is there a reason you picked Catholicism specifically? Not that you shouldn't. But there are lots of denominations, and if you haven't, it might be good to look into it. Though just to warn you, it might be a bit complicated at first if you don't have the general basics down.
It might just be best to see what churches are around you, perhaps even give them a call or stop by on a Sunday, see what one gives you a good feeling. A good church should make you feel invited, and will be more than happy to help you out, some even have a weekly group you can attend outside of the formal church service, though even those come with a meet and greet morning tea that is perfect for getting to know more about it all.
I myself was raised Russian Orthodox, but seeing as they aren't that widely populated, I've made do with a good Christian church where I can find one.
It can really be a great sense of community, fellowship and support. And if you're interested in more, you can really get down and gritty with Bible studies, and the Catholics are good for that and nicely structured. As are some of the more formal denominations. But the good thing is, there is no formal obligations so you can step back as needed.
But yeah. I think it's great you're looking into this and I hope you find a good place. Remember, they want to help you! So just keep it up.
just do whatever you feel like doing in life, then right before you die just ask for forgiveness. that about does it
remember; if you don't sin, Jesus died for nothing
If you've already lost faith, try finding something else in life. Then come back to religion once you find yourself. You may find you don't need it at all.
You should read up on the different denominations and attend some services to see what you like. The Roman Catholic Church is one of the older and more traditional forms headed by the Pope in the Vatican. Then there are even more traditional and many newer denominations.
Catholic Church have a program called RCIA for people interested in learning to become a catholic. Contact your local parish.
As Australia becomes more secular, religious organisations absolutely love taking in anyone who's willing to listen to them.
Which state are you in? Could help finding a church. They will and should all accept you, no matter what religion you currently follow, even if you choose not to follow the religion. I know my church loves to have other people from other religions visit. You don't need to believe the same things to congregate together and find common bond. Xx
For the Catholic Church, feel free to simply call your nearest Catholic Church and they can explain everything, especially if you feel uncomfortable attending in person right now.
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Hey, they should and likely accept you, part of Christianity is accepting others. go to your local church (Catholic if you want to be Catholic) and ask the priest about how to convert. God Bless <3
There's a missionary/proactive conversion culture. Churches try to offer a path to joining for people from unreligious, lapsed religious, or other faiths and denominational backgrounds.
If you walk in or call any church they will help you or find someone who can.
There are probably community events at many churches that don't exactly have a faith/background quiz for entry too that might ease you into the community.
I would be more concerned with which denomination, individual church, and philosophy fits you than whether they will be friendly. Just about everyone who chooses that life would enthusiastically love to share their path with you.
If you are Indonesian, for example, you might want to specifically find an Indonesian catholic community that understands your background. Or maybe specifically challenge yourself in a different community that has a different culture.
Good luck on your path, wherever it leads.
For Catholicism if you show up to the church and speak with the priest they will tell you about the process of conversion. Typically this will involve you working with the deacon or members of the church who will get to know you while teaching you about the different practices and beliefs. After you’ve done this you’ll undergo baptism then after a bit of volunteering/charity work you’ll undergo confirmation and then finally you’ll do your first communion.
Protestant churches are similar to this but instead you might only have to undergo baptism and then meet with some church members to learn more about the denomination.
Go to your local church and speak to the Parish Priest, tell him about your situation and desire. Your desire to change will be explored and the teachings of the church will be explained via a series of teaching sessions that usually culminate on Easter Saturday where new converts are received in that Mass.
You can show up to a Catholic church at will, no one will stop you doing that even if you were dressed as a muslim. They might be curious and perhaps cautious given the risk of violence but if you are friendly they will accept you. If you are worried about attending or would like to get more information on baptism most churches have an email and the staff/priest will take you through the steps.
Christianity is interesting because you don't have to "convert" per se to be a Christian. You need to believe in Christ and that he is the saviour of mankind because God sent him to earth to die for our sins. Now, in order to understand this may require attendance at church so you can hear sermons to learn more about Christ and the bible. Most Christians (as most other religions) do believe that you need o go to church weekly as a testament your faith. Now, the issue is that some churches are more accepting than others. In my part of the world most churches would welcome you to attend - even if you still chose to dress in traditional Muslim attire. Our country is very diverse and generally open to the "other". But other countries or states or whatever might not be as open especially around the stigma held against Muslim people following 9/11. So, my suggestion is to try and find a less strict or orthodox church to attend. Perhaps Methodist or Baptist or not denominational (modern). If you can (I don't know how this works for Muslim people or you personally) go in regular clothes. This is to make the first entry into church more even for you and the congregation. You want to feel welcome not singled out. Attend and see what you think. If it resonates with you after a few sessions speak to the pastor who can guide you further.
Are you in Melbourne? Sspx has some mass centres there and are always happy to have new people. Google 'sspx bulletin Victoria' to see what the mass times are at the closest mass centre. You can also contact the priest first, if you want.
As far as I know there isn't an international membership register. Converting can happen in your living room or in a church; it doesn't much matter where.
Like people have said, the right church will welcome you with open arms. If any reject you, that's a problem with that congregation, not with the faith itself.
You may need to try a few different churches before you settle. When my wife was looking for a church that worked for her she tried 4-5 different ones. Meet the people, talk to the priests/pastors and feel the vibe of the group.
I'm not a follower myself but I'm happy for people to connect with anything that drives them to be better people. I wish you all the best on your journey
Might have some trouble adjusting. Most of following Christian’s don’t attend
Church so the ones that do are often…. strict
Just don’t be surprised if you get dirty looks or insults
They will definitely accept you.
You just go on in and sit down.
Stay afterwards for a drink (usually tea or coffee ) and some finger food.
God bless you 🙏🏻 I'm happy you want to find Christ
Lapsed Cathoilc here and my advice for an accepting church check out the Uniting or Anglican Church in your area.
Catholics can be hit and miss and Evangelicals scare me.
I even put my time in working with the Society of St Vincent de Paul for a few years amd the best Christians working there were not even Catholics they just wanted to do good work.
I feel more comfortable walking into a random Uniting Church than I do my local Catholic Church (that mob can be mighty judgemental).
Personally I just serve the community (via volunteering with the RFS) rather than a church these days. Working Sid by side with people to look after each other and the community is very rewarding and no one wants to judge you.
Visit any church and talk to the priest and the team . They will help u . Don’t worry Church is open for everyone . I am like an atheist and I don’t pray at all but I still go to church sometimes .
Just show up, and that’s that. If you still feel like converting after that, then start integrating Christian traditions and holidays and stuff into your life, and stop doing Muslim things.
There are also different forms of Christianity if you get what I mean, like the Orthodox religion or Catholicism, look into the forms of Christianity and see which one has ideals that align with what you are going for.
There really isn’t anything else to it. Oh except baptisms, you may need to be baptised, talk to your priest about it, there shouldn’t be an age limit, though generally people get baptised as infants. You can also go to church on the weekend to get communion!
You absolutely can just kinda turn up. But two things, based on your comment. Why would you want to convert to a church that you’re worried won’t accept you? And what denomination are you looking for? There’s a bit of a difference between Catholicism and Pentecostals, even within them. Are you looking for orthodoxy or prosperity gospel? It might be worth doing some googling first to understand what you’re looking for.
Have a look around your neighbourhood and see if any of the churches are advertising an ALPHA COURSE. look for a banner with a cartoon of a guy holding a large question mark. This is a good start.
The hardest part is determining which denomination is right for you. Each one is very different.
Protestantism is a broad meaning and numerous denominations fall under them. You have more popular ones like Anglicans, Lutheran, Evangelican, Baptists, Methodists, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Hillsong, etc.
There are a bunch of newer churches. Some of them are 'new age' or 'born again' churches which typically have a younger demographic usually focus heavily on recruitment. Some are more 'pushy' than others. Some denominations are almost instructed to get members to convert new people even those that are already Christian but not at a specific denomination. It's almost like a MLM scheme. This is offensive I know but I'll say it as for what it is.
Be careful as some of them are very cult-like in the way they operate. Some are literally operated to benefit the rich pastor as well. I once attended my cousin's Pentecostal church and they seemed more inclined to "sign me up" than to actually ask me "how are you?". The vibe was just unfriendly and almost business-like in my opinion.
Then you have Catholicism. One of the oldest. They're the most widespread and one with generally the oldest people in attendance. They're the ones that have the Pope. They're also filled with controversies like priests doing inappropriate things. Catholicism has a rigid process to converting.
I would advise you to attend different churches and get a feel for how things work there. Research the structure of the denomination/ how things work.
I'm only saying this because I once knew somebody that was born Buddhist but wanted to become a Christian. All on her own, she chose Catholicism and went through the process to become a Catholic. But it took her months to realise it was ideal for her.
I'm obviously skipping a lot of details but please do your own research, talk to many people and think carefully before you actually convert. Good luck
Get baptised but as for going to church at no time did jesus or the bible instruct us to go to church or listen to an authority figure such as the pope.
Again get baptised, read the bible and put your love and faith in jesus.
That's all you need to do
Before converting, I’d consider sitting in on a few services. Get to know the people, the things they talk about and preach about.
Some institutions may not fit you as well as your first or fiftieth impression. Sometimes it maybe just a matter of a particular branch.
As a long-term agnostic, I’ve sat on various services of various religious groups in Australia, and have very very rarely experienced explicitly unwelcoming.
Eventually, once you do find a community that makes you feel spiritually committed, then talk to the priest.
Go to a church, they will invite you in. Contrary to what society suggests, Christian’s are some of the most accepting, welcoming people I’ve ever met.
Churches will absolutely accept you. I used to be Christian - am not anymore but I have no hard feelings towards it, it's a lovely religion if done right (aka the way Jesus said, the bloke was a big hippie 😍) - and Christians flipping LOVE new people. They especially love when people from other religions consider becoming Christian. The very first person you meet inside the building will be a good vibe check. If they give you a big smile and kindly answer any questions you have, likely the whole church is nice..if the vibes are off, keep trying churches til you find one that feels good. Most of them will feel good, I think the chances of any feeling bad are really small but like with any collection of humans, there are always some that are weird for no reason. Look at how they're greeting each other too, if they're smiling and chatting happily and seem to care about each other that's a green flag. It means they'll do the same with you.
Don't be afraid to just totally act like a noob the second you walk in either. Saying "Hi, am I allowed to attend this service? I've never been before and I'm considering becoming a Christian and I don't know what to do. Where should I sit? What do I need to do?" They will happily tell you how it works and someone might even ask if you'd like to sit with them. Good luck!
They are very acceptive to anyone no matter your gender, background, or ethnicity. First of all is that you have to be baptised by the priest. To do that go to the nearest catholic church and if you have the time you can ask the priest that you want to convert. The priest is very friendly as the teachings told people to be kind and will tell you how to be baptised by the holy spirit.
•huggles•
I love scripture! Have read Hadith (excerpts), Quran, Torah, Talmud, and a raft of Bibles.
Islam and Judaism has been about 25 years ago though.
##Should you…..?
Nobody can tell you what you believe in, the only person to know is ***YOU***! 😉
Do you believe in and feel a Christian God…?
If ***’yes,’*** then a Christian church ***MAY*** be an option for you.
If ***’no,’***:
If you do not believe in an omniscient, almighty superbeing …. Catholicism might not be ideal.
Christianity could still be an option though!
There’s heaps of denominations and sects within Christianity which aren’t part of the Catholic Church.
****
###Will you be accepted?
***Any*** religion, Faith, church, and denomination: They all consist of humans.
Without humans, none of the above would exist.
***Humans are fallible!***
It’s because we are flawed, we don’t love everyone equally. Some people we don’t ‘click’ with, others make us uncomfortable, … some really tick us off!
Religion, Faith, church, denomination, sports club, or community group:
There’ll always be people you don’t really like and people who don’t like you.
Wherever you go, whichever group you join for whichever purpose: the bigger the group, the greater the odds there’ll be people who won’t accept you for WHATEVER(!) reason!!!!
Whether ethnicity, Aboriginality, gender, political views, country of birth, …. or they simply might not like your shoes.
It doesn’t really matter though, cause nobody is universally liked and accepted!
****
##How to convert…..?
I don’t know how exactly it works in Australia. In Germany…. it’s kinda involved, Sunday school and all!
Best would probably be to contact churches near you and just ask them!
Don’t be discouraged if the person has an unfriendly vibe, just contact another church! 😝
You can also go on the websites of churches near you:
Some have recordings of mess or transcripts, most have social events every now and then. Those social events might be a nice way of checking it out!
****
##my spirituality
The basis for my own spirituality is Southern African ubuntu Philosophy, with European Enlightenment, Humanist / Realism mixed in.
I am not baptised, have never belonged to a church.
If there is an omniscient, omnipotent entity who _*allows*_ babies to die from cholera and can’t be bothered to intervene:
It’s entirely possible such an entity exists, but they would not be anyone I would want to worship or idolise!
****
###ubuntu
… is a very wholesome and community focussed way of relating to the world.
It kinda combines everything:
Political views, philosophy, theology, … everything kind of meets and intersects in ubuntu.
The basic tenants could prolly be best expressed as
> _«I am because *you* are.»_
> _«I am because *we* are.»_
> _«I am human because I *belong*, I *participate*, I *share*.»_
***see***
[ubuntu philosophy — Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_philosophy)
ubuntu is pretty close to the Faith of most of my non-denominational Christian friends tbh!
Nobel Laureate Anglican Archbishop Tutu has written extensively about the intersection of ubuntu and Christianity, and has worked on merging the two.
***see***
[ubuntu theology — Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_theology)
For non-denominational Christians their faith seems to be what ubuntu is for me, they don’t care much for rituals symbolising the drinking of Jesus’ blood. And we share the belief in the greater ‘us:’ None of us exists on their own. We are all part of families, communities, societies, and humankind.
The people around us shape us, and we shape them.
I don’t care about others’ sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, income, religion…
I care about _WHO_ someone is!
And I try to add positively to the lives of others and not harm them. Like all humans I am fallible though! Hence I also believe in forgiveness, kindness, and generosity.
Should there be a Jewish, Islamic, or Christian God:
Well, any deity who I would want to worship would be kind, generous, and forgiving! They’d care about out what kind or person I have been and how much I tried. Rather than arrogant and vain, condemning those who happened to pray ‘wrong’ to hell.
If God were vain, vindictive, petty, and full of themselves:
l’d choose to not worship them even if I had conclusive evidence they existed.
Because my spirituality isn’t about ***MY*** own interests.
Imho, it should never be a case of
>> _«I pray to them to not go to hell…..”_
For me the _’bigger posture’_ is far more important than what may or may not eventuate after I have passed. That bridge I’ll cross when I get to it! 😉
****
^[tbc]
Just go to a church in your area during a service and sit at the back, take in the feeling of the church and how its congregation interact with each other. Afterwards speak to the priest, they will always be happy to spend time talking about their church and your wish to start attending. Also, remember Catholics are not the only Christians and different denominations have different services, try a few until you find the one that resonates with your soul. Good luck, I hope you have great success and find peace.
I don't follow any religion but sometimes I visit the Christian chapel, they are very accepting and the vibe is nice, as long as you are respectful of their beliefs it should be alright.
Why do you want to convert? I ask because there's a difference between Christianity and Catholicism. (One's a subset of the other, though some Christians may not even agree on that).
Surely the first step should be to work out what you believe?
There is no special thing to be Christian.
All you have to do is believe that the Christian idea of God is true.
You can go to church if you want.
You can follow whatever interpretation of the bible you want to.
They will definitely accept you, don’t worry about that. However, firstly you probably need to decide what type of Christian church you want to join: Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox etc. I suggest visiting a few different churches, observing how they worship, talking to a few people there, and then see how you feel. There are quite a lot of differences between the various Christian denominations.
I also converted to Christianity recently, I’m in the Orthodox Church. If you want more information, feel free to send me a chat message.
Just go to the church and talk to a priest/pastor about your plan. Thats it. Better yet just check different churches and see what aligns to what you believe before deciding.
If you live in Perth, DM me, I will take you to Mass at my local parish.
I dont attend as much as I used to, but I would be honored to stand beside you while you enjoined the congregation .
All you need to do is walk across that threshold, the rest will take care of you.
Go in peace and be loved.
Look for one of those churches with the ‘All Welcome’ sign. You’ll be surprised how welcoming and supportive they will be. I’d say to go Uniting or similar for minimal judgement.
Churches are usually pretty open. They don’t mind your current religion. Or, you can ask one of your friends to come together with you if that makes you feeling more comfortable.
if you know anyone that goes to church, maybe try their churches. and if they don’t accept, they’re definitely not the right church. any good church would be welcoming with open arms. my biggest piece of advice is to move churches if you don’t like your current one. a church’s main values make a massive difference on the environment of the church and community.
once you know that christianity or catholic is right for you, you can buy a bible. study guides are a big help in bible readings. good luck!
Mate you will be more than welcome at any church service with open arms, Christians would love to teach you about the Bible, about Jesus and pray with you!
if you end up going to church don’t eat the bread that’s offered for communion if you haven’t had your first eucharist. you can cross your arms for a blessing or not get up at all
Church services are generally open to anyone. You don't have to be Christian to attend (just don't take communion if it's offered). You can attend and get a vibe of the church and the community without committing to anything, just show up. If it feels right, there will probably be flyers or adverts for other events/meetings that might be appropriate for you. Maybe introduce yourself to some people. If the vibes are off, try a different church next Sunday.
This and talk the priest after mass and they will help you out
I don’t think Jesus would mind if they take communion but they need to find out what it means first. And talk with the pastor about repentance is probably important. BUT….. this is not what the Original Poster asked: they want to know how to go to a church and become a Christian, basically. Simple Answer: look on Google for a list of your local churches. Choose one that you like the look of; look at its website; find their activities and service times, wait till Saturday, get tidy clothes ready, if possible, Sunday get dresses neatly, or go as you are able, sit in the church and watch. After church talk with the pastor or members that look friendly to you. They might ask you if you are new and you can chat with them and find out more about the church. See if you like it. If you like it, you can start going every week. Everyone is welcome. If you don’t like it, go back on Google and find the next one in your area and try that one too. If you are not sure keep going every week until you make a decision about that Church. Go to a church that teaches about Jesus Christ and him, crucified and dying to pay for our sins. It is called the good news of the gospel. If you want to become a Christian, go and speak to somebody there or the Pastor and tell them when you are ready, and they will help you. If there are things you don’t like about the church, you can keep searching until you find a church, that you really like, where they teach about the Bible, and where the people are loving, caring and friendly. Real love is a sign of true Christians. Also, I was raised a catholic and I switched over to a Protestant church because they were more friendly, and they study the Bible and make sure that everybody has their own Bible to study. For me, I find the Protestant church better because it’s more modern and more friendly with great music. I love and enjoy the music. My mother stayed in the Catholic Church and she used to say to me ….boy you are lucky, you have so many great groups and classes to go to in your Protestant church. She was always honest and observant and knew what I was involved in. She was a leader in her church, and she was doing as much as she could to help the church be friendly. There is a difference between catholic and Protestant, so you might investigate both and decide which one you prefer, but they both believe Jesus Christ is our saviour, so basically they are very similar. I wish you all the best.
"Protestant" is non specific. There are many denominations of protestant churches which have their own doctrine, style and format. Really is quite variable
Do you have any friends or colleagues that go to church? Ask them to join. Go to a few different ones to see what fits
>I think they will not accept me. My experience is usually the opposite. They accept virtually anyone, even people they probably shouldn't.
who shouldnt they accept..??
Pedophiles
oh- yeah true
My old church used to welcome in people with shady pasts, criminal records, etc. One dude had been in prison for 20 years and I think you know what he needed to do to get that kind of sentence. As a result, there were a few thefts etc. Having said that, there were plenty of people with troubling pasts who made better choices and turned their lives around with the support of the congregation, including the 20 year prison guy. I think, all things considered, the number of people who benefited from the church's open door policy far outweighed any negativity from people who chose to abuse it.
If they served their time shouldn't they be allowed back in, isn't like forgiving the whole point of the bible.
I'm not religious so please correct me, but would you not expect someone to stop sinning (extreme, illegal stuff, not just normal challenges) to be accepted by a religious community?
Depends what you mean by "accepted". If they're continuing to do those things you might question their authenticity, and certainly if there's risk of harm to others in the community steps should be taken to mitigate that and not give the person access to people they could hurt, but Christianity teaches that no one is blameless so it's not anyone's place to be rejecting or excluding people from a community because of their sin.
yes, they are saying they let anyone in who wanted to join
Especially people they shouldn't.
Isn’t that the entire point of Christianity? To love everyone regardless of their sins?
Yes, If anything the Catholic Church wants the sinner who wants to repent more so than anyone else. Not entirely true for many denominations
I think some churches, notably the Catholics, blur the line between loving sinners and enabling them. Remember the Royal Commission?
Honestly just go to Church on Sunday and talk to the priest afterwards. Don’t worry about people not accepting you, they absolutely will.
I'm not a Christian but I've gone to christian church services occasionally for the music. As long as you are quiet and respectful there is no problem. Sit, and listen and soak up the atmosphere.
Its magical at some churches
Some congregations sound like entire choirs hey. Like, every damn person in the building can sing amazingly!
when you have enough people it almost doesn’t matter how good each person is. joys of a choir. as long as everyone is at least average..
Most churches are super excited about new people coming. Find a church and find a time and head on in. Stay for a cup of tea afterwards. You can try a couple of different churches too. Look up there website and your find the contact details of the priest/ pastor: minister etc and make contact but really just rock up and listen and have a chat.
Fresh blood to extract from 🙏🏼
💰 🤑 💸
I don't give a penny to my church due to my situation and I'm still a member and they've actually helped me out on many occasions. They also currently do a lot of community outreach which keeps them in the minus. The pastor and his wife are on a very modest salary and very open about it. They pay a lot of things out of their own pocket to help people from anything with groceries when they're sick to legal fees for immigration related issues to running a foodbank where people struggling can come buy a food shop for £3.50. I've never once been asked to give money. When I am in a better position to I will because I want to and I can see where the money is going.
That's so wonderful, truly. There are good people out there acting in the name of their god but I'd say they're in the minority.
Come off it, that's inappropriate. At the end of the day, priests need to be paid as it is their full time job. It's not just Sunday, it's day and night, 7 days a week. They are always on call. Furthermore, the Church itself needs to pay bills so of course, money is needed in this day and age. And let's not forget about the countless works of charity that Churches offer including counselling, supplying food, clothing and shelter, emergency assistance, etc. Please look into just how much Churches offer before being cruel. There are always bad apples in every community but for the most part, we're all just here trying to help each other.
The Catholic church has an estimated $30 billion in assets in Australia alone. That's not just real estate for churches but they own office buildings, schools, hospitals etc and have funds in superannuation and telecommunications. Yes they do a lot of charity work but let's not pretend that the church is poor in any way.
While some priests may be paid modestly and genuinely try to help people, others are collecting fleets of private jets in the name of serving God. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/06/04/wealthy-televangelist-explains-his-fleet-private-jets-its-biblical-thing/
Again, there are always bad apples in every community. These people are not a reflection of the community as a whole nor is this something that is exclusive to Christianity. This is really not the most suitable forum for your comments, if you want to make fun of people and spread hate, please take that elsewhere.
To become Catholic call the priest at the local parish they will explain what is required. After which eventually you will be baptized and then you will progress with communion and confirmation.
Adult converts(EDIT: from other Christian denominations frequently) don’t do a confirmation. That’s the rite for baptised children to confirm their parents decision to be part of the Catholic faith. You might be thinking of Reconciliation (confession).
Adults do receive Confirmation, if they haven't been confirmed as children. It's a Sacrament to receive grace, not about their parents decision.
You’re right. I think I’m recalling the differences between RCIA catchumens and Christian candidates incorrectly. Christian candidates often have their sacraments recognised and don’t have to repeat them. A relative did not have to receive confirmation, and only went through communion and reconciliation - but apparently this is a parish by parish decision. What’s super interesting is rereading the new literature on this. My family was M E G A religious and involved with the church really closely, so I’ve had a million conversations and arguments about the catechism growing up with priests, and went through altar-server training before ditching it. Growing up in Canada isn’t he 90s we did Baptism as babies, followed by First Communion at about 7 and Reconciliation at 8, then we were supposed to be Confirmed at 13 (I got confirmed at 18 and was drunk at the time, they scheduled our confirmation the same weekend as prom weekend FFS). Confirmation was very much communicated as making a decision to enter the church willingly as an adult and to be accepted by the church community as a conscious member of the church, and to be ‘marked’ by god as one of his followers. That order and explanation made sense to me growing up, as it roughly corresponded with the ability of a child to understand and take part consciously in the sacrament. Whereas [this](https://catholicidentity.bne.catholic.edu.au/scripture/SitePages/Sacraments-of-Initiation.aspx?csf=1&e=zuN4hs) explanation seems bonkers to me. Confirmation as sealing Confirmation (or Chrismation in the Eastern Church) is the sacrament through which the baptised are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The symbol of anointing with oil (chrism) is used. This points to one's consecration as a Christian: sharing more completely in the mission of Jesus and in the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which Jesus is filled. A seal is a sign of authority, of personal ownership. So, slaves and soldiers bore the seal of their master. Confirmation imparts a spiritual seal or character, which marks the Christian as belonging wholly to Christ. It calls one to share in Christ's priestly, prophetic and kingly mission. What is the point of ‘sealing’ the baptism of a small child? They got pretty freshly baptised and aren’t that much more developed in their understanding of the faith. What’s the point of asking a small child to more completely take part in Christ’s mission? Are we REALLY referring to SLAVE branding as a model and explanation for a sacrament? It just seems bonkers to me.
They do get Confirmed. When I was 12 and being Confirmed, there were others older than me in my group.
Hey, where you living? If you are in Sydney and of Middle Eastern origin, check out Crest Baptist Church. They're a multinational Middle Eastern church with songs/sermons in Arabic and English. They're legit good people and even I as a pasty white guy have felt really welcome :) 59 Johnston Rd, Bass Hill NSW 2198
the right church will be welcoming, i went into a random cathedral one time, volunteering is a great way to get to know people at church, no fancy paperwork, people are often upkeeping the building for some churches, i just went in and had a fun time cleaning plaques and noone was judgy. now to convert, im not too sure, but a good church will be friendly.
Why wouldnt a church accept you?
You'll find that some churches are quite happy to accept members who are of different religions. I went to Christian Churches in Sydney and Melbourne that sponsored speakers from other religions who went up on stage to talk about their own religions. On the other hand some churches assume that all members are Christians. And some churches will try to ram some sectarian Christian message down your throat. Try perhaps dropping in on a Sunday to three or four churches. You don't need to take communion or even give a donation. I'd avoid Pentecostal, and therefore avoid Hillsong. A keyword to look for is "ecumenical", which is acceptance of other religions. The Uniting Church in Australia, and some Catholic churches, claim to be ecumenical. If you aren't game to drop in on a church service, you can ask at an Opportunity Shop what the volunteers recommend. A lot of these charities are church run, sometimes by people from different religions.
PS. When asked how to become a Christian, one Christian minister said "Christianity is like a disease, you catch it by hanging around Christians". PPS. If you don't drink alcohol, you'll find that a lot of Australian churches these days serve unfermented grape juice instead of alcohol. Ask for one that does.
Most churches I've been to don't seem to have resumed using wine at communion since Covid - or if they do, it is very much optional and only a few people take it,
Our religions have conquered countries and enslaved people to find new people to teach their beliefs. They will welcome you with open arms if you walk in.
I have found most places of worship are welcoming; churches, mosques, synagogues, gurdwara.
I am not so sure that Armenian Church might welcome a Turk for example.
Considering the number of "Turkish" people who are directly descended from Armenians and other Anatolian Christians who were forcibly converted to Islam, I'm sure most Armenian churches would welcome a sincere Turk who wanted to convert, especially when they want to return to the religion of their ancestors. And this seems to be increasingly happening.
I hope they are welcoming as you think.
Most Armenians are fully aware that many of their people were forced upon threat of death to convert to Islam, and many of their kids were stolen and raised Muslim, not just hundreds of years ago, but within the living memory of some people still with us. So yes, I'm sure most Armenian churches would accept sincere conversions by Turks, especially from those people who are wanting to regain their roots and their culture.
I'd say yes generally - but it depends a lot on the country. In quite a few countries, some or all mosques are seen as off limits to non-Muslims.
That's not exactly a great selling point for religion in general.
Historically churches have discriminated in everything from skin colour to sexual orientation. If it’s a protected category, churches have discriminated on it.
Historically there were churches that fought against discrimination too. Abolition of slavery campaigns were interwoven with religious philosophy. Everything good and bad about the European enlightenment is impossible to untangle from Christianity. Religion was central to just about everyone's life and moral philosophy. Whether colonialism, manifest destiny and the KKK or freedom of conscience, democracy, and human rights.
Churches are always happy to accept new people from all different cultures and backgrounds. My suggestion is do as much research as possible into the branch of Christianity that is most appealing to you as there are differences and some of them are pretty major. Many of the older Christian religions like orthodox and catholic have rich deep histories with direct links to the apostles however, they are often seen as backwards and non progressive. Never branches may not have the history but are more ok touch with today. Do as much reading as possible, talk to as many people with knowledge as you can and then make a decision. God bless.
I’m a lifelong atheist and even I know you can just turn up to most mainstream churches and be welcomed. You can even contact the priest and go in for a chat.
Be mindful that there are many denominations, if you were to decide, please explore as many as you can before you make a decision. Find one that suits you.
Yeah, don’t want to go joining JWs without knowing exactly what you’ll be signing up for.
Hi! I’m a practicing Catholic. Where are you located? Catholic churches are open to everyone, even to non-Catholics. There’s no one there who’ll ask you what your religion is. Just find the Mass times of your nearest church or a church you wish to go to and sit anywhere. If you are able to, approach the priest whilst there or you can call the church office and ask about how to convert. You would need to go through a program called RCIA, and after that, you will be baptised and confirmed on Easter Sunday. It would be easier if you have a friend or family who is a Catholic to be your sponsor. As part of the Catholic church, we’d be delighted to welcome you home (i.e. to the Catholic church), brother/sister.
If they won't accept you, I don't see why you'd still want to be one of them.
Oh this is the good answer. Why bother when they don't want you to be on of them🤷
The woman’s weekly always (haven’t read it for years) had a little ad titled “so you’re marrying a catholic” or words to that effect. It basically advertised conversion courses. Personally i reconnected with the catholic church some years back through the Alpha program. It’s basically a series of videos followed by group discussions that are non denominational, it’s an Anglican that actually made the series. It’s good though. After that my teenage daughter wanted to be baptised so we did a course together, it was an our or so each Sunday before church, all churches would run similar basic instruction courses. As an aside i drifted away. Some of the teachings don’t align with my conscience.
No I believe these day *Women’s Weekly* is mainly low GI recipes and what Camilla wore to Ascot. Edited: to make it clear what “it” I was referring to.
Not so much. So many people drifting away from church communities has made those communities more doctrinal in their faith in many instances.
I mean Women’s Weekly.
No .. go to your local church .. don’t be scared at all The priest will talk to you . You could ring and explain what you told us and make appt to talk with them As a lapsed catholic .. they love us and new ones Please go ahead
Just go to a Catholic Church and talk to a priest. They are generally nice people and they will welcome you
I don't think this is a serious question. Christian churches have been taking converts as long as they've been in existence. I have heard, by contrast, that it's frowned upon, and even dangerous in some parts of the world, for Muslims to convert to another religion.
Just go to a church if that's what you want man. They'll be thrilled. You'd have to find a hard core fridge sect for anyone to be weird about you wanting to convert from Islam.
Try r/askachristian You could try my religion, and if you're not completely satisfied after two weeks I'm sure your old one will take you back
RAmen
Most Christian churches run a course called Alpha. It’s for new Christians or those interested in learning more. You can contact them online and they will happily connect you to a church that is local And even attend the course in person to meet others in your situation. By the way, if a church doesn’t accept you, then that church isn’t full of Christians! The whole premise of Christianity is acceptance, forgiveness and grace. A Christian church should be the safest place for you. (I understand that’s not always the case, but in my opinion, as a Christian you should expect nothing less than open arms).
Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God and the way to eternal life is through the teachings of Jesus? Congratulations, you’re a Christian and there’s no need to convert. If you’re interested in exploring those ideas, you could try visiting a bunch of different churches of varying denominations (“types” of Christianity) until you find one that fits with your beliefs, but church attendance/membership isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Bible as a necessity of belief. If you don’t believe the above, there’s also no need to convert because you’re either atheist/agnostic/still Muslim/something else. Conversion is more of a ritual thing for certain religions and you may find you want to follow that path once you find the one that fits.
If you want to convert to Catholicism, you're looking at RCIA / the Catechumenate; you can google around to get a feel for what that means or have a look at the CEC website ( [https://becoming.catholic.au/s/](https://becoming.catholic.au/s/) ), but the first real step will be to approach a local church. I wouldn't stress too much, OP, if anything can be said for christianity it's that it's extremely open to converts.
I'm no Christian, I can't offer any advice on this but for the love of whatever God you're into, stay away from Hillsong. Pentecostal is not the way.
Are you already an adult? If you are, in order to convert to the Catholic faith, you will need to undergo [the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults](https://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-rcia-stages), also known as the [Order of Christian Initiation for Adults](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Christian_Initiation_of_Adults). It can take a year or more in order to fully immerse oneself into the faith and complete the journey of conversion. For more information, please feel free to reach out to a local parish priest. God bless, and peace be with you.
If you wish to be a follower of Jesus, there are three main streams of Christianity: Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. Most churches will belong to one of these streams, with there being many variations within those. Those variations are called denominations usually, with some being more welcoming than others. It’s similar to how there are Shiite and Sunni Muslims, so there are Anglican Christians, Baptist Christians, Catholic Christians, etc. i would recommend going to a Christian-run food provider (example: HopeStreet in Sydney provide food and services to the homeless) and talking with someone there as they tend to be more compassionate and connected to the broader Christian church than the average local church attendee is.
Just go to a Catholic Church and talk to a priest. They are generally nice people and they will welcome you
Seeing as you are all ready planning on committing apostasy, this sounds like an ideal time to do it properly. These guys will be happy to help. r/atheism
I regret that I have but one upvote to give.
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Merely changing his magical services provider.
Relevant username
Church of Satan also seem to have some legit good ethos going on.
church of Satan is the wacky magika-sex-cult made by Anton LaVey. I think you mean Satanic Temple/Temple of Satan
Yeah something like that. The one that can be summed up that their attitude is “don’t be a shit c*nt”
The Satatic Temple is a fabulous organisation, as is the Temple of Satan. Have bern a member of the Temple of Satan for many years. Love their ethos.
One of the few religions actually trying to make conditions more equal for everyone.
All churches I have been to love visitors. Just check out the service times on their websites and turn up, if you tell people you are just there for a visit you will be totally welcome. A lot of churches have a youtube channel, so you could take a look beforehand to see if the size and age demographic suits you. Another idea is to look into 'Christianity Explored' a lot of churches run the sessions [https://www.christianityexplored.org/what-is-christianity/whats-next/find-a-course/](https://www.christianityexplored.org/what-is-christianity/whats-next/find-a-course/)
I can’t speak for all churches, but the nes I’ve been involved in would all accept you. You’re very welcome to just show up to a Sunday service, but if you’re nervous you can always give the church office a call and speak to the pastor/minister about your concerns beforehand. If you’re willing to give a general location I might be able to recommend a good church.
First of all, start by thinking what your reason is for wanting to convert and take it from there. Most places are fairly welcoming - if they are not, then try a different one. Be aware that there are many different sect of Christianity (some big, some tiny), that may seem on the surface to be a very different experience - i.e. some are very traditional and may even do the services in Latin, while others are very informal with a less structured service and some don't have a church as such at all, but meet at each other's houses. In between these is a multitude of options. If you are not sure, go to somewhere and sit through the service and decide how you feel about the place. In a lot of places it is unlikely that anyone else will even talk to you unless you want to speak to them. It may be worth checking out the websites of churches as it can give an idea of the type of place it is - nearly all will have some services in English, but in my area of Sydney, many also have them in Vietnamese or Italian or Arabic, or a range of other options depending where you go. Depending on your ethnic background you may find it easier to fit in at ones where there are others from a community that is more adjacent to you culturally. (Background - I'm now a Catholic and have been to 7 or 8 different churches in Sydney. I used to work at a Uniting Church school. My father and grandfather were both Anglican priests and a heap of my friends are Greek Orthodox).
Lots of comments here suggesting you just walk into a church service are good. Keep in mind that any given church could have multiple congregations and service times, for example, my church has four services every Sunday. Typically the early morning ones are very traditional, the mid-morning and mid-afternoon ones are for families with younger kids and the evening ones are for younger crowds. Try more than one church in your area and have a few conversations at each if you can to get a sense of the congregation. A lot of bigger churches sometimes offer great information-type sessions run about Christianity but the best way to learn about Christianity is to pick up a bible and start reading, when I was an early Christian I found the new testament particularly encouraging. You will have many questions, write them down, and ask someone at a church you go to, it's an easy conversation starter and people will help you.
The catholic church has a program called RCIA (rite of Christian initiation for adults). It is specifically designed to welcome those wanting to become catholic. It is a program that gently introduces you to teavjings and rituals before a public welcome into the church at easter time. You could contact your local parish and ask if they are running the RCIA. All the best!
Could've sworn all you have to do is read the book and take it to heart that Jesus Christ is your bro. The rest of it is just picking your favourite flavour of group therapy and is optional.
Catholics are world wide and quite accepting. Just go. They have classes to teach you about how to be a Catholic. I’m not a catholic but I go to a Catholic Church.
Seek a welcoming church; many embrace newcomers regardless of background, easing conversion anxieties.
You just start going there, nobody is gonna ask you to show your "Christianity card".
I’m fortunate enough to have gone through all of this and come out the other side. What I learned is this. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Compare the Content of ’The Sermon on the Mount’, because this Sermon on the Mount is The Messiah’s/ Creator’s Manifesto. Those who are not freely transformed by him to any one of the individual elements of this Manifesto, will be asked to give their account of Why they didn’t allow him to do so. His transforming actions are free and with his forgiveness for our rebellious nature and going our own ways. Organised religion will not tell you this.
Any Christian church would happily accept you. They love that sort of thing.
If they don’t accept you, it’s the wrong church and not following the alleged Christian ethos.
The Catholic Church will accept anyone's money. If you want to really be accepted, just hang around a Pentecostal church and flash your credit card.
Maybe avoid Hillsong though, we don’t need more of them
Hi there! Exmuslim who had converted to Christianity here in Sydney, happy to have a chat with you 😊
You being a person of another faith, converting to Christianity would be a trophy for any church . You would be more than welcome, actually they would want you to film a testimony just to show how great Jesus is . Go church shopping and find one that best suits you.
Christians often have massive savior complexes that tie in nicely to Islamophobia, they’re probably gonna be psyched to meet u tbh
Walk into any church on sunday before the service starts and talk to the priest/pastor. Theyll guide you with open arms.
My advice is - don't.
No disrespect but you should probably be more scared of your own pointy building and faith for leaving it than the one you’re trying get into! I left my faith and pointy building when I was 15 and couldn’t have been happier. But you do you mate!
I'm rarely charitable toward churches but I'm confident they would accept you. They love fresh souls to save. The like donations in cash :-)
Im not a fan of any religion, but if you do go down that path, just make sure not to join some fringe nutcase group like hillsong church. All religions want your money, but these smaller cults are obscene.
I'm not practising anymore (I still have a vestige of faith), and don't know where in Australia you are. If you are contemplating Catholicism, consider the High Church Anglicans too, especially if you are outside of Sydney/Armidale Dioceses. The role of the Minister / Priest in the High Anglican Church is to help you find what you believe, while sticking with largely Catholic ritual. All Saints Anglican Church in Brisbane was doing regar Latin Mass long after the Catholics stopped doing it. Many of the conversations I've had with a friend who is an Anglican Minister we're comparable to what I have had with an Imam in Canberra at the shops: deep, meaningful, and making you wonder about the meaning of life, the universe and everything (to quote from The hitch-hiker's guide to the Galaxy). Ironically, my son learned more about Jesus from that Imam than he learned in six years of Roman Catholic schooling.
And Christ Church St Laurence in Sydney city. High church Anglican / Anglo-Catholic. Great place for people of any religion or none at all
Christians love converting anyone and everyone so it’s pretty easy.
Lol asking this question on reddit is like asking for gym advice at kfc.
Literally 99% of christian churches drool at the idea of new followers, they do not care where you're from or what you previously believed as long as you accept Jesus Depending where you live and your cultural background d there may be churches near you that have a more familiar demographic, some churches are a tub of Vanilla ice cream
Swapping one set of bullshit for another isn't the solution mate. Millions of Aussies manage perfectly with no religious affiliation. Try it. You might like it.
Good to see people being tolerant of other's way of life. OP can live how they want. Ironically, don't preach to them.
These people are just as irritating as religious people that push their beliefs on others, just let others have their own beliefs fucking hell.
Yep. They (again with the irony here) preach about tolerance, but will be the first to tell people to not be religious.
Not to mention the OP is specifically asking how to convert to christianity. It's like saying to an atheist "Hey try religion, try believing in God you might like it". Yet here these people are, behaving like insufferable twats.
Why jump from one brand of outdated fairytales, dogma and oppression to another? Just join the modern world and become an Atheist. You can always join your medieval religion of choice later.
Why? But if you really want to do it, just take off your Muslim garb and go to any Catholic church or priest and tell them you are interested in being initiated into the faith. They’ll tell you what you need to do next. I’m sure they’ll be glad to have you as there are plenty of people who want nothing more to do with the Catholic church due its crimes and sexual abuse scandals etc.
Churches love a new sheep. They'll accept you no worries. I think religion is on such a decline new people are always in demand.
Just join the rest of us and be agnostic. You don't need religion to worship God. Be a good person and be happy.
Shoot me a message
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Why do you need religion,🤔 just be a decent human stay humble 🙂
I welcome you to the religion I hope you find what you have been missing and I’m happy to see another person welcoming Jesus into their life
I can't imagine a single Christian in any country that would reject someone wanting to join the faith. In the rare circumstance this happens then find another church. Christianity is broken into a few major pathways and they may not be all to your liking but you should find that people will be accepting of you as they were told by Jesus not to be judgemental.
Is there a reason you picked Catholicism specifically? Not that you shouldn't. But there are lots of denominations, and if you haven't, it might be good to look into it. Though just to warn you, it might be a bit complicated at first if you don't have the general basics down. It might just be best to see what churches are around you, perhaps even give them a call or stop by on a Sunday, see what one gives you a good feeling. A good church should make you feel invited, and will be more than happy to help you out, some even have a weekly group you can attend outside of the formal church service, though even those come with a meet and greet morning tea that is perfect for getting to know more about it all. I myself was raised Russian Orthodox, but seeing as they aren't that widely populated, I've made do with a good Christian church where I can find one. It can really be a great sense of community, fellowship and support. And if you're interested in more, you can really get down and gritty with Bible studies, and the Catholics are good for that and nicely structured. As are some of the more formal denominations. But the good thing is, there is no formal obligations so you can step back as needed. But yeah. I think it's great you're looking into this and I hope you find a good place. Remember, they want to help you! So just keep it up.
just do whatever you feel like doing in life, then right before you die just ask for forgiveness. that about does it remember; if you don't sin, Jesus died for nothing
oh buddy, christians are constantly desperate for converts. saving the world one soul at a time is their whole thing. you'll be ok.
Maybe drop religion all together 😄
If you've already lost faith, try finding something else in life. Then come back to religion once you find yourself. You may find you don't need it at all.
Switching gods? i recommend atheism.
Forget about all religions. None of them help any way.
Why would you want to join a group of people you feel will not accept you?
Churches are cults that will accept anyone. Become an atheist.
Have you considered instead, becoming a Pastafarianism, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, is incredibly welcoming.
This makes me hungry 🍝
You should read up on the different denominations and attend some services to see what you like. The Roman Catholic Church is one of the older and more traditional forms headed by the Pope in the Vatican. Then there are even more traditional and many newer denominations.
Catholic Church have a program called RCIA for people interested in learning to become a catholic. Contact your local parish. As Australia becomes more secular, religious organisations absolutely love taking in anyone who's willing to listen to them.
Which state are you in? Could help finding a church. They will and should all accept you, no matter what religion you currently follow, even if you choose not to follow the religion. I know my church loves to have other people from other religions visit. You don't need to believe the same things to congregate together and find common bond. Xx
If you want to know anything about Catholicism and it’s riutals, DM me. Happy to help
where abouts in Australia do you live?
For the Catholic Church, feel free to simply call your nearest Catholic Church and they can explain everything, especially if you feel uncomfortable attending in person right now.
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Hey, they should and likely accept you, part of Christianity is accepting others. go to your local church (Catholic if you want to be Catholic) and ask the priest about how to convert. God Bless <3
There's a missionary/proactive conversion culture. Churches try to offer a path to joining for people from unreligious, lapsed religious, or other faiths and denominational backgrounds. If you walk in or call any church they will help you or find someone who can. There are probably community events at many churches that don't exactly have a faith/background quiz for entry too that might ease you into the community. I would be more concerned with which denomination, individual church, and philosophy fits you than whether they will be friendly. Just about everyone who chooses that life would enthusiastically love to share their path with you. If you are Indonesian, for example, you might want to specifically find an Indonesian catholic community that understands your background. Or maybe specifically challenge yourself in a different community that has a different culture. Good luck on your path, wherever it leads.
For Catholicism if you show up to the church and speak with the priest they will tell you about the process of conversion. Typically this will involve you working with the deacon or members of the church who will get to know you while teaching you about the different practices and beliefs. After you’ve done this you’ll undergo baptism then after a bit of volunteering/charity work you’ll undergo confirmation and then finally you’ll do your first communion. Protestant churches are similar to this but instead you might only have to undergo baptism and then meet with some church members to learn more about the denomination.
Go to your local church and speak to the Parish Priest, tell him about your situation and desire. Your desire to change will be explored and the teachings of the church will be explained via a series of teaching sessions that usually culminate on Easter Saturday where new converts are received in that Mass.
You can show up to a Catholic church at will, no one will stop you doing that even if you were dressed as a muslim. They might be curious and perhaps cautious given the risk of violence but if you are friendly they will accept you. If you are worried about attending or would like to get more information on baptism most churches have an email and the staff/priest will take you through the steps.
Firstly, I think to help you better, would you be able to advise the locality in which you live (not address)?
Christianity is interesting because you don't have to "convert" per se to be a Christian. You need to believe in Christ and that he is the saviour of mankind because God sent him to earth to die for our sins. Now, in order to understand this may require attendance at church so you can hear sermons to learn more about Christ and the bible. Most Christians (as most other religions) do believe that you need o go to church weekly as a testament your faith. Now, the issue is that some churches are more accepting than others. In my part of the world most churches would welcome you to attend - even if you still chose to dress in traditional Muslim attire. Our country is very diverse and generally open to the "other". But other countries or states or whatever might not be as open especially around the stigma held against Muslim people following 9/11. So, my suggestion is to try and find a less strict or orthodox church to attend. Perhaps Methodist or Baptist or not denominational (modern). If you can (I don't know how this works for Muslim people or you personally) go in regular clothes. This is to make the first entry into church more even for you and the congregation. You want to feel welcome not singled out. Attend and see what you think. If it resonates with you after a few sessions speak to the pastor who can guide you further.
Are you in Melbourne? Sspx has some mass centres there and are always happy to have new people. Google 'sspx bulletin Victoria' to see what the mass times are at the closest mass centre. You can also contact the priest first, if you want.
As far as I know there isn't an international membership register. Converting can happen in your living room or in a church; it doesn't much matter where. Like people have said, the right church will welcome you with open arms. If any reject you, that's a problem with that congregation, not with the faith itself. You may need to try a few different churches before you settle. When my wife was looking for a church that worked for her she tried 4-5 different ones. Meet the people, talk to the priests/pastors and feel the vibe of the group. I'm not a follower myself but I'm happy for people to connect with anything that drives them to be better people. I wish you all the best on your journey
Might have some trouble adjusting. Most of following Christian’s don’t attend Church so the ones that do are often…. strict Just don’t be surprised if you get dirty looks or insults
They will definitely accept you. You just go on in and sit down. Stay afterwards for a drink (usually tea or coffee ) and some finger food. God bless you 🙏🏻 I'm happy you want to find Christ
Lapsed Cathoilc here and my advice for an accepting church check out the Uniting or Anglican Church in your area. Catholics can be hit and miss and Evangelicals scare me. I even put my time in working with the Society of St Vincent de Paul for a few years amd the best Christians working there were not even Catholics they just wanted to do good work. I feel more comfortable walking into a random Uniting Church than I do my local Catholic Church (that mob can be mighty judgemental). Personally I just serve the community (via volunteering with the RFS) rather than a church these days. Working Sid by side with people to look after each other and the community is very rewarding and no one wants to judge you.
Conversion takes place in your heart friend.
Go to a Salvation Amy service they will always welcome you.
Visit any church and talk to the priest and the team . They will help u . Don’t worry Church is open for everyone . I am like an atheist and I don’t pray at all but I still go to church sometimes .
Just show up, and that’s that. If you still feel like converting after that, then start integrating Christian traditions and holidays and stuff into your life, and stop doing Muslim things. There are also different forms of Christianity if you get what I mean, like the Orthodox religion or Catholicism, look into the forms of Christianity and see which one has ideals that align with what you are going for. There really isn’t anything else to it. Oh except baptisms, you may need to be baptised, talk to your priest about it, there shouldn’t be an age limit, though generally people get baptised as infants. You can also go to church on the weekend to get communion!
You absolutely can just kinda turn up. But two things, based on your comment. Why would you want to convert to a church that you’re worried won’t accept you? And what denomination are you looking for? There’s a bit of a difference between Catholicism and Pentecostals, even within them. Are you looking for orthodoxy or prosperity gospel? It might be worth doing some googling first to understand what you’re looking for.
Have a look around your neighbourhood and see if any of the churches are advertising an ALPHA COURSE. look for a banner with a cartoon of a guy holding a large question mark. This is a good start.
The hardest part is determining which denomination is right for you. Each one is very different. Protestantism is a broad meaning and numerous denominations fall under them. You have more popular ones like Anglicans, Lutheran, Evangelican, Baptists, Methodists, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Hillsong, etc. There are a bunch of newer churches. Some of them are 'new age' or 'born again' churches which typically have a younger demographic usually focus heavily on recruitment. Some are more 'pushy' than others. Some denominations are almost instructed to get members to convert new people even those that are already Christian but not at a specific denomination. It's almost like a MLM scheme. This is offensive I know but I'll say it as for what it is. Be careful as some of them are very cult-like in the way they operate. Some are literally operated to benefit the rich pastor as well. I once attended my cousin's Pentecostal church and they seemed more inclined to "sign me up" than to actually ask me "how are you?". The vibe was just unfriendly and almost business-like in my opinion. Then you have Catholicism. One of the oldest. They're the most widespread and one with generally the oldest people in attendance. They're the ones that have the Pope. They're also filled with controversies like priests doing inappropriate things. Catholicism has a rigid process to converting. I would advise you to attend different churches and get a feel for how things work there. Research the structure of the denomination/ how things work. I'm only saying this because I once knew somebody that was born Buddhist but wanted to become a Christian. All on her own, she chose Catholicism and went through the process to become a Catholic. But it took her months to realise it was ideal for her. I'm obviously skipping a lot of details but please do your own research, talk to many people and think carefully before you actually convert. Good luck
Get baptised but as for going to church at no time did jesus or the bible instruct us to go to church or listen to an authority figure such as the pope. Again get baptised, read the bible and put your love and faith in jesus. That's all you need to do
You'll be fine in a church
they will accept you brother
Before converting, I’d consider sitting in on a few services. Get to know the people, the things they talk about and preach about. Some institutions may not fit you as well as your first or fiftieth impression. Sometimes it maybe just a matter of a particular branch. As a long-term agnostic, I’ve sat on various services of various religious groups in Australia, and have very very rarely experienced explicitly unwelcoming. Eventually, once you do find a community that makes you feel spiritually committed, then talk to the priest.
They will be very happy to hear you wish to convert
Go to a church, they will invite you in. Contrary to what society suggests, Christian’s are some of the most accepting, welcoming people I’ve ever met.
Not only will people accept you, they should be overjoyed at your very presence.
Churches will absolutely accept you. I used to be Christian - am not anymore but I have no hard feelings towards it, it's a lovely religion if done right (aka the way Jesus said, the bloke was a big hippie 😍) - and Christians flipping LOVE new people. They especially love when people from other religions consider becoming Christian. The very first person you meet inside the building will be a good vibe check. If they give you a big smile and kindly answer any questions you have, likely the whole church is nice..if the vibes are off, keep trying churches til you find one that feels good. Most of them will feel good, I think the chances of any feeling bad are really small but like with any collection of humans, there are always some that are weird for no reason. Look at how they're greeting each other too, if they're smiling and chatting happily and seem to care about each other that's a green flag. It means they'll do the same with you. Don't be afraid to just totally act like a noob the second you walk in either. Saying "Hi, am I allowed to attend this service? I've never been before and I'm considering becoming a Christian and I don't know what to do. Where should I sit? What do I need to do?" They will happily tell you how it works and someone might even ask if you'd like to sit with them. Good luck!
They are very acceptive to anyone no matter your gender, background, or ethnicity. First of all is that you have to be baptised by the priest. To do that go to the nearest catholic church and if you have the time you can ask the priest that you want to convert. The priest is very friendly as the teachings told people to be kind and will tell you how to be baptised by the holy spirit.
A church is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints.
•huggles• I love scripture! Have read Hadith (excerpts), Quran, Torah, Talmud, and a raft of Bibles. Islam and Judaism has been about 25 years ago though. ##Should you…..? Nobody can tell you what you believe in, the only person to know is ***YOU***! 😉 Do you believe in and feel a Christian God…? If ***’yes,’*** then a Christian church ***MAY*** be an option for you. If ***’no,’***: If you do not believe in an omniscient, almighty superbeing …. Catholicism might not be ideal. Christianity could still be an option though! There’s heaps of denominations and sects within Christianity which aren’t part of the Catholic Church. **** ###Will you be accepted? ***Any*** religion, Faith, church, and denomination: They all consist of humans. Without humans, none of the above would exist. ***Humans are fallible!*** It’s because we are flawed, we don’t love everyone equally. Some people we don’t ‘click’ with, others make us uncomfortable, … some really tick us off! Religion, Faith, church, denomination, sports club, or community group: There’ll always be people you don’t really like and people who don’t like you. Wherever you go, whichever group you join for whichever purpose: the bigger the group, the greater the odds there’ll be people who won’t accept you for WHATEVER(!) reason!!!! Whether ethnicity, Aboriginality, gender, political views, country of birth, …. or they simply might not like your shoes. It doesn’t really matter though, cause nobody is universally liked and accepted! **** ##How to convert…..? I don’t know how exactly it works in Australia. In Germany…. it’s kinda involved, Sunday school and all! Best would probably be to contact churches near you and just ask them! Don’t be discouraged if the person has an unfriendly vibe, just contact another church! 😝 You can also go on the websites of churches near you: Some have recordings of mess or transcripts, most have social events every now and then. Those social events might be a nice way of checking it out! **** ##my spirituality The basis for my own spirituality is Southern African ubuntu Philosophy, with European Enlightenment, Humanist / Realism mixed in. I am not baptised, have never belonged to a church. If there is an omniscient, omnipotent entity who _*allows*_ babies to die from cholera and can’t be bothered to intervene: It’s entirely possible such an entity exists, but they would not be anyone I would want to worship or idolise! **** ###ubuntu … is a very wholesome and community focussed way of relating to the world. It kinda combines everything: Political views, philosophy, theology, … everything kind of meets and intersects in ubuntu. The basic tenants could prolly be best expressed as > _«I am because *you* are.»_ > _«I am because *we* are.»_ > _«I am human because I *belong*, I *participate*, I *share*.»_ ***see*** [ubuntu philosophy — Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_philosophy) ubuntu is pretty close to the Faith of most of my non-denominational Christian friends tbh! Nobel Laureate Anglican Archbishop Tutu has written extensively about the intersection of ubuntu and Christianity, and has worked on merging the two. ***see*** [ubuntu theology — Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_theology) For non-denominational Christians their faith seems to be what ubuntu is for me, they don’t care much for rituals symbolising the drinking of Jesus’ blood. And we share the belief in the greater ‘us:’ None of us exists on their own. We are all part of families, communities, societies, and humankind. The people around us shape us, and we shape them. I don’t care about others’ sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, income, religion… I care about _WHO_ someone is! And I try to add positively to the lives of others and not harm them. Like all humans I am fallible though! Hence I also believe in forgiveness, kindness, and generosity. Should there be a Jewish, Islamic, or Christian God: Well, any deity who I would want to worship would be kind, generous, and forgiving! They’d care about out what kind or person I have been and how much I tried. Rather than arrogant and vain, condemning those who happened to pray ‘wrong’ to hell. If God were vain, vindictive, petty, and full of themselves: l’d choose to not worship them even if I had conclusive evidence they existed. Because my spirituality isn’t about ***MY*** own interests. Imho, it should never be a case of >> _«I pray to them to not go to hell…..”_ For me the _’bigger posture’_ is far more important than what may or may not eventuate after I have passed. That bridge I’ll cross when I get to it! 😉 **** ^[tbc]
A church should never turn you away, they welcome everyone. You can just start by going to a Sunday mass and having a chat to the priest afterwards.
Just go to a church in your area during a service and sit at the back, take in the feeling of the church and how its congregation interact with each other. Afterwards speak to the priest, they will always be happy to spend time talking about their church and your wish to start attending. Also, remember Catholics are not the only Christians and different denominations have different services, try a few until you find the one that resonates with your soul. Good luck, I hope you have great success and find peace.
You don’t need a church, if you are truely devoted to the faith then simply pray to Jesus and he will guide you
You do you but I am curious what brought about this idea?
Catholic Churches run what is RCIA program to convert over & ceremony happens at Easter. Starts soon goes for about 6mths, weekly meetings.
I don't follow any religion but sometimes I visit the Christian chapel, they are very accepting and the vibe is nice, as long as you are respectful of their beliefs it should be alright.
Walk into a Catholic Church and ask a priest to be baptised. You’re in the club, so to speak. Also, total acceptance of you regardless of anything.
Why do you want to convert? I ask because there's a difference between Christianity and Catholicism. (One's a subset of the other, though some Christians may not even agree on that). Surely the first step should be to work out what you believe?
There is no special thing to be Christian. All you have to do is believe that the Christian idea of God is true. You can go to church if you want. You can follow whatever interpretation of the bible you want to.
They will definitely accept you, don’t worry about that. However, firstly you probably need to decide what type of Christian church you want to join: Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox etc. I suggest visiting a few different churches, observing how they worship, talking to a few people there, and then see how you feel. There are quite a lot of differences between the various Christian denominations. I also converted to Christianity recently, I’m in the Orthodox Church. If you want more information, feel free to send me a chat message.
They need the numbers, of course they'll accept you
Just go to the church and talk to a priest/pastor about your plan. Thats it. Better yet just check different churches and see what aligns to what you believe before deciding.
If you live in Perth, DM me, I will take you to Mass at my local parish. I dont attend as much as I used to, but I would be honored to stand beside you while you enjoined the congregation . All you need to do is walk across that threshold, the rest will take care of you. Go in peace and be loved.
Look for one of those churches with the ‘All Welcome’ sign. You’ll be surprised how welcoming and supportive they will be. I’d say to go Uniting or similar for minimal judgement.
Churches are usually pretty open. They don’t mind your current religion. Or, you can ask one of your friends to come together with you if that makes you feeling more comfortable.
if you know anyone that goes to church, maybe try their churches. and if they don’t accept, they’re definitely not the right church. any good church would be welcoming with open arms. my biggest piece of advice is to move churches if you don’t like your current one. a church’s main values make a massive difference on the environment of the church and community. once you know that christianity or catholic is right for you, you can buy a bible. study guides are a big help in bible readings. good luck!
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Mate you will be more than welcome at any church service with open arms, Christians would love to teach you about the Bible, about Jesus and pray with you!
if you end up going to church don’t eat the bread that’s offered for communion if you haven’t had your first eucharist. you can cross your arms for a blessing or not get up at all