Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 5:26 am
Hi Nikki 
Welcome I'm pretty new here myself, and my experience is similar to your own. Like you, it was Rob Bell's book that got me asking questions (or re-asking questions I'd always asked, to be honest), which eventually led me to other books, and then eventually to tentmaker.org, and then here.
Like you, my view of the world has changed, though perhaps in subtler ways, and I'm more hopeful then I once was.
One of the differences in our story though is that my pastor denounced Love Wins from the pulpit a few weeks after I read it... only he was probably more gentle about it then it sounds like your pastor was.
I can totally relate to how you feel right now as I'm in the same boat, not knowing for sure what steps to take next... I was thinking of leaving my church seriously before my views about heaven and hell started changing, so I'm sure you could imagine how much I'm thinking about it now :/ I have been thinking about checking into the United Methodist church nearby, as I've heard that the Methodists have a tendency to be more open-minded theologically...
I'm not sure what will happen.
But whatever happens, we should never give up, because God is with us.
I've found encouragement here, and I'm sure you will too. There are others here who can really relate to how you're feeling right now, and you're not alone.
Blessings to you sister
Matt
Welcome I'm pretty new here myself, and my experience is similar to your own. Like you, it was Rob Bell's book that got me asking questions (or re-asking questions I'd always asked, to be honest), which eventually led me to other books, and then eventually to tentmaker.org, and then here. Like you, my view of the world has changed, though perhaps in subtler ways, and I'm more hopeful then I once was.
One of the differences in our story though is that my pastor denounced Love Wins from the pulpit a few weeks after I read it... only he was probably more gentle about it then it sounds like your pastor was.
I can totally relate to how you feel right now as I'm in the same boat, not knowing for sure what steps to take next... I was thinking of leaving my church seriously before my views about heaven and hell started changing, so I'm sure you could imagine how much I'm thinking about it now :/ I have been thinking about checking into the United Methodist church nearby, as I've heard that the Methodists have a tendency to be more open-minded theologically...
I'm not sure what will happen.
But whatever happens, we should never give up, because God is with us.
I've found encouragement here, and I'm sure you will too.
There are others here who can really relate to how you're feeling right now, and you're not alone. Blessings to you sister
Matt