Changing Home Churches,What has been your experience?

I changed home churches about a year and a half ago. It was mainly after my wife and I had split and I just did not feel comfortable being in the same church with her and her family. I had been a part of that church for over 5 years, and had connected well with the Pastor too. I was on the Sight/Sound team and worked closly with the Pastor on the church website. I was searching for a new church at that point, and was invited to a co-workers church. Now, this was about a 45 minute drive one-way, but it did not bother me. My first time there, I immediately connected with the Pastor(who was also new) and just felt like I had found my new home. Now, a year and a half later, I am now on the board of directors, I am the Sight/Sound department, I have redesigned and maintain their website, and I am also the church treasurer. I'd say it was all God's timing and plan to bring me to where I am today.

When my wife and I moved we had to change churches. My old pastor expected us to drive 1.5 hours one way every Sunday to Church and that is just not reasonable with the gas prices etc. So we have now settled in to a small church across the street. The sermons are not what we were used to as our last pastor was literally a scholar of scholars, but we are happy. Our kids like it because it is brief and predictable. Often we would have them sit for hours in our old church and we didn't always think it was fair to them to have to sit still for 3-4 hours. Our new church has a kids church and the meetings are only about 1.5 hours including praise. We like it and feel spiritually comfortable there, that is what should guide our decisions.

Why do they think you would change for that reason? I never understood why people gossip and get bent out of shape when someone changes churches. The last time I changed was because I moved and my husband wanted to change churches anyway. The time before I changed for a few reasons. I am considering changing again because I really don't feel too comfortable there sometimes. I've ran into church members in the store who would not even speak to me or didn't seem to want to. I've gotten the cold shoulder a few times and I don't know why. I didn't expect that from members of my own church. I didn't start attending church until I was older so I guess I just didn't know what to expect. I strongly get the feeling that they don't think I'm as good as they are.