Did you grow up in a religious family?

naomikb

Anecdotally I've noticed that some of the most gung-ho/outspoken Christians I know are later-in-life Christians or came from non-religious/atheist/agnostic backgrounds. 

Was your family involved with church/Christianity growing up?  Or are you a lone wolf, forging your own path?  Do you think your parents/family had a strong impact on your religious beliefs and actions now?

catwine

My parents told me that they were once riding my dad's motercycle and had stopped for a break when a lady approached them with a pamphlet and asked if they knew Jesus.  A few years later they became Christians.   My mother was raised Roman Catholic and my dad had no faith background.  I grew up in church as both my parents were always heavily involved in worhsip team, men's groups adn Sunday school.  I also went to a Christian school from grades 2-8 but learned about God the most from my parents and church. 

I was definetly influenced in a very positive way by my parents and their involvment in the church...particuarly my mom.
 My dad cheated on her with a married woman about 8 years ago but she never lost faith in God.  Since then she has faced so many trials and hardhsips but she always stayed strong and said that God was looking out for her.

So yeah,  my mom influenced a lot of my beliefs. My mom had these really old bible story videos she made my brothers and I watch as well as the good old Veggie Tales:)

GJones27

I grew up in the church. My mom took me to church most Sundays, but my dad never came. I also went to religious schools, ie Presbytarian, then Orthodox Christian, then Jesuit, from preschool to college. I have tended to notice that at my church, the most hardcore people are converts to Orthodox Christianity, though they may have been raised in a different faith.

fpaemp2011

Yes.  I was raised by Baptists, who were raised by Baptists, who were raised by Baptists.  Pretty sure both sides of my family have been Baptist since they were formed in the US.  Somewhere down the line on dad's side we were Scottish Presbyterian, but that was in Scotland.

My parents kind of took a "break" from church from the time they were 18 until they were 30 (I was almost 7), but my grandparents took my brothers and I to church every Sunday.  After mom and dad started going back to church, things at home changed for the better.

While being raised in a Baptist family did shape my religious views, I'm definitely the most conservative person in my immediate and extended family, and DH is pretty conservative compared to his family, as well.  His dad is a pastor of a "basically Baptist" non-denominational church.

agape1cor813

My dad is Catholic and my mom mostly went to Lutheran churches.

I was raised Catholic, went to church pretty much every week, and took Sunday school classes to receive all of the Catholic sacraments up to confirmation in eighth grade.  While I continued going to a Catholic church until sophomore year of college, there wasn't much in the way of involvement, simply because they didn't exist. There was no high school Bible study, no youth group, nothing. I tried convincing my parents to switch parishes to one that had activities for youth, but to no avail.  

I think my upbringing provided a good foundation of faith, but I've since "branched out" and tried to figure out if there is a denomination or church that fits me a bit better than the Catholic Church (although I still have a great deal of respect for the church).

yodacub

I grew up in a Christian family - my parents are highly involved in church, I went to Christian schools my whole life and grew up in the church.  My whole family on both sides is Christian Reformed (a Calvinist denomination).  I've grown up seeing those with the most influence in my life live out the fact that Jesus is Lord of all aspects of life, and no matter what happens God is ultamately in control.  That has played a huge role in developing my own faith.

azdancer8

I grew up church-going, yes. But about half of my family is not Christian. My grandmother is a Christian, and my baby sister is a new believer. I don't know about my parents for sure. My brother and middle sister are not Christian - in fact my brother is very anti-Christian right now.

I am certainly the most active in my faith outwardly, but my baby sister is working on it. It's definitely hard sometimes being the example in a family that claims to be "Christian" but bears no fruit and shows no signs of it.

ochemjenn

Both my parents grew up going to church, but we never attended as a family.  When I was young my mom would drop me off at a church for Sunday school, but no one went to services.  My brother and I both had friends whose families were active in Protestant churches.  In college my brother got MUCH more involved with Campus Crusade, going on service trips, etc.  I went with friends in undergrad, but I never felt like I really connected with a church there, but then I started dating DH, and I really like the Episcopal Church.  We haven't been much lately because DH works so much (boo), and I'm not a fan of going alone. 

naomikb

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_did-you-grow-up-in-a-religious-family?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:30633f66-13d3-40b5-83a8-3f1fce6d70ddPost:3665ece7-3977-4982-899f-f718f35e89b3">Re: Did you grow up in a religious family?</a>:
[QUOTE]I grew up church-going, yes. But about half of my family is not Christian. My grandmother is a Christian, and my baby sister is a new believer. I don't know about my parents for sure. My brother and middle sister are not Christian - in fact my brother is very anti-Christian right now. I am certainly the most active in my faith outwardly, but my baby sister is working on it. :) <strong>It's definitely hard sometimes being the example in a family that claims to be "Christian" but bears no fruit and shows no signs of it.</strong>
Posted by azdancer8[/QUOTE]
That's a good way to put it... I often feel that way in my own family too.

sessionswedding

Um, my parents used to call church "cult practice" and when I would (rarely) get in trouble, they would ground me FROM CHURCH.

My brother and I were sent to Christian school from K5 - 6/7th grade (6th for him, 7th for me).  We attended church as a family for a few months right after that weird phase where my parents kept separating, around 6/7th grade for me.  I was in 10th grade when I started going to church on my own.

DramaGeek

I grew up in a Christian household, but I wouldn't say we were religious.  To me, they are very different things.  We went to church and were involved, but it wasn't all consuming.  H's family is definitely what I would call religious.  Everything revolved around the religion, not necessarily the personal relationship with Christ, but around the religion and the church and church events.

Annas2013

My whole family used to go to church every single Sunday until I was about 13.  Then we stopped going for a while.  My FI came from a very religious family, but they don't attend church regularly either.  

Both my FI and I would like to get back into church and go every Sunday and be more involved, but the only part that's hard for us is that I have to work every Sunday.  

Soon2BeMrsTing

I was completely unchurched growing up.  My parents were once Catholic, but neither has practiced for decades.  A school friend invited me to accompany her to church when we were eight. That's when I began to be exposed to the Gospel.  I began to read the Bible on a daily basis when I was a college freshman (at a very secular university).

Today, I don't have any reason to believe that any of my six half-siblings or anyone in their immediate families is saved.  I'm so glad that H and his parents and sister are sincere in their devotion to Christ.  It was hard to be the lone ranger in my family for all those years. H and I pray for both sets of parents nightly, and for one of our seven collective siblings and their families according to the day of the week and moving from oldest to youngest.  We are eager  to see God's clear and faithful work in their lives.

jenningz

My parents both came to Christ when I was like, 5 - so for all intents and purposes, I was yeah. And I'm glad I was.

LeahVB2011

My father is a Baptist minister and my mother came from a Baptist family. Growing up in church is something I hold very near to my heart. It's because of their involvment in church that lead me down the path that I am now on. They showed me that going to church isn't just a weekly activity but it's something you do because you want to serve God. I can't wait to instill that same message in my  kids one day because of the impact it made on me

FaithCaitlin

I was raised Catholic. I went to Catholic School until 6th grade and we went to Church every Sunday. My maternal side of the family are all practicing Catholics but my paternal side is not.

My dad never went to Church with us growing up (or even now when I sometimes accompany my mom).

randlettandfraleigh

I grew up going to church with my parents, but my relationship with Christ developed later in life, during high school and college. My parents always allowed our faith to be our own and I really appreciated that. We each came to our faith in our own time. Unfortunately, my older brother is no longer a Christian- he is not against it, just seems like it doesn't fit his life right now so I'm hoping he comes back to his faith.

GunzNRoses213

I grew up a pastor's kid... both sets of grandparents were churched as well .  When I was 17/18 there was some crazy stuff going on at my church [ my dad wasnt preaching/pastor at this time anymore ] And I became very disgusted with the church /people of the faith that didnt act like it at all . I felt everything I had learned basically was down the toliet and it didnt matter what I did . Right the most vulnerable time i fell out of a christian friendship with a friend of mine she just suddenly stopped being my friend and that also influenced me to start to question EVERYTHING ...
Long story short again vulnerable time possible and I met my first boyfriend. And if say bad boy that's putting it mildly ... He didnt drink or do drugs but it was still NOT a good place for me at all ... Needles to say 4 years on and off and a broken engagment and a child later finally we were DONE.... In those 4 years I was on again off again in church depending on my relationship status with him at that point.. [ he lied often and pretended he wanted to go to church bla bla bla ]

Again making it shorter it wasnt until after him that I found a really great church again that I didnt feel bad about being at. I didnt feel like the black sheep to them , I met my BFF and my now MOH... And slowly was putting my life backtogether with the Lords help ...So five years later ...

I had to get broken in order to really understand everything I was tought/memorized year after year as a kid ... I needed it to be real .. its like the DC Talk song " I had to learn the hardway " ...

So I started reading Proverbs 23 ...or is it 32 ? the Wife one ...And  I concentrated on that and myself and my child and had faith that God would bring us both the right man . And a few years later he did ...

I had to get lost in order to be found ..

peachykeen26

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_did-you-grow-up-in-a-religious-family?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:30633f66-13d3-40b5-83a8-3f1fce6d70ddPost:f453b062-2111-446e-a472-a3776abe05ec">Did you grow up in a religious family?</a>:
[QUOTE]Anecdotally I've noticed that some of the most gung-ho/outspoken Christians I know are later-in-life Christians or came from non-religious/atheist/agnostic backgrounds.  Was your family involved with church/Christianity growing up?  Or are you a lone wolf, forging your own path?  Do you think your parents/family had a strong impact on your religious beliefs and actions now?
Posted by naomikb[/QUOTE]

Was your family involved with church/Christianity growing up?
<strong>They were when I was very young, it's where I learned to sing as a first soprano, but later in life they stopped going. Even to just the Christmas services.</strong>

Or are you a lone wolf, forging your own path? 
<strong>I left home and my parents think I'm in a cult. Because being a southern baptist is like being in a cult and all //sarcasm//. So yes, I am the "lone wolf." I don't even talk to my family anymore.

</strong>Do you think your parents/family had a strong impact on your religious beliefs and actions now?
<strong>I don't think my parents have anyting to do with my religious beliefs other than the struggles that I dealt with in the beginning. My husband and his family have been the most influential or impactful in my walk with Jesus Christ.</strong>