My family were members of the same church spanning 50 years.Recently my family were in financial crisis and needed help with an electric bill Although , being poor we usually only donated a few dollars to the collection plate, it was often our last two dollars. They helped us with a bill once, on a promise my husband made to help paint the church a few days, but because of his agoraphobia, he never kept his word. I apologized and offered to clean the church whenever they needed, as Im not a painter. They already had a regular cleaner. When our money trouble popped up again 6 months later, I only knew to go to the church, as my family refused to help me , blaming me for my husbands lack of work and my numerous psychiatric problems, Never mind we have two beautiful children were doing our best to raise in Christ. When my church turned us away for help, I was heartbroken.The bill was not enormous, and I thought that they would surely help. I later found out from my biological mom that my step mom and dad had gone in secret to the church and told them they were helping us. An absolute untruth!!! Why would the churchmembers be secretive about that, and moreso, listen to my parent who havent attended church in years???Also, the following Sunday in church, The pastor upon handing out the collection plate specifically sid, "This money your giving isn't to individuals, its to the church." I looked at my husband bewildered. I thought people were the church? What should we do, our children have missed 5 Sundays now. Should we look for a new congregation? :(

Look for a new congregation? It might not be a bad idea. Can you ask friends personally for help, rather than going to the church?

I wanted to comment on the "Who was the first church" question. As far as an organizational church that built buildings and had political power over people - that began with Constantine and developed into the RCC which split into two divisions.

The biblical words for church, koinonia and ecclesia do not refer to organizations, denominations or buildings. They refer to the fellowship of people who share a common faith in salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus and his conquest of death. This "church" was born on Pentecost and made up of 500 people, mostly Jews. Since the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, and the early members of this koinonia were dispersed as a result of persecution.

The building of an hierarchal religious organizational structure, mixing in various pagan practices and joining with the state/political structure had nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus, Paul or the Law and Prophets before them.

I think what some here have been trying to express, is that although we cannot demonstrate some sort of lineage, we see ourselves as spiritual descendants of that first church birthed at Pentecost. That church is not a place where one can go, but what one is.