Can anyone help a non-christian?

[Yellowdaisieseverywhere]

Hi everyone. I'm not a Christian so I hope it's ok I'm posting here.

I do believe in God, but I am not any religion. I was brought up learning about all different religions and I read a children's bible when I was a child and I've been to church for weddings, christenings and things like harvest festival but not for things like Sunday service.

I would like to learn more about Christianity and the way Christians live and the beliefs Christians hold as I am interested in going to church to develop my relationship with God. Is there someone online I can look that would be a good place for me to start to learn about your religion?

Hello and welcome! The best place to start is with one of the gospels, perhaps John or Mark.
This is a good presentation of the gospel too:

I found www.gotquestions.org very useful when I fist became a Christian almost 5 years ago. You are very welcome to ask as many questions as you like though.

Hi and welcome! If you want very, very simple Bible stories and explanations, the Jehovah's Witnesses website is actually quite good (I'm not a JW but they have a very good site and they emphasise the Bible itself as the source of knowledge on Christianity rather than the "extra" stuff like what we do in other denominations so their material is a good starting point):
https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/bible-stories/

I also like the online Bible, where you can pick a verson of the Bible to look things up (KJV is very popular, it's the main one used in a lot of denominations AFAIK, or NRSV is the Catholic one): https://www.biblegateway.com/

Another thing I love is Chicken Soup for the Soul. It's more readily available in America but if you can get hold of any of it, it's really nice stuff. There are also films on Amazon that you might like, not just direct Bible stories but stories about Christians and how they live. You might also like the Hallmark series Seventh Heaven (from the late 90s) which shows how a pastor and his family navigate life (it's not political at all).

My best advice is don't get bogged down in denominations, God didn't create those, people did, and we all follow God. The Alpha Course is also quite good if you want to join one: https://alpha.org.uk/

My suggestion is the mainstream churches. I would NOT search online, much too easy to find the equivalent of Tommy Robson.
Methodist, Baptist or United Reform for plain language and plain dress of Ministers. Church of England or Roman Catholic if you like ceremony and robes. Go along and just say "Can I just sit quietly I have never been before". They won't turf you out. The tea after will be just as bad whichever you choose.
St Luke's Gospel is easy to read, Luke was not an Israeli like Jesus and the other gospel writers. He was thought to be Greek.

See what I mean! ! !

As suggested above, I would encourage you to go along in person to a few Churches near you for a couple of weeks and see where you feel comfortable.

Although the internet is wonderful in so many ways, it also leads people down some strange extremes. As a massive generalisation, Churches aren't always the best at keeping their internet presence up to date.

Quite a few Churches do something called an Alpha Course, which goes into what Christianity is - it might be worth looking out for.

Or just slip into a Church building one Sunday and see where that takes you. You don't have to be a believer to be made welcome.

Thank you everyone for all your help, it's much appreciated.

I have read the chicken soup for the soul books and I love them. I will definitely look into the alpha course my local churches.

@Yellowdaisieseverywhere Please do not get your information from the Jehovah Witnesses website, they are not Christian at all. They are a cult and will lead you astray. The Bible is the living word of God, I started with the gospel of John. The ESV or NIV are good translations to use.

Thank you, I did know a Jehovah's witness years ago and I would never be a Jehovah's witness myself. While I respect everyone's religion I know it wouldn't be right for me.

Alpha course is a recognised national welcoming course about Christianity

Thank you, so many of you have mentioned the Alpha course and I will definitely look into doing that.

I really appreciate everyone's help.

Christianity isn't complicated or mysterious, but there's an awful lot of info out there about it all. We all believe in the same God at the end of the day and he leads me all over the place in my quest for personal growth, I've worshipped in quite a few different types of churches; see where he takes you and what you feel called to know more about. The Alpha courses are quite good. Good luck with everything. I'm really excited for you that you're at the beginning of something amazing!

Thank you. I do talk to God every day but as you've said God has lead you all over the place in your quest for personal growth and I think that's what I'm looking for in regards to my beliefs.

Echoing people who have suggested finding a church that runs Alpha, or Christianity Explored.

There is also this course which you can do online: https://321.speaklife.org.uk/course/321

If you're looking for 'what Christians believe' or 'what the Bible is about' then the Bible Project is really great at giving overviews of each book of the Bible so you can see the real 'story' in it. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVfwlh9XpX2Y_tQfjeln9QA

If you're looking for 'what Christians are like' then a good church that teaches in accordance with the Bible and welcomes people who are curious with open arms is a great place to start.

If you already talk to God on a daily basis, then it sounds like what you are really looking for is Jesus - He's the one who turned everything around for the human race and brought us back in to a relationship with God the Father. Reading Matthew, Mark, Luke or John will give you a great insight to Jesus and how amazing He is.

Thank you both and I will read more about Jesus.

I just wanted to add another thanks to everyone for being so helpful and so kind about me being in your space, asking questions despite not being a Christian.

I have to say it's so lovely to hear of someone searching so honestly for Christ. I've been a Christian since I was 16 and it's shaped my whole life. I don't know if it will help, but I'll be praying for you as you search. Alpha or Christianity Explored are both great introductions, as is finding a church where you feel welcome.

In my thoughts and prayers xx

Is there any church you feel swayed towards? Or one close to your house that's easily accessible? I would start there. Go on a Sunday morning, "the main service," and you can talk to people if you want to or check out the notice boards etc for "what's on!"
There will be lots of lovely services coming up now as we approach advent. Check out your local Cathedral if that appeals.
There are so many varying styles of worship, it might take a few to figure out what suits you- and that may change as you grow and learn. I actually attend a few different churches as I get something different from different ones.
The internet is overwhelming isn't it. There are so, so many apps, podcasts, YouTube sermons to choose from. If you're a book person, which it sounds like you are, head to a Christian bookshop an see if there's something that appeals to you. The people in the shops are usually extremely helpful. You can of course go to any bookshop or library but they might not be as experienced on the christian section as in a Christian bookshop.
Do you have a bible yet?- again, can be overwhelming, so many options! If you're interested in the bible, there are loads of apps that do daily bible readings or bible in a year dailys if that's something you fancy.
My best advice, is to pray about it. You need no special tools, books or experience!- Ask God to lead you on the right path, help you to find the right Church and resources for you.
Most of all, enjoy this journey you are on. I hope it brings you peace, joy and anything else you are looking for.
Come back and tell us how you get on!

I want to echo what a few other posters have said about focusing on what Jesus said and what he got up to. Reading those parts of the bible gives you a real sense of a man trying to share Gods Word and Jesus deliberately puts things in simple bite sized pieces for his audience. Focus on building a personal relationship with Jesus and everything else will fall into place

Thank you so much for the prayers, they're much appreciated.

There is a beautiful church near me that I've always admired and seems to be very well attended, I think I'll look into that one more. And thank you for the recommendation for a Christian bookshop, I am a reader! I don't have a bible, I haven't had one since I had a children's bible but I will look into the apps.

Thank you.

I have recently done "Christianity Explored" and didn't like it at all. It didn't feel like Good News to me, focused on some things I felt were unloving and unhelpful, and wasn't cohesive- it jumped from one chapter of the Gospel to another, which felt like cherry picking.
Also the video presenter, Rico Tice, has had some negative press recently.

I did it for interest, as a lifelong Christian and thus felt able to challenge and question the course leader, but I don't think it would have brought me to Jesus.

Why has Rico had negative press recently? I've missed that.

Rico Tice has been suspended by the Diocese of London after he was mentioned in the Makin report on the serial abuser John Smyth. It seems Tice knew of Smyth’s abuse many years ago but never raised the alarm.

I recommend listening to David Suchet reading the Gospels. Very powerful stuff, straight from the source as it were, not filtered through other people’s interpretations. Also, a very powerful way to develop a relationship with God is by meditation or contemplative prayer. Have a look at the resources offered by The Julian Meetings
They are free.

Thanks both 😊

I'll definitely look into contemplative prayer.