Like the Pharisees who Jesus rebuked for focusing on the outside of the cup, this church looks good at first: wholesome, big families, lots of kids, fun activities, and a claimed focus on God's word. At first it seems like you've found such a sweet, simple, hometown church. The deeper in you get, the more the shine wears off and you start to notice things: * partiality for certain families (and not others) * the way the pastor and some of the leaders tear apart people who disagree or bring concerns * the focus on external behaviors that aren't clear in the Bible (like courtship and homeschooling) * the way abuse and sin has been hidden by church leaders for their own benefit * how the pastor uses the pulpit to laser in on issues he wants to address (rather than simply going through the Bible the way they claim) * the way women are often the ones actually leading their husbands and families in this church * how the pastor and wife seek to build their own kingdom of selling books, retreats, and seeking fame * how every few years a huge group of people leave and the leadership tells everyone not to listen to anything they have to say (this has happened for decades) * how people they use as leaders/deacons end up getting torn down and gossiped about (almost always because those people have actually noticed the things on this list and tried to bring concerns) Save yourself many years of heartache. RUN. Go to a church that has a pastor with the characteristics the Bible prescribes: above reproach, self-controlled, respectable, not argumentative, gentle, not a lover of money, well thought of by outsiders. The current pastor has none of these traits. Please-- for your family's sake and for the sake of the Gospel- consider these "anonymous" pleas from former members like me. Go to a different church. Avoid this one.