Still Struggling to Find a Church In the South

It's been 1 year, and Matt and I still struggle to find a church in the South. Our churches in Baltimore - both Old Otterbein Methodist and St. Thomas Episcopal felt like a better fit...This issue is complicated by the fact that we now have 3 small children (and wrecking ball pitches a crazy fit every time we drop her off in the nursery). We like a Methodist church in Johns Creek, but it's not super close, the service is early, and the daycare provider cringes every time she sees Maggie coming :/ So, I've resorted to going to the Mega church (Gwinnett Church) Matt refuses to attend (he hates the band and music and prefers a traditional church...good luck finding a traditional, liberal church in the South. It's right down the street, has a 4:30 p.m. service and Hadleigh likes it. I don't love Andy Stanley's repetitive delivery so much...but I have great respect for his message and the fact that he didn't take the easy route of taking over his dad's Southern Baptist congregation...He wrestled with his desire for God and the questions he had regarding his father's faith, and he charted his own course. He preached today about the reasons why many Christians leave the church. He talked about the importance of a growing developmental conceptualization of God (my words not his). I can predict the conservative Christian argument to this  - "the Bible is the same yesterday, today, and forever" - I was taught that same verse.
 
This entry is not for the Christian conservative or whatever denomination to argue with me. I've seen too many religious individuals struggle with their religions/spirituality and a multitude of other life issues because of their faith background. Take a visit to your local psych hospital...you'll find that most people there have hallucinations and delusions that revolve around religious teachings. When students/clients struggle with their faith and request to explore this area of their lives, I often draw a parallel between psychological moral development and religion. We're taught one thing as children, but it grows and matures with age. As children, we are taught to do right, so that we don't get punished. Many adults may operate under this same understanding, but I hope most of our morals are grounded within our own understanding of what is correct - not what behaviors will result in punishment. 
 
I watched Andy Stanley's message at Buckhead church when I lived in Atlanta back in the day. I never cared for the "popularity" of the church with young people and had the initial reaction that he was serving a watered down version of Christianity to attract the masses...Maybe he is...but I think he's bringing a lot more people to know God than most Christians, and for that - I commend him.
 
So, this is where we are for now. Matt will start going with me I'm sure...he likes Church and he's a smart man who likes to please his wife. I think he'll hate the music and Andy's repetition for a while, but ultimately I think it will be a good place for our spiritual growth for now. Maybe when wrecking ball outgrows that church lady's class or overcomes her separation anxiety, we'll return to the Methodist Church. I'll challenge Matt to remain cognitively flexible and maintain our positive uncertainty approach that landed us here. I haven't directed him in a wrong direction yet ;) 

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