Renee in NC Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The church we really want to go to is 35 miles away. The trip takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. I haven't found a parish closer that even comes close to the parish I want to attend. They also have a homeschool group that meets there, so we would drive there at least twice a week. There is a parish 15 minutes from us that is pretty bad. My children hate it, there aren't any kneelers (by choice), and overall the atmosphere is not what I want for my dc. There is another about 25 minutes away that is okay, but not great. There are other parishes that are simply not in the running at all. Would you drive 35 miles each way for a good church? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes. Our church is about 30 minutes away, but our homeschool group (meeting at a different church) is about 15 minutes away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Currently, I drive 26 miles one-way for church. I would drive up to 60 miles, one-way, on a regular basis if I had to in order to reach a suitable parish. "Regular basis" for us (being Orthodox) is every Saturday evening and every Sunday morning. This is so central to our lives, it would be worth it. I'm happy, though, that I have only the 52-miles round trip at present ! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetobehome Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I would drive up to an hour if I had to. We used to do that. Then we decided that church life was too central to our lives to be far, and we moved an hour away so we could be 3 minutes from church. LOVE IT. We have been here 7 years. We go to almost everything, it is convenient and easy. I would not choose to go to a church you do not like just because it is close. Use the commute time for prayer, singing, Bible memorization, etc . So many good cds out there to help with that! And, maybe just maybe, God will open a door for you to move closer, eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kertie Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I would. But I grew up with a 40-minute drive to church and now drive 25-30 minutes (~20 miles) to church. And if you drive 15 minutes only to be miserable, why go at all?? Practically, gas $$ is something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 It takes about 10 - 12 minutes to get to church, and about 10 - 15 minutes to get to homeschool group. They are in opposite directions. Pre-kids, we drove 45 minutes one way to church. Now, I just don't think I could do it. We are late to our current church....I couldn't image how late we'd be to a church that's 45 minutes away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamela&claire Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I would drive that far to church. I'm not sure I'd drive that far on a regular basis for a homeschool...is that a support group? co-op? or what? Anyway, it would have to be some super-duper group for me to do it regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglei Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes. We currently drive 45 minutes each way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I have never driven more than 15 minutes to church. I once joined a co op that was a 45 minute drive each way--I decided it wasn't worth it. All regular activities (homeschool or rec) have been within 20 minutes for years now. I won't sign up for anything that requires more. I'm taking some classes for myself now and they are a bit of a drive, but I'm hoping they help me teach my son and other kids with disabilities (the first I took was fantastic). Otherwise, I won't spend time in the car. My kids do a lot of activities (I think) and being close means I can share duties with dh (I can ask him to do an 8 pm pick up when he leaves his office). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 About 20 minutes to church, about 30 to our homeschool group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Currently, I drive 26 miles one-way for church. I would drive up to 60 miles, one-way, on a regular basis if I had to in order to reach a suitable parish. "Regular basis" for us (being Orthodox) is every Saturday evening and every Sunday morning. This is so central to our lives, it would be worth it. I'm happy, though, that I have only the 52-miles round trip at present ! :) I would drive up to an hour if I had to. We used to do that. Then we decided that church life was too central to our lives to be far, and we moved an hour away so we could be 3 minutes from church. LOVE IT. We have been here 7 years. We go to almost everything, it is convenient and easy. I would not choose to go to a church you do not like just because it is close. Use the commute time for prayer, singing, Bible memorization, etc . So many good cds out there to help with that! And, maybe just maybe, God will open a door for you to move closer, eventually. The closest church is 2 hours one way. We attend on Sundays and feast days, but Saturday vespers is not possible, sigh. We considered a move closer (even though there is no work for dh) but then miraculously our parish started a mission in a town much closer! So now in addition to Sundays we have 2 Saturdays a month at the mission (only 40 minutes away). I am longing for the day when the mission is full time, but until then God's grace has carried us through. Truly, it is His grace that makes us able to go... when we were attending our last (Protestant) church you could barely drag us to the service once a month, even though it was only 40 minutes away. Now, it is easy to go 2 hours! Go figure! It must be God, 'cause I am a lazy person who would never do that on my own! (We don't do the coop that is 40 minutes away- not worth my time or money.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We drive about 25-30 minutes to our church, and our homeschool co-op is 45 minutes one way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We drive about 45 min. one way once a week for the girls' co-op. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes I would and have driven further than that to both. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosaicmind Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Our church is 7min away and we don't do homeschool groups, but if we did that would be 10min away. When we lived in IA we drove 25min to church. When we move to KY church can be anywhere from 5min to 40min away depending on where we decide to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 I would drive that far to church. I'm not sure I'd drive that far on a regular basis for a homeschool...is that a support group? co-op? or what? Anyway, it would have to be some super-duper group for me to do it regularly. It is a co-op in the morning, then lunch and play time in the afternoon. We don't currently belong to a homeschool group, but there are a couple closer. One is at the okay church 25 minutes away (meets once per month) and the other is in our city (15-20 minutes away.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWifeandMommy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 no, we haven't but due to recent events we may have to travel more than 5 minutes for church. we like to be close to home as possible since my husband doesn't get to spend much time here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We drive 90 miles one way to church. I wouldn't consider it for a homeschool group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Most of the activities with our homeschool group are 30-45 minutes away. The group in my city requires a SoF, so to me the drive is worth it. It does get tiring sometimes but I'm used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We don't go to church, but I drive 40-45 minutes each way to homeschool group. It's worth it to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The church we really want to go to is 35 miles away. The trip takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. I haven't found a parish closer that even comes close to the parish I want to attend. They also have a homeschool group that meets there, so we would drive there at least twice a week. There is a parish 15 minutes from us that is pretty bad. My children hate it, there aren't any kneelers (by choice), and overall the atmosphere is not what I want for my dc. There is another about 25 minutes away that is okay, but not great. There are other parishes that are simply not in the running at all. Would you drive 35 miles each way for a good church? We drove that distance for two years every Sunday morning, and most Sunday and Wednesday evenings. We finally moved to be closer to church. And then we left the church. :glare: We found another, this one was even further away, and we've been going off and on for almost a year. This one is too far though, the drive is harder, and the church isn't quite as "perfect" as the last one. But to answer your question, yes. I'd drive that far for a church we loved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 I would drive up to an hour if I had to. We used to do that. Then we decided that church life was too central to our lives to be far, and we moved an hour away so we could be 3 minutes from church. LOVE IT. We have been here 7 years. We go to almost everything, it is convenient and easy. I would not choose to go to a church you do not like just because it is close. Use the commute time for prayer, singing, Bible memorization, etc . So many good cds out there to help with that! And, maybe just maybe, God will open a door for you to move closer, eventually. I don't see how we could ever move that close, but moving somewhat closer may be an option someday. I would. But I grew up with a 40-minute drive to church and now drive 25-30 minutes (~20 miles) to church. And if you drive 15 minutes only to be miserable, why go at all?? Practically, gas $$ is something to consider. Honestly, every Sunday I come up with some reason why we can't go to church because the close to us church is that bad. My dc *hate* it there. They loved the one that is 45 minutes away, so much so that they sat through 2 hours of service the first time we went without much trouble. Gas is an issue - a big one. However, I think that it will work out somehow if we are meant to go to the far away parish.;) The closest church is 2 hours one way. We attend on Sundays and feast days, but Saturday vespers is not possible, sigh. We considered a move closer (even though there is no work for dh) but then miraculously our parish started a mission in a town much closer! So now in addition to Sundays we have 2 Saturdays a month at the mission (only 40 minutes away). I am longing for the day when the mission is full time, but until then God's grace has carried us through. Truly, it is His grace that makes us able to go... when we were attending our last (Protestant) church you could barely drag us to the service once a month, even though it was only 40 minutes away. Now, it is easy to go 2 hours! Go figure! It must be God, 'cause I am a lazy person who would never do that on my own! (We don't do the coop that is 40 minutes away- not worth my time or money.) Do you do any homeschool activities? Do you feel like part of the church community even though you live so far away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes I would drive that far for a church I felt was the best fit for our family but I might not go to as many extra things there. The homeschool group I would probably do if I went to the church because the kids would have the same friends twice a week. We drove 1/2 hour for a home school group but after a few years it just wasn't the best for our schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 My church is within walking distance. Our co-op is an hour away and definitely worth the time, effort, and expense. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We live in a small town. When the kids were early elementary I would take them 2 hours each way to a big city once a week for dance and museums. I miss those days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The drive is about 10 min for us, and we are not a big fan of the church and/or community. I am tempted to look into the other two churches in the area that I would consider going to, but we might be moving anyway (unrelated) so I am not picky about it right now. I would drive upwards of 30 min to 45 min for what I wanted, for both homeschool and church. I want to ask though, what do you consider to be an aspect of a "great" church rather than a "okay" church? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I don't drive that far and probably would not where we live now (a church on every corner...we have 3 we really like to go to within 10 minutes of our house.) But if we could not find a good church nearby, we would drive 30 minutes for one that fit the needs of our family. We would probably just be late a lot more;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes. Both church and our co-op are one hour away. It's not ideal but there are no better options closer to us. :) I will say it does affect our ability to participate in Wednesday night services b/c I don't want to be getting my kids in bed at 10:30 at night... they don't do well with such a late bedtime. But it is still well worth it to travel an hour to get to both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ednkirstin Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Our church is only about 15 minutes away, but our homeschool group is about 45 minutes away. We go there once a week, and occasionally more for special activities. I consider it worth the drive because I love the group. My only hang up was that my kids were making most of their friends 45 minutes away! That makes it really hard to let them get together at other times. Now that we're in a church closer to home, it's a lot better balanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 (edited) The church we really want to go to is 35 miles away. The trip takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. I haven't found a parish closer that even comes close to the parish I want to attend. They also have a homeschool group that meets there, so we would drive there at least twice a week. There is a parish 15 minutes from us that is pretty bad. My children hate it, there aren't any kneelers (by choice), and overall the atmosphere is not what I want for my dc. There is another about 25 minutes away that is okay, but not great. There are other parishes that are simply not in the running at all. Would you drive 35 miles each way for a good church? Yes, right now we drive 20 miles but the Orthodox church we want to inquire into is 70 miles (an hour and a half drive and it's the closest one). We probably won't go every week though. ETA- I wouldn't drive more than 30 minutes for a weekly co-op. We've never really done co-ops. Edited July 12, 2011 by Happyhomemama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 The drive is about 10 min for us, and we are not a big fan of the church and/or community. I am tempted to look into the other two churches in the area that I would consider going to, but we might be moving anyway (unrelated) so I am not picky about it right now. I would drive upwards of 30 min to 45 min for what I wanted, for both homeschool and church. I want to ask though, what do you consider to be an aspect of a "great" church rather than a "okay" church? Kneelers, for one!:lol: Honestly, here it is the difference between a parish that is Catholic in name only and one that is loyal to the Magisterum. There is just no comparison in liturgy, practice, community, etc. It's the difference between a 15-minute once a week confessional and confession 2-3 times per week (at least an hour each time.) It's adoration attended by families together on a weekly basis (though I did not count that night in my times to travel.) It's a parish (not particularly large) that has 5 of the 21 seminarians in the diocese (which covers 1/2 of NC.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I'd drive that far. I don't have to now--we live on the church grounds. I don't think 35 minutes is really that far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Pre-kids, we drove 45 minutes one way to church. Now, I just don't think I could do it. We are late to our current church....I couldn't image how late we'd be to a church that's 45 minutes away. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Less than 5 mins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I drive 25-30 minutes each way for church. Most of my friends locally think I'm crazy because they go to the huge mega Bible church on the corner. It's a seeker church and they aren't seekers, but I think they put up with it because it's close and easy. It's not a good fit for us - too big, too soft on doctrine and theology, etc. The distance, especially on week nights with heavier traffic leading to one hour drives, means I am not there every time the doors are open. We don't have a Wed night service except for teens, and we're not there yet. VBS was a hard week! :D Not sure about adding all that time in the car for homeschool co-op, but really if it means that many of the families that you'd be in church with are part of it so lots of friends, then I would do it. But church is definitely worth the drive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 (edited) I drive about 35 minutes one way to get to church. Well....I would if I had a car available to me. :tongue_smilie: I love the church and it was worth the drive, but paying for gas added up quickly. I wasn't as involved or able to be involved as I would prefer to be. For my own needs, if I had a halfway decent second option I might choose that. With older kids though, it seems like a much tougher decision! Mine's only 2. Edited July 12, 2011 by MrsBasil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 we don't go to a co op, and church is a 5 minute walk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Kneelers, for one!:lol: Honestly, here it is the difference between a parish that is Catholic in name only and one that is loyal to the Magisterum. There is just no comparison in liturgy, practice, community, etc. It's the difference between a 15-minute once a week confessional and confession 2-3 times per week (at least an hour each time.) It's adoration attended by families together on a weekly basis (though I did not count that night in my times to travel.) It's a parish (not particularly large) that has 5 of the 21 seminarians in the diocese (which covers 1/2 of NC.) I would go. For that, I would make it a priority and make sure we became a part of the community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpnick in nc Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Until last Sunday, we drove for 40 minutes one-way to church (yay for closer church plant!). I considered a Classical Conversations that is 1 hour in the other direction, but decided against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We have a great church I attended when I just had DS about 1/2 mile from our house. It doesn't have any programs or facilities for kids, though--there isn't even a convenient area to take a fussy baby--so getting over there with DD is more difficult, and with three kids it will be impossible. So I've been attending a church about 2.5 miles from home that I don't love nearly as much but that has great programs for kids, that the kids love, and that a few of my friends go to. I don't belong to a group or co-op. Distance is part of the reason. We have one car, and DH usually takes it to work during the week. I'm not aware of any homeschool groups within the city, so I'd have to drive to the suburbs to get to one, which isn't an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ten months ago, we began driving an hour each way -- it was the first group we had ever interviewed (:D) that we felt was a good fit for us. FWIW, when I began looking into the group, we were 99% sure that we would be relocating to that town in approx 12-18 mos. We are right this minute waiting for an offer that should be forthcoming on our present home (our realtor has told us this). I do not think I would have looked at this group if I didn't know that we had already begun to plan to move in that direction due to dh's position with his firm (his office was being transferred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ten months ago, we began driving an hour each way -- it was the first group we had ever interviewed (:D) that we felt was a good fit for us. FWIW, when I began looking into the group, we were 99% sure that we would be relocating to that town in approx 12-18 mos. We are right this minute waiting for an offer that should be forthcoming on our present home (our realtor has told us this). I do not think I would have looked at this group if I didn't know that we had already begun to plan to move in that direction due to dh's position with his firm (his office was being transferred. It is possible that we could move in that general direction in the future. Dh's job isn't likely to change, but we could find something that is "in the middle" from dh's work and the church/activities. That would also put us closer to American Heritage Girls, but farther from Boy Scouts (not really a big deal.) I really need to decide one way or the other - either we are going to commit to going to the far-away parish or we are going to settle in to the one closer and make the best of it. I have to decide soon as it is time to sign up for religious ed and other things this month. Thanks for all the help everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 It is possible that we could move in that general direction in the future. Dh's job isn't likely to change, but we could find something that is "in the middle" from dh's work and the church/activities. That would also put us closer to American Heritage Girls, but farther from Boy Scouts (not really a big deal.) I really need to decide one way or the other - either we are going to commit to going to the far-away parish or we are going to settle in to the one closer and make the best of it. I have to decide soon as it is time to sign up for religious ed and other things this month. Thanks for all the help everyone! Renee: Wishing you the best as you decide what to do. I know that I would never have gone in the direction of Alexandria if dh and I weren't fairly certain we would need to be there anyway in the future. The traffic here is a horror and a short 18 mile drive takes an hour as I have to go back roads b/c taking the interstate would take at least an hour and a half with the backups. :glare: On the incredibly plus side, our kids have made and are making such wonderful friendships -- we have so much in common with these families --truthfully, for the first time in 16 years of marriage, dh and I actually have FRIENDS! I think your idea to be halfway between is a good one -- my sister and her dh did that as each commutes opposite directions from each other -- they are between both places and it works for them. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 our church is 25 min East of us and our homeschool group is 35 min west of us. We live in a rural area and drive a minimum of 25 min to do anything (grocery, post office) so its no big deal for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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