Yes, I certainly can understand your feelings—and I suspect many who don’t go to church have the same fears you do. But I hope you’ll try to overcome them, because God wants to bless you through His people.

Let me make a couple of practical suggestions. First, if you have friends who attend church regularly, ask if you can go with them to a service. Tell them honestly that you’ve never been in a church service before, and you simply want to observe what happens. Admittedly churches can differ from each other—but this will still give you an opportunity to understand what happens in a service.

Second, don’t feel bashful about visiting a church on your own, even if you feel awkward at first. If you sit in the back you may feel less conspicuous—but don’t hesitate to join in the singing or the reading of God’s Word, the Bible. Don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to others after the service, including the pastor.

The most important step you can take, however, is to turn to Jesus Christ and invite Him to come into your life. When you do, He’ll make you part of His family—a family that includes every person who belongs to Christ, regardless of their denomination. And they’ll love you and want to welcome you and help you, if you’ll let them. The Bible says, “Love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).

Become a part of God’s family.