The Pew Forum is a group that studies religion in the world and in the U.S.  They did a study of the states and ranked them by which sate is the most "religious." 

Religion is, of course, different to different people, so they had to first define it. They did it by four areas:  frequency of attendance at some sort of worship service, belief in a God, importance of religion in people's lives and frequency of prayer.

The state to get the religious crown was Mississippi with 8 in 10 people claiming to be religious (82%).  Despite it's firm Catholic, Protostant and Jewish roots, Pennsylvania is ranked as the 26th most religious state in the US.

So how do you find the right congregation for you and your family?  Here are some good and easy tips to keep in mind while shopping for your next place tow orship:

• First, know your denomination.  If it's been a while since you've been in a congregation, look online for what you think you might want out of a congregation.  Do you have stricter values or are you looking for a place that is more accepting of different views?  Do a little research about what you're looking for. . .
• Second, don't get stuck in the denominations you remember from you were a kid.  There's a lot out there and if you're open to what's out there, what's out there might open up your heart!  Go online and see what's in a 15 mile radius of where you live.  Go to their websites and read up on what they believe.  See which congregations strike a cord with you.
• Go shopping! When you walk into a new place check for these things:
  • Did you feel welcome and accepted?
  • Did you like the style of whatever type of service it was?
  • Did they have enough to keep you and your family engaged during the week?
  • After you left, did you feel uplifted?  Did you talk about what was said all the way home or did you critisize all the way home?
  • Could you remember the service the next day?
  • If you have kids, did THEY enjoy it, too?
  • Were there families there that were your age?
• Go back one more time.  You never know when you catch a congregation with a guest speaker or on an off day.  Everybody deserves a second chance.  Make sure you've got a good handle on what they do and what their routine is.  Especially since you are probably nervous, too, that second visit will probably be more imporatant than the first.
• After you've made the rounds,everyone in the family gets a vote (with the deciding votes being with the adults, of course).  Weigh all the options and the pros and cons, paying particular attention to which places made you feel the most welcome and which places made you feel the most "filled" after you left. 
• Remeber big buildings and splashy presentations don't matter unless it inspires you in some way and encourages you to have a deeper understanding of your innner self and the greater world around you.  The giant cathedral and the church basement can have equal power!