With there being so many churches, how does a person choose which church they should join? Before we start I want to begin by encouraging you to consider a few things. First there is no perfect church. There is no perfect pastor. Even if you happen to find a perfect church filled with perfect people led by a perfect pastor, the moment you join the church it will no longer be perfect. So, just like in relationships, no church is going to be everything you want it to be. You may or may not agree with every decision the pastor makes. You may or may not agree with every single way they decide to spend what you believe is your money. With that being said, here are 7 things to consider when choosing a church to call home.
#1 – Does this church teach sound doctrine?
There are lots of false doctrines that have saturated the church, but allow me to expose two of the most destructive and most popular ones that have surfaced within the past 30 years. First, PLEASE beware of churches that teach any hint of prosperity theology. This is the idea that God has promised all of us health and wealth and if you are not experiencing that then you are living beneath God’s perfect will for your life. Nothing could be further from the truth. People die of other causes besides natural death and everyone will not be rich. God knows our capacity and gives us the responsibility that He knows we can handle (Mt. 25:14-30). Jesus and His disciples were not rich and so therefore it cannot be God’s will for everyone to be rich. Second, beware of the name-it-and-claim-it teaching that basically says there is “power in the tongue” and that if you speak certain things over your life enough then you’ll have them. And if you don’t have them, well then, it’s YOUR fault because you did not have enough faith to believe God for them. The first problem with this is that it reduces God into a genie that we can control by our words. Secondly, it also can leave the believer feeling defeated if they don’t receive what they “believed God for” because they’ve been taught they didn’t have enough faith. Third, it switches the focus from what we can do for God to what God can do for us. Finally it can lead to believers experiencing major disappointment in God because they believe that He promised them certain things. That, my friends, is NOT the God of the Bible. If you see ANY signs of either of these two false teachings, DO NOT PASS GO! DO NOT COLLECT $200! Run! (umm…that’s monopoly talk~ )
#2 – Am I being challenged by the word of God?
Are the sermons that you are listening to each week challenging you to make changes in your life that are uncomfortable or are they merely entertaining? A healthy church should provide sermons that are both encouraging and challenging. I would error on the side of challenging personally because there are too many churches that focus primarily on feel-good messages. If you are not being challenged to change then you will not experience the spiritual growth God desires. You should leave most of the time feeling as though there is something in your life you need to change. This applies to adult, children and youth ministries as your children need to grow spiritually as well. The children/youth ministries should be a MAJOR consideration when considering a church home.
#3 – Are they a Sender church or a Selfish church?
Many churches want to develop its leaders but have no desire or plan to send them out to do anything outside of the 4 walls of that local church. A healthy church develops leaders with the understanding that these gifted individuals are on loan from God and they do not belong to a local church. Their gifts and talents first belong to God. A healthy church does their part in developing and fostering the growth of leaders but then supports them if/when God may call them to transition to a position outside of the church they were developed in. These transitions can be difficult but a healthy church leadership staff should support them especially if they see the hand of God on this individual’s life.
#4 – Do they have a Balance between Insider and Outsider Focused?
Unfortunately many churches tend to focus most of their time, energy and attention in one of two extremes. Some churches focus most of their attention on reaching the lost and as a result they focus very little on growing and maturing the believer. On the other hand, other churches will focus so much on the spiritual growth of their members that it seems as though they have forgotten that there is a lost world outside of the 4 walls of the church who also need to hear about Jesus. A healthy church is one that has a plan in place to minister and meet the needs of both groups. Are they doing outreach? Do they actively support missions (domestic and international)? Do they have a spiritual growth track/plan set up for believers to matriculate through to ensure that those already saved and looking to grow will get their needs met as well?
#5 – Can you support the vision and the visionary?
God has called us to follow and submit to those in spiritual authority over us (Heb. 13:17). In relationships a woman should not agree to marry a man if she cannot first see herself submitting to his leadership. In the same way, can you see yourself serving under the leadership of the visionary? Do you agree with the vision?
Does the vision of the church extend beyond buildings, bucks and bodies?
If the church does not have a clear vision then you may want to consider whether or not that is a church you want to be a part of unless they are a startup church.
#6 – Can you see yourself growing and serving at this church?
God’s will is that you use your gifts to the fullest capacity. Do you feel like your current church, or the one you are considering, is a place where you can flourish and thrive by using your God-given gifts? For example, if you have gifts in drama and/or spoken word does the church that you are considering have ministries that support and practice those gifts? If not it’s like dating someone with a few good qualities but one really bad one you don’t like about them! Make sure the church’s ministry style and philosophy fits you and your family’s needs. What can you bring to the table that will best help this ministry succeed and go to the next level?
At some point we must transition from asking, ‘What can the church do for me?’ to ‘What can I do to help advance this church?’
#7 – Do you feel cared for as an individual at this church?
No one wants to feel like another number. Do you feel connected to other individuals at this church? Does the church provide opportunities to get connected? Does the leadership show genuine care for you as an individual? If it’s a large church do they have staff designated to care for you? Making genuine connections is one of the best ways to grow spiritually and one of the greatest benefits to church membership.
Summary
Once again, there is no perfect church but I believe these are 7 questions that will point you in the right direction in making a good decision to either stay at your current church or join a new one.