Finding A Church
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Finding A Church
"forsake not the assembling of yourselves" Hebrews 10:25
Why look for a church?
Church attendance is not required to have faith in God. However, it can be a big boost to growing faith and better living. Hebrews 10:25 tells Christians that we shouldn’t forsake the assembling of ourselves together. It goes on to explain the reason for assembling together: to encourage one another in faith.
On one hand, churches usually:
- are an excellent source of social interaction and support- enjoy corporate worship and Bible study- can be a benefit to surrounding communities and outreachWithout these things it can be very difficult for even the most sincere believer to remain strong in faith, maintain an encouraging outlook, and be a witness of the love of God to the world as we are called to do.
On the other hand, some churches:
- seem to know it all and have no room for others to give and share their unique gifts- tend to make people feel worse about themselves rather than better- tell people how to disconnect from God better than how to know God moreWhat to look for in a Church
The church you might be interested in regularly attending depends mostly on what your beliefs and interests for involvement are. At some point you may find a church that you think you might be interested in attending on a permanent basis. Most churches require some form of acknowledgement, registration, or membership for long term involvement.
One of the best suggestions I can make for your search is to attend all assemblies of a church of interest consistently for several months before deciding to make it your permanent home church. Attend classes, including membership classes if available, social events, get to know and talk with other attendees and leadership, find out why they made it their home church, what other churches they’ve attended and how long. All of these things can highlight signs that will affect your longevity and future involvement. Go in with your eyes wide open and don’t let personal relationships with other attendees make your choices for you.
1st Rule of Thumb
This leads us to the first rule of thumb of church involvement: if you don’t thoroughly believe in the church you are attending then the church will not be a persistent strength to your faith and life Churches are to be human involvements with faith in God to lead their endeavors. Human involvement means that they will not be perfect. I suggest that any church of people, especially leadership, who claim to be perfect in or of their own ability, is not a church to return to. The reason for this suggestion is Romans 3:10 teaching that there is none righteous, not one. A church, as with any group or organization, is the product of the collective ideas of all people involved. How people choose to interpret scripture decides how the church follows God’s leading.
2nd Rule of Thumb
The second rule of thumb of church involvement is: if you don’t thoroughly believe in the church you are attending then you will not be a persistent strength to other’s faith and life there either. Please realize that your faith grows by being an encouragement and strength to others. Some people attend church with themselves more than others in mind and become a hindrance rather than a help to the church. Next to prioritizing God, loving others as ourselves is primary in our relationship with God. God establishes authorities and if you don’t thoroughly believe in the authority without trying to change it then find a church to be a part of that you don’t need to change. Many churches have met their doom because of people attending who don’t believe in the church. If a church should not exist in its current state, then it will cease without anyone’s concerted effort.
Pray about any church you consider for permanent involvement and pray for it at every opportunity once you commit. Churches need your prayer, you never know if or when people, civil laws, or media may negatively affect your church. The strength of the faith your church has in God is the only thing that will keep it standing through adverse circumstances. If your church doesn’t go through adverse circumstances then follow the pastors’ lead, get involved, and watch the enemy of God try to pull the church apart. The enemy is not the people doing his bidding but the principals and powers that are leading them. If you are following God then His enemy will get agitated at you and your church, but it is also exciting to watch how much more powerful God is than His enemy.
Why register a church? (free and without obligation)
Many people want to be a part of a church but need important information to be comfortable even to visit. Some have been deeply harmed by past experiences and clearly answering real questions is paramount to involvement when deception seems rampant in some religious organizations today. Showing how open and non-secrative a church is can be the key to sharing faith in an group environment.
Refer pastors to this webpage or register what information you have available. If you are a pastor who has been referred to this webpage then it is likely that someone is considering becoming a part of your church. The goal of the "Find A Church" pages of this website is not to discourage anyone from going to a church, but to open the door to clear and honest questions that people may need answered before considering the church. This information is not enough to base a permanent commitment on, but it is very good start that can make people much more comfortable with visiting and pursuing church relationships. Different people are comfortable with different answers to each question, so don't feel in any way like particular questions have to be answered one way or another.
Go to the Register A Church page for more information about different ways of registering and additional information that can be provided to make your church available to possible newcomers from this website.
Do you have comments about your church or a church you visit? Submit that information on the Evaluate A Church page.
Why evaluate a church?
Do you have comments about your church or a church you visit? Submit that information as feedback to the church and for others who may wish to visit or consider participation in the church. It is recommended to anyone to check out a church for themself, but your experiences can be added to others to give a good feel for what to expect. Church members are more than welcome to evaluate their own church as well, it is a wonderful way to express confidence and encourage faith in the church.
This page was last updated on: September 16, 2007
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