How do you choose the right church?

I believe choosing the right church is second only to choosing the right spouse.  Sometimes people choose a church to join for all the wrong reasons – their family attends the church; they like the music (entertainment); it is the closest church to their home; the times of service fit their Sunday schedule better; business opportunities are available; the preacher is famous; they do not preach about sin; the church is large enough that you can go unnoticed; they have a beautiful building and etc. 

I personally would prefer to join a church that requires people seeking membership to attend classes.  The purpose of a church and its mission is important and you should clearly understand it before joining.  If people attend classes before joining most likely the members will have the same goals.  The unity among the members will generally be greater.

I think people should know the vision or direction the church is going in before they join.  It is important that the members of the church know the direction their church is taking.  If they do and you do then everyone can get excited about helping the church move in that direction.

You should know what the churches doctrine is before joining.  Every church should have a statement of faith that identifies its basic theological positions. You should review it carefully and be in basic agreement with that statement before making a decision.

You should be comfortable with the style of worship.  There is no right style or wrong style of worship, but you should be comfortable with their style.  I have attended churches that had liturgical style, traditional style, and various contemporary styles of worship.  I personally am more at home in a church that has a liturgical style of worship.

It is important to be in a church where your kind of people attends.  If you do it will be easier to become a family with them.  Choosing a church is as much a cultural question as it is a theological one.  We tend to settle in places, and with people, we can relate to.

You should ask what programs does the church offer that meets the needs of me and my family.  Generally families stay in a church where the children are happy and are having their needs met.

 What is the style of leadership at this church?  Churches have various styles and structures of leadership.  Some are congregational rule; some are governed by elected or appointed boards; while others are led by one person at the organization’s headquarters.  Knowing the kind of style and structure of leadership, how decisions are made, and personally respecting and valuing that style are important issues to work through before finalizing your choice of a church home.

I personally believe local congregations should make decisions for local churches.  I even think local congregations should choose their local leader.  I have often witness Catholic parishes where the local priest was not the right fit for the local parish and people had to suffer Sunday after Sunday for years. 

You should know the opportunities for service the church has to offer.  You need to be in a church where you can grow and maximize your gifts, talents, resources, and contribute to the growth and ministry of the church.

A key question to ask yourself are the unique gifts God has given you valued by this particular congregation and how can those gifts find their expression most effectively in the life of this church?

What is the reputation of the church in the community?  What is it known for? Does it have a positive or negative reputation?  Why?  Does the community even know the church exists?

Like all organizations, churches reflect the values and personalities of their leaders.  In choosing a church, one should ask if these leaders are people you can respect, trust, follow, and relate to.  Nothing is worse than trying to learn and improve your spiritual life under the direction of a leader or leaders you do not respect.

First impressions, while they can sometimes be misleading, can and do reveal certain feelings and reactions to general impressions, particularly for new people looking for a church home.  Don't discount your first impressions!

Churches will generally have at least four priorities - its mission, its people, its programs, and its facilities. How a church ranks those in terms of priority will tell you about what's important to a church and how it works.

Sometimes individuals can get lost in a local church, especially if it's a larger congregation.  Anyone can find a home church to attend and be anonymous.  A church home should involve relationships, support and care with others in a community of believers.  I would like to see the size of a church be no more than 300, but I realize that is seldom practical.

Where a church has been can tell you a lot about where it's headed, especially in the last five years.  If the leadership has remained the same is important because it speaks to the stability of the church.  Has it grown or declined?  Why or why not?  Are there existing problems or different ‘camps’ within the congregation?  Look before you leap!

If you have children you need to know if the church has a strong youth ministry.  The church should meet the spiritual needs of the whole family.  The teen years are often the most difficult years of a family's adjustment and parents are most likely to go where their teen-agers are active, involved and growing.

Look through the church bulletin.  It will tell you a lot about what a church believes, but more about how it acts.  Also, take a look at the church budget. Where it allocates its funds will also tell you a lot about what it does and values.

Can you live with the things you don't like about the church?  No church is perfect.  In fact, if you find the perfect church, don't join it, you'll ruin it!  The key is that you have investigated and been honest with yourself about what's important and that you can commit yourself to a body of believers moving in a particular direction.

Clothes that fit properly are worn more often and the same is true with a church that fits you properly.  If it fits well you will attend more often.  My past experience has been that many attend church out of a sense of obligation and not because they enjoy it and that is sad!

How important is the church?

Many people do not see the church as very important.  Some say I am a good moral person.  I believe in God and treat my family and neighbours right.  Why do I need to be a member of the church?  Many young people have rejected "organized religion."  They may claim to accept Jesus, but want nothing to do with the church.  Some people see denominational division or hypocrisy in the church, and they want no part of it.  So they reject the whole idea of the church.  Others say it doesn't matter which church you attend or if you go to church, as long as you believe in Jesus.  So people conclude you don't need to be a member of any church as long as you believe in Jesus.

I do not claim any denomination is more important than another.   Denominations are not found in the New Testament and I do not believe they were ever part of God's plan.  They were added by men hundreds of years after Jesus' death and resurrection.  We can be saved without joining a denomination.  I strongly believe it makes a difference what church we go to and who shepherds that church.

I believe the church is essential to our relationship with God.  The church has an important role in God’s plan for our lives.  The Gospel clearly shows that Jesus planned and built His church and early Christians belong to that church.

Ephesians 2:16, 19 – “Jesus reconciled Jew and Gentile to God in one body through the cross. Therefore, we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”  1st Timothy 3:15 - Paul wrote, “So we may know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.”  Many people agree that we must be ‘born again’, but they often think ‘church’ membership does not matter.  These people need to consider the fact that being born again makes us members of the family of God; the church is the family of God. 

Christ is the Head of the body (church) Eph. 1:22, 23 and Col. 1:18.  Christ is the Head of no other institution. There is one body, Eph. 4:4-6, just as there is only one God.  I do not believe Christ the Head of an unimportant, non-essential institution. To belittle the church is to belittle Jesus! 

Matthew 3:2; 4:23 - Both John and Jesus emphasized preaching the Gospel of the kingdom.  We cannot preach the Gospel of Christ without preaching about the kingdom (church).  To attempt to preach the Gospel without preaching the ‘church’ would be to preach a different Gospel (Gal. 1:8). 

Ephesians 3:10, 11 - The church played a major role in the eternal purpose of God.  The ‘church’ should reveal the wisdom of God as part of His eternal purpose.  I believe God from the beginning planned the church.  It was not a last minute decision.  God planned the church centuries before it began.  Would the Creator and Ruler of the Universe go to such trouble for an insignificant institution?  Daniel 2:31-45 tells us Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of an image.  It prophesied that the kingdom (church) would begin during the Roman Empire.  Matthew 16:18 tells us Jesus promised to build His church.  Clearly it was important to Him. 

The main work of the church should be spiritual, to help people have a right relationship with God and not political.  The church we are talking about is the body of all saved people which God planned and Jesus built.  It is the kingdom of Christ, the family of God and not a denomination.  If worship and Gospel preaching are important, then the church is important, because these are what the Lord established the church to accomplish.  

I believe man made denominations created the division in God’s church, but I also believe the church is important enough to belong to a denomination.  Perhaps in our day and time denominations are a necessary evil.  Anyone attending any denomination should be open to the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to direct their belief and not a denominational creed.  It is important to find a church or a denomination that encourages you, builds you up and brings you into a closer personal relationship with God.

I think it is extremely important that you find a church that teaches the importance of the Holy Spirit in your daily life.