How to Find the Right Church
Hebrews 10:24-25 says,
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
In the first century the writer of Hebrews was encouraging the followers of Jesus to continue meeting together. Underneath this encouragement is a very powerful principle:
The church you attend over time has an enormous impact on your spiritual growth.
Therefore it is important for you to find a church, or make sure you are in a church, that will maximize your spiritual growth.
There are four areas I find helpful when evaluating a new church or your current church and it’s long-term impact on your spiritual growth.
- Beliefs
- Needs
- Feelings
- Distance
Beliefs: It’s important your beliefs align with the beliefs of the church. The most important belief alignment is that your church believes the Bible is the Word of God. This is huge because your spiritual growth will occur as you listen to the messages from the platform or pulpit. Once this primary alignment is met, secondary belief alignments should also be evaluated. These include beliefs about infant baptism or dedication, believer’s baptism, spiritual gifts, etc. As a general rule of thumb, the more your beliefs are aligned with the church you attend, the better it will be.
Needs: You and/or your family have certain needs based on your particular situation. If you have young children, will the children’s program meet your needs? If you have teenagers, is there a student ministry for them? Are you looking for Bible Studies during the week or small groups that meet in homes? Do you want to be part of a missions ministry or serving those in need in your community? These are important questions. Again a general rule of thumb is the greater the needs alignment between you and or your family and what the church offers, the better your church relationship will be.
Feelings: Whenever you walk into a church you get a feeling. Usually it is instantaneous. Do you feel “at home” or “uncomfortable”? Don’t ignore this feeling. You may not be able to expressly state why you feel this way, but your feeling is almost always right. You want to be a part of a church that “feels right.” This is like being in love. How do you know if you are in love? No one who is in love wonders if they are in love. It’s the same for church. When you are in a church that feels right, you will know it.
Distance: Distance is one of the most overlooked factors when deciding upon a church. Simply stated, the closer the church to your house, over time the more you will be involved in that church. Typically, the more you are involved in your church, the greater will be your spiritual growth. So all other things being equal, pick the church which is closest in driving time. I recommend attending a church within one half hour of driving distance from your home. Less than this is even better.
Overall remember there is no perfect church. Often I hear from folks who have relocated to a new area that they can’t find a church “like their old church.” Since no two churches are alike, of course they can’t find a church like their old church. Additionally, there is no church which will have everything you want just the way you want it. That’s okay. Choose the church closest to what you desire.
Remember, there is no perfect church, but there will be the right church.
