Finding a church can be very difficult for any follower of Christ. As a new Believer, it can be incredibly challenging. The reason is that a great deal of false teaching and false doctrine has crept into the church body. The best place to start is praying to God and asking Him to lead you to a church where you can grow, experience, and participate. He will guide you.
Many, many churches are New Age incubators disguised as churches.
Jesus said in a letter to the church of Laodicea:
Revelation 3:15-16 NLT
At the other end of the spectrum, there are a large number of churches that want to chain you to a set of rules and behaviors managed through your own efforts and struggles. They want you to earn your salvation, or at the very least, maintain your salvation.
Galatians 4:9 NLT
The problem is so pervasive that many Bible-believing Christians stay home to watch services online; this was a trend before Covid-19. Covid-19 simply turned "staying home from a church" into an epidemic.
I have given you a list of online churches to attend in other articles on this website while finding the right church. Here is that list again:
- Dr. Charles Stanley - In Touch Ministries
- Dr. David Jeremiah – Turning Point
- Mark Driscoll - Real Faith
- Voddie Baucham - Voddie Baucham Ministries
- Chad Harvey – Cross Assembly
- Chip Ingram - Living on the Edge
- Alan Wright – Alan Wright Ministries
- Lon Solomon – Lon Solomon Ministries
- Mike Fabarez - Focal Point Ministries
- J. D. Greear - Summit Life
- Costi Hinn - Shepherd's House Bible Church
These online services will give you solid food for growing in Christ. However, these online church services are simply a backup. It is NOT a substitution for going to church.
Hebrews 10:25 NLT
Perhaps the most crucial reason to go to church is to give our children a good foundation in salvation, biblical principles, morals, and proper behaviors.
As a new Believer, the process of finding a good church is a critical component of your new life in Christ.
- Jehovah's Witness and The Church of Latter-Day Saints are simply wrong. They do not follow the Bible.
- Some non-denominational churches have strayed far from the scriptures. Churches that see Jesus as someone who will give you money, power, or material things are based upon false biblical teaching. God may bless you with money, power, or material things, but it is not something that we can expect or demand from him.
- Churches that focus on works or good deeds rather than salvation through faith do not follow the Bible. Instead, these churches rely on a "feel good" experience as evidence of salvation.
- Churches that focus on behavior rather than salvation through faith do not follow the Bible. They are legalistic and judgmental. They do not follow the Bible but place a terrible burden on their congregations.
- Churches that do not believe in hell, the devil, and demons or churches that think most people are going to heaven do not follow the Bible.
- Do you feel welcome? Do the people stand around in clicks or look at you and wonder who you are?
- Is the church active in the community, or are most of their focus inward or overseas?
- Can you tolerate the music?
- Can you hear? See?
- Is the Bible used in the message? Do people carry Bibles?
You will never find a church where you will agree with everything that is said or done. That doesn't mean that it is a bad church. It merely means that you don't agree on everything. If it is a minor thing, no harm is done. If it is a significant thing, then prayerfully consider moving to another church. Recognize that the Lord may be using you to change their understanding or that the Lord may be using them to change your understanding.
Changing churches is not something to be taken lightly. My wife and I left a church once. The doctrine of this church had become so skewed that we could no longer support the church with our prayers and offerings. We prayed about it for a whole year before we finally left. It was a tough, heart-wrenching decision. However, we are still friends with many of the members of that congregation.
You should also recognize that you are attending church, not so much to get something but more so to give something. God has blessed you with specific gifts, talents, networks, skills, perspectives, and opportunities. Therefore, part of your decision should include what you can offer them or how you can participate in their needs and ministries.
I once looked for a new church for over a year, going to different churches each week. Finally, my sister suggested that I check out her church. I went and BAM! That was my new church.
Here are some attributes that you might consider when looking for a new church:
These are all points to consider; however, the most important attribute is to listen to the Holy Spirit. He will most certainly tell you what to do. For example, he may ask you to attend a church where the people are snobs or where the music is terrible.
In 1980, God called my wife and me to a church that never used the Bible. The church would read a Bible verse during the service, but it was nothing more than a religious artifact. My wife and I carried our Bibles to church every Sunday in protest that we were not using a Bible in our sermons.
Eventually, there was a need for a Sunday School teacher for the high school age group. There were only 3 or 4 that attended regularly. My wife and I volunteered for the position. There was a non-biblical format that I was supposed to follow, but no one ever told me that, so I simply taught the Bible. These kids were so hungry for the Bible that my class began to grow. We went from 3 or 4 regulars to 20 or more. Most of them accepted Christ as their personal Savior. Kids started inviting their parents, and their parents began accepting Christ. This activity went on for about a year or so.
The church leadership became very angry with us because adults left their adult Sunday school classes and attended our high school class. The church leadership demanded that we follow the outlined course and stop teaching the Bible.
So, while the Lord called us to attend a non-biblical, feel-good church, he used us to lead many people to Christ. This story is an important lesson to remember when finding a church.
See Also:
