3 things to look for

Besides the decision to respond to Jesus as Savior and Lord, the second most far-reaching decision a person will make for their spiritual and eventually eternal well-being is where they attend church.  If like me, you did not grow up attending church, this may not be that obvious.  We live in a culture that at times minimizes the importance of belonging to a congregation.  It is treated as an option to the Christian faith, like leather versus cloth seats when you buy a car.  The car will work either way.  You hear phrases like, “I’m spiritual but not religious” or “I’m a Christian, but I’m not into organized religion.”  I’ve had more than one person tell me that they had a ‘good relationship with God”, but felt no need to attend or be a part of a local church.  

It’s not an option

The Bible is clear that you cannot consider yourself a serious believer if you are not a part of a local church.  We are literally commanded in scripture not to neglect the local assembly (Hebrews 10:25).  The way people knew at the beginning of the Christian faith that someone was a believer was that they assembled with other believers (Acts 2:44).  Jesus told us to spread the good news all over the world in the gospels and then the very next book, the book of Acts, describes them planting churches everywhere.  We are told that the church is His family, His temple and dwelling place – Ephesians 2:19-22, as well as His body, of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 4:15-16).  It is almost impossible to have and sustain a life giving relationship with Jesus if you are not connected to His body.

Having said that, the reason many people no longer attend church is because the version of the one they attended in the past was not really life giving.  If Jesus is life giving, and the church is His body, then it should be life giving as well.  It should be like Him, since it is literally an extension of Him.  It should not be dead tradition.  It should not be mimicking that latest social fad at the expense of truth in a pathetic attempt to seem relevant.  It should not be a personality cult.

Three things to look for

Over the years, we have seen thousands of people find life at our church.  It has been an incredible journey.  At times we would have church members come to me and tell me they were moving, and did they know a good church in the city where they were moving.  If I did I would recommend it.  If not, I gave them three simple things to look for.

1. Do they teach the Bible?

The authority of what we believe does not come from us, or our tradition, but from the scripture.  Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day because they replaced the scripture with their tradition – Mark 7:6-9.  Church history is filled with examples of religious groups and denominations who have done this.  This is why so many of today’s churches are lifeless and irrelevant.  There is no power, authority, or life in man’s traditions.  The Bible is “living and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12).  It is not like any other book.  We will be evaluated one day as we stand before God by His Word (John 12:48), not our ideas, intentions, or even church traditions. 

2. Is God there?

This may sound strange if you are not accustomed to experiencing God’s Presence.  For many people, the implication is that we ‘study God from afar.’  Yet we see in Ephesians 2:22 that we are literally being ‘built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.’  This is not just our imagination or a contrived emotion, but a discernible presence that is transformational.  Churches who ‘worship God in spirit and truth’ (John 4:24) can and should experience His Presence.  They don’t just study the Word, or enshrine a particular church tradition.  God’s penetrating presence is one indicator you’re in the right place.  I don’t like to go to a place called ‘God’s House’ if He’s not there!  

3. Can you bring others there?

Not only should the Bible be taught, and the Holy Spirit welcomed, but it should also be a place that is friendly to people who are at different places in their faith journey.  Is the teaching too difficult for a person young in the faith or even not yet in the faith to understand?  A healthy church has something for everyone, from the seeker to the mature believer.  Is the worship so mystical that the uninitiated is put off?  Are new people made to feel welcome?  In other words, can you bring your friends and neighbors there comfortably?  Yes, a church can be so ‘visitor friendly’ that they completely eliminate the challenging demands of the faith.   But an open minded seeker should be able to sense the compelling and attractive nature of the Christian life and faith when they visit a life giving church, even if there are many things that are new to them.  I was there once.  I understood very little of what was going on and why.  But… the life of God was there.  I experienced what I did not know was available – His Presence.  Then came Truth.  Then came Love.  I’ve been hooked ever since.  

There really is no substitute for being planted in a healthy church.  I would start by searching for inter denominational or non-denominational churches in your area.  The reason for that is, if they are growing, it is because there is life there, not because of some allegiance to a tradition or denomination that may no longer have relevance.  If you end up in a denominational church, make sure it has these characteristics. If you are not experiencing what we’ve been describing in a church, don’t stop looking until you find it.