What to Look For in A Good Church

It's 2024! Everyone you know of is making New Years resolutions. You're probably doing the same, but is finding a good church on your list?

I'm writing this post because, if you are like me, you know lots of people who have taken the convenient route of "Church TV"... Four years after COVID, many have taken hold to the causal church attendance on the couch, swiping through social media congregations or the "All I need is Jesus" mentality. Though it is not sinful to watch a service online or to take advantage of the grace of technology for spiritual resources, I would like to lovingly insist that it is sinful to refuse Biblical community, regardless of the reasons or excuses.

Hebrews 10:35 tells us to, "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Relationships with other Christians is a commandment, not a suggestion. It establishes accountability, creates opportunities for vulnerability and extends to each person an environment for consistent encouragement, service, growth and love. In church, there is access to mature Believers who can share their testimonies, relate to your season of life, give you wisdom and walk along side you as you develop your theology, your gifts and your talents for the Lord. There are also people in church who may not be as mature as you are, in which case, you will have the opportunity to encourage, relate and share your testimony and wisdom with them.

This culture of giving, sharing, growing and maturing is a blessing and a grace for all Christians and a biblical church community is God's grace to us for thriving and flourishing so that we can be a light in the darkness and a city on a hill!

Of course, not all churches are practicing biblical faithful obedience. Not every congregation is teaching good theology or sharing biblical wisdom. So we must be on guard and be innocent as doves and as shrewd as serpents, as Jesus instructed (Matthew 10:16). We need to use our critical thinking skills to the glory of God- testing everything and comparing and contrasting a church's practices and programs with the authority of scripture.

No church is perfect, but I hope to encourage you on what to look for in a faithful church so that you can choose wisely and get plugged in - learning and growing and thriving with others who love the Lord and who will love you!

Faithful Pulpit and Programs

Look for a church that is not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16) or the scriptures. What's preached from the pulpit must be portrayed in the programs. Look to see if the Gospel (sin, repentance, salvation, sanctification) in its entirety is proclaimed and practiced. 

Sin: evil done in thought, word or action that is contrary to the nature and Word of God.

Repentance: recognizing and admitting sin and the need for forgiveness and a change of heart and lifestyle.

Salvation: The reliance on Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day in order to obtain His forgiveness of all sin and His righteousness which gives us a new nature and grants us relationship back to God.

Sanctification: The continued work of the Holy Spirit to perfect our new nature, which Christ gives us through Salvation. Sanctification takes place through learning and understanding scripture, which the Spirit used to wash and convict us in order that we begin to be shaped and molded into holy and righteous people for God's glory.

If there is any emphasis that distracts from or distorts the Gospel, it is a result of a community that is not in submission to the Scriptures. Unless the Gospel is preached, there will be no fruit (Colossians 1:6). Any other teaching will not produce growth or maturity in your life. Immaturity is unprofitable and it will hinder you, and those around you, from growing in faithfulness. Seek a church who desires to please God more than they desire to please people. Consider the church's stance on Biblical inerrancy and submission, the created order concerning male and female, sexuality and marriage, justice and Critical Race Theory, biblical leadership and authority, commitment to baptism and communion, serving and discipleship. Is the church your attending/considering teaching the scriptures in proper context? Do they hold themselves and their members accountable to both preaching and practicing the Word of God in every area of life? These are imperatives to consider and pray about. Don't be afraid to ask thoughtful questions if the answer isn't evident on their website or printed material.

Growth Must Be Priority

Millennials love comfort and convenience and many people in our culture seek after experiences that meet their preference, however when looking for a church, preference must not be the standard. Age demographics, preaching style, location, technology and worship style, size or popularity should not be the determining factor of church membership or participation. Doing so would be the sin of partiality (James 2:1) and would be the grave mistake of leaning on our own understanding, rather than trusting the Lord's will and leading for the community He desires us to be apart of (Proverbs 3: 5-6). 

Placing an emphasis on experience and personal preference to the point where rejection of a faithful community is the result is immature. It's like rejecting a gift because you don't like the wrapping paper. Committing to a church based on your preferences without examining it's degree of faithfulness is like drinking toxins because the cup is pretty. No. We must exercise more maturity, understanding that the body of Christ is not about serving our personal tastes, but rather about us serving others in a community that is in pursuit of biblical living and Christian love. Growth must be our priority.

To be certain, we need church community made up of all types of people - people who are different from us- so that we can grow and impact one another through our differences, our strengths and our weaknesses. Remember, church is not a building, church is the people in the building. We cannot expect to be close to God if we are rejecting the people of God simply because we don't like the address or the age of the members or the style of the people. These sorts of preferences are petty and unprofitable to spiritual growth and maturity. I suggest that there are far more treasures in unlikely places Than there are in environments with all the bells and whistles. This does not mean that modern churches are wrong; but that ultimately, we need to commit to a church community based on their example of faithfulness and our dedication to prayer and to seeking the Lord's will for where He wants us to worship and serve.

Discipleship is Vital

Though our society puts way more emphasis on the individual than the group, Scripture is clear that thriving in faith and godliness involves and requires other people (Acts 2: 44-46; Hebrews 10:24-25). The idea that "all I need is Jesus", is unbiblical, as the Bible commands that we gather, meet, eat, rejoice and grieve together; that we need to be held accountable with other believers and practice vulnerability with others who are faithful to scripture and who encourage us to be faithful, as well.

This community, of both mature and new believers, functions as a body - everyone has a part, a vital role, and every part needs the other parts (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). We need each other. You need others and others need you. You need the gifting of others as a grace in your life and others need your gifting, too. You need a community where you can be vulnerable with your sin, temptations and struggles, so that you can be held accountable, receive wisdom and grow in maturity and godliness. You need a place where you can ask your questions and receive theological answers in the context of communication and relationship, not just a Google search. 

Discipleship is vital because it produces community, trust, growth and relationships. It's not merely a program, it's a way of life. There are Christians who have wisdom to share with you and there are people who need your wisdom as well. When we are living our lives in isolation, we find that we are the wisest person in the room and that is a scary thing! Growth requires our dependence on others who have proven themselves to be committed to Christ, faithful to scripture and loving towards those within and without the church. When we plug into church with a thriving discipleship community, we find ourselves learning, growing and serving like Christ beyond just a traditional Sunday morning.

Friends, I hope these three points (faithful teaching, biblical growth and discipleship) will serve as an encouragement and reminder of what Church is truly all about. I hope, for those of you who desire to start going to church or who may be considering looking for a different church, will consider the scriptures presented and take those first steps.

If you're unsure, try calling and speaking to a Church staff person first or visiting with a friend. If you have anything else to add to this list, please share! I love hearing from you and I think it would be helpful to others for you to pass along your encouragement!

*photo credit: kendrafletcher.com