Church attendance has become highly debated in our present culture. I feel like in past generations, it was more of a take-it-or-leave-it subject, while everyone acknowledged its importance to a degree.
Previously, if you asked an out-of-church Christian where they went to church, they would say where they used to go and admit they needed to start going again. If you asked someone if they were a Christian, most people say yes, even if they aren’t, because it was socially expected. Additionally, a certain level of respect was shown by the older generation for the things of God, even if they didn’t attend church. Their moral standard was based on biblical principles, even if they were lost.
Things are vastly different today, aren’t they?
We see a steady decline in church attendance, a lack of respect for the things of God, and a direct denial that God even exists. Christians have adopted the take-it-or-leave-it approach to the things of God while still claiming they love Him. This is the sad condition of our culture.
When we have this apathetic approach to church and the things of God, coupled with Satan fighting our efforts to live for God, and the stress of being the new person at church.
So, how do we combat this?
First, there must be an acknowledgment that God wants us to be in church. Saying that we are the Church is a biblical truth but has been used as an excuse to not be part of the local assembly of believers. If we do not accept this as something God expects of us, we will never do it. So that is the first thing we need to address.
The church is precious to Jesus: Ephesians 5:25
God called out the church: Matthew 4:18-22
Jesus purchased the church: Acts 20:28
Christ commissioned the church: Matthew 28:19-20
Christ is to have the preeminence in the church: Colossians 1:18
The church is a local assembly of saved and baptized believers: Acts 2:47, 9:31, 15:41, 16:5. Many books of the New Testament were written to individual churches, not just Christians as the Church. Yes, we apply them to our lives today, but we cannot dismiss the truth of local churches.
After we past that, now begins the search for a church.
This is where I want to help you today.
It can be overwhelming and intimidating to begin the search for a church, whether it’s your first or tenth. I will share our personal process of finding a church.
We align with independent Baptists. This is different than the Southern Baptist Church. So, we begin by searching within the Baptist Denomination, and then finding the independent churches.
One way to do this is to look at their websites online and find their statement of faith. Every church should have this. This makes their beliefs clear. If they have doctrines in this statement that we do not feel are biblical, then we will probably not visit that church. In this statement of faith, you will find their beliefs on Scripture, such as which version they use, along with their position on salvation, the trinity, baptism, communion, deacons, marriage, and sin. A well-written statement of faith is very helpful in learning about a church.
We look at their service times. Usually, churches with multiple morning services or Saturday services tend to be more contemporary than traditional.
If we agree with the statement of faith, we attend a service. Most people prefer to visit on Sunday morning. We prefer Sunday or Wednesday night. These services are usually less crowded, and more intimate since it’s usually just their members, and there may even be a business meeting.
We have a conviction on the Bible version and music used in church. If we arrive to find these different than what was listed online, we will not usually get up and leave. We just acknowledge it isn’t our standard, and we won’t visit again.
We look for kids in our kids’ age groups. We prefer the church to offer classes for our kids for at least some services. We like for them to be with kids their own ages since we homeschool. And for their Bible lessons to be on their level.
We look for a wide age range of members. If the church doesn’t have any younger families, we are concerned with the growth of the church. We have also attended a small church that didn’t want growth, so that is something we look for.
Next, we see if they support missionaries. A church must be mission minded, for this is to be soul conscious. God commands us to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. (Acts 1:8, Proverbs 11:30, Romans 1:16). If this is a new church plant, we understand they may be working towards supporting missions. In this case we would just ask the pastor what this will look like in the future. If they do not or are not looking to support missionaries, this is a concern for us.
We look into the ministries they offer such as a bus ministry, corporate outreach, Sunday School, and how they care for their widows/widowers.
Your needs as a family or individual may change as your family grows.
You may need a nursery, private school, homeschool support, singles class, etc. Those things are perfectly fine to have! When my kids were nursery age, that was something I needed to have. I am fine if you want your kids to stay with you. When we visited a church, I usually kept mine with me. But if joining was a possibility, I needed a nursery.
Keep your emphasis on Scripture. If a church does not preach the Bible, soul win, support missionaries, and strengthen the flock, then there is a problem. No amount of ministries can make up for being outside of God’s design for the local church.
We also noted how friendly the people were, although this was not a final determining factor on the first visit.
Now, there are some things we would get up leave over. It is okay to have your lines drawn. Especially as parents, we have to show our children when things are not biblically accurate.
I know it can be intimidating to visit a new church. But I pray you will seek to become part of a local body of believers. As Christians, we need this fellowship, the shepherding of a pastor, and the preaching of God’s Word to help us grow spiritually. Christ is the head of the church and desires for us to use the gifts He has given us to strengthen other believers.
I hope this list helps to give you some things to look for, questions to ask, and the courage to make the visit.
Most churches will also have a phone number to call. Use this to reach out if you have questions before yout visit, especially if you can’t find information online.
If you have a friend or family member that attends a church that you agree with, go with them. This will help you to not be as nervous as you would be if you went alone.
Stay in the Word, stay close to the Shepherd, and let Him lead you in paths of righteousness.
With Hope in His Service,
Heather
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