Finding Home: How to Know What Church to Attend

Finding a Bible believing church can be a Herculean  task especially because there are so many churches that will appeal to you. Christians attend churches for different reasons and this is why it’s important to know how to choose a local church.

2nd Timothy 3:15-17, Matthew 16:17-18, Matthew 18:17

How do we choose a local church? What is the litmus test for what should qualify as a local church?

1. To reveal that there’s a universal and a local church

2. To guide you on choosing a good local church and being committed to it

3. To show the importance of a local church

Not only did Jesus speak about the universal and local church, Apostle Paul also did.

1st Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:1-2, Colossians 4:17

1. A universal church is the general assembly of God’s people while the local church is a collection of individual members of God’s people within the same locality.

2. You are an automatic member of the universal church, but you’re expected to choose a local church to be committed to.

How to choose a local church to be committed to.

Ephesians 5:8, 11-13

5 Things to look out for before looking for a local church

1. A Proper Understanding of the Gospel

The Gospel is the epicentre of the Christian faith.  If a church you intend to join doesn’t seem to have a proper understanding of the gospel of Christ, then you’re honestly wasting your time. Galatians 1:6-8, Galatians 2:21

2. Their Theology about money

Money is good as a vehicle for accomplishing God’s purpose but it is evil when it becomes man’s motivation for doing things. There are 2 levels to this-

- [ ] God is not a respecter of persons. When Jesus looks at a man, he does not see what the man has but what He (Jesus) gave him, that is, Salvation.

- [ ] Matthew 6:33, 1st Timothy 6:5

3. Their Charismatic Ministry

The church was established in Acts 2 and moving down through 1st Corinthians 12:31, we see how Apostle Paul urged the Church in Corinth to earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. The presence of spiritual gifts in a ministry is an evidence of the fulfillment of God’s promise to the church and as such, it’s one important thing you should look out for when finding a local church.

4. Be mission minded

The great commission in Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) is an instruction to all believers to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. The command also instructs a believer to “teach these new disciples to obey all the commands which Christ has given us”. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

If we check through 2nd Corinthians 5:18-20 (NLT) as well, “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!””

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5. Love

What do they believe about community?

6. A Praying Church

You can’t afford to attend a church that doesn’t believe in communication with the God they claim to believe in. Any church that doesn’t love and live a life of prayer should best be avoided like a plague.

Why Should You attend a Bible Believing Church?

If you have ever been at the spot where you had to make a life changing decision, how do you think through it? ask yourself what church you should attend? Sometimes Christians spend a lot of time trying to find just the "right" church. Unfortunately, this method is rarely successful. God’s word in Hebrews 10:24-25instructs us to consider how we may propel each other towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another …” (NIV) Although the word “church” is not in the verses quoted, the context of the passage indicates the writer is indeed making a reference to church.

In the early days of Christianity, believers met in homes. The Greek word used to describe these meetings is ekklesia, which, when used of the church, simply means to assemble, meet, gather together or congregate (from which we get the word congregation).
Today the landscape of Christian churches has changed dramatically. For Christians in the United States, for instance, there are literally hundreds of Christian denominations to choose from, with some cities home to numerous Christian churches.

While the Hebrews passage above reminds Christians to make sure they gather together regularly, new Christians and even longtime believers may find themselves confused about finding the “right” church. This article will offer some helpful suggestions for choosing a Christian church.

What is the Church?

Before we talk about choosing or finding a church, let us see what the church exactly means. The Christian church is both visible (local) and invisible (universal). The visible church consists of physical gatherings, usually in church buildings, while the invisible church consists of Christians throughout the ages. The invisible or universal church is one, while visible local churches are many.

Every Christian is a member of the universal church because by definition, Christians are believers in Christ. Therefore, they are members of His body – the church. The Bible, in fact, offers a number of images of the church such as calling it the “body of Christ”: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1st Corinthians 12:27). The church is also called “the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9; 1 Peter 2:10). Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 4:15; 5:23).

While the visible and local church consists of organizations or institutions, the invisible and universal church consists of all Christians united under Christ.

The Purpose of the Church

God’s church has many purposes such as evangelism, edification, worship and social concern. [2] To evangelize means to tell others the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ and what He has done. Matthew 28:19 provides the mandate to spread the gospel. This means that every church needs to be involved in some form of evangelism, reaching out to non-Christians with the truth of Christ.

The church is also to edify Christians. To edify means to build up, equip, improve, encourage or support. Gathering together with other believers, as in attending church, is one important way to be edified as a Christian. We can also be edified by teachings in a sermon, Bible study or small group. There are other ways the church provides edification, but the point is that another purpose or role of the church is to edify.

Worship is also a key function of the church. It is where we gather with other Christians and worship God. This does not mean that a church building is the only place we can worship (it’s not), but it is something the church is to do regularly. Although different Christian churches have different forms of worship styles or music, the purpose is to worship God, not to entertain or amuse the congregation.

Another purpose of the church is social concern. This means we are not just to gather together on an intellectual level, spend all our time in worship or evangelize without humanitarian concern. While evangelism, edification, and worship are important in the life of any church, it’s also important to go out into the world and do something positive to help others just as Christ called us to do (see, for instance, Matthew 25:35-36). Social concern was a key part of the early Christian church and has continued to be a central component of Christianity.

Can You Find the “Right” Church?

Keeping in mind the purposes of the church, we’re now ready to get into some specifics about finding a church. What church should you attend? Sometimes Christians spend a lot of time trying to find just the “right” church. Unfortunately, this method is rarely successful. Instead of concentrating on finding the “right” church for you, concentrate on finding a church that honors God’s truths as expressed in the Bible and throughout the history of the church.

One thing to keep in mind is what a particular church believes and teaches. We might call this “doctrine.” While Christian traditions have room for a variety of expressions of church and worship, for instance, all Christian churches throughout the centuries adhere to a core of essential beliefs about God, Christ, humanity, salvation, etc.

Here are five helpful tips to help you know what church to attend.

1. Pray to God

There is so much that prayer means to us as believers and even for a simple task as finding a church, you definitely need to pray to God.

2. Identify your Learning Stage in Christ

You must know the stage of your walk in Christ and have a clear idea of the kind of teaching you need. Christianity consists of numerous denominations and primary traditions or doctrines. Knowing what you are looking for is important. While it is true that  Christians are united on many basic matters such as the deity of Christ and His bodily resurrection, there is a lot of diversity on secondary issues, meaning differing approaches and interpretations of Bible prophecy, varying means of baptism, differences regarding the details of the observation of communion, etc. There are also varying forms of church government such as episcopal, presbyterian and congregational. There are also issues on Eternal salvation, tithing, giving, prosperity, deliverance, holiness and morality amongst others. All of these are things you must make clear in your search for a local church.

2. Make your Findings

It is essential for you to make enquiries about religious affiliations. Your inquiry will help you identify Is the church you are considering part of a denomination? Is it independent and self-governing? Is it associated with any particular organizations? Asking these kinds of questions may help you learn more about the church you are considering.

3. Ask for a Doctrinal Statement

This is sometimes called a statement of faith. It is  usually a document which list essentials that the church believes.

4. Know the Leaders

One thing about church is the fact that you're submitting to a leadership. As such, it is important that you find out who founded the church or denomination, and who its current leaders are. This information may help you better understand where the church you are considering is coming from, as well as where they are.

5. Consult Standard reference Works

If you are considering a particular denomination, you should check out their Website, both for the denomination and, if they have one, the specific church you have in mind. You can also try books such as Handbook of Denominations in the United States by Frank Mead (Abingdon) and Pocket Dictionary of North American Denominations (InterVarsity Press). In our website, we are building a database of Church and Ministry websites which would help you in your search. On the Church/Ministry Website directory, you can check each church website and see details about them. If you are a pastor or ministry head and would love to include your church or ministry website in our directory, kindly send us a message here. 
 

Conclusion

A perfect local church is practically impossible. Do you remember Noah’s Ark? Well, the church is like that - and you have to either choose the stink and smell of the animals therein or choose to sink. Every visible and local church consists of a mixture of members, all of whom are flawed to one extent or another. Even though you will not find a perfect church, do your best to find a solid church that honours God, the Bible and the essential beliefs of Christianity. As you search for a church, remember to pray for God’s guidance, too.

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