Looking For a New Church?

March 29, 2008 · Pastor Art – Bible Teacher

It is hard to find a new church!

Yes, I know, there are plenty of them around—all shapes and sizes, stripes and colors. But to find the right one, well, that is the real challenge.

I have known some Christian people who recently moved to a new community. Having lived in their previous community for a number of years, they were quite comfortable and settled into a church life. It was hard for them to leave their church of many years, one that felt just right for them. The style, the preaching, the music, the people, the size—it was all real nice and perfect. Now they are drifting from church to church, looking for just the right fit. These seekers are church shopping. Maybe you've come across folks like this yourself.

What do people look for in a church? After over 50 years of ministry and serving in a number of churches, I have discovered that there are several key factors seekers focus on when making their decision on where to attend next. These are what one might call "fit-factors."

• First and foremost, most Christians are looking for a Bible-believing evangelical fellowship.

• Second, they are looking for a pastor who preaches out of the Word of God and explains the scriptures in a way that relates to them and helps build their faith (Some look for expository teaching others for topical teaching.).

• Third, they seek an atmosphere that is worshipful and honoring to God.

• Fourth, they look for music that suits their taste in worship.

• Fifth, they look for friendly people that would be easy to fellowship with and easy to establish long-lasting friendships with.

• Sixth, church seekers look for a spirit of local and world evangelism.

• Seventh, most families are looking for a church that will meet the age appropriate needs of everyone in their family.

• Eighth, believers seek a church were they can sense the presence of God in the services and know that they have been met by Him.

Lots of fit-factors to satisfy—but no one said church shopping is easier than finding the right kind of car to get you where you want to go, or the right kind of tool to help you accomplish a project.

Do you suppose there is a church out there that meets all these criteria? Maybe, but maybe not.

In the early church things were much simpler. There was usually only one church in the local area. One either went there, or didn't go at all. Of course, the services simply consisted of Scripture reading, singing of psalm-hymns, prayer and an exhortation from the teacher/pastor. Sometimes they had a communion-type of communal meal.

Today, 2,000 years later, the expectations, traditions, social needs and diversity have developed to the point where the church offers a far greater variety of worship experiences and the church seekers expect much more.

Usually, one of the first fit-factors to drive a decision to return to a potential church for a second visit centers on music. If this is a seeker's number one fit-factor, they will either really like what they hear and experience, or they won't. The way people evaluate this fit-factor tends to be related to culture, upbringing, and comfort in the environment. Many times older people want traditional hymns with a choir and an organ. Many younger people want a rock band, contemporary choruses, and lots of amplification.

Some churches are big enough that they can offer both, but in two separate services-one classical and one contemporary. However, most churches are too small to have the luxury of two services. So, people migrate either to classical or contemporary styles of music to define their worship environment. Some churches attempt a blended service with a little bit of each genre, but usually do not fully satisfy anyone.

It is curious these days to find some older people who enjoy the contemporary services and some younger people who enjoy the traditional services. However, my guess is, the contemporary approach will have the larger draw these days. Nevertheless, I think there will always be a smaller group of people of all ages who prefer the traditional hymns, the pipe organ, a choir, and for that matter, even a liturgical approach to worship.

We probably need a truce in this church music war. Let's accept the fact that musical tastes will vary and sometimes differ widely. We should encourage people to find the place of worship that has the style of music they prefer.

I personally thank God for evangelical churches that are reaching people for Christ and helping God's people to grow in grace regardless of the musical styles. But, when it comes right down to where we will feel most comfortable worshiping, our spirit must be at peace and not agitated by music of any kind that could distract us from the purpose of worship.

And so, if you are in the hunt for just the right church, know that whichever one you settle on will not be perfect in some way. For example, even evangelical people have some differences on doctrinal interpretation in more minor areas.

Think and pray earnestly about the eight fit-factors above and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right place for you to worship. If you find an evangelical church, with tolerable music - one that is led by the Holy Spirit and abounds in love—that sounds like a pretty good fit. Of course, if you can score high on all of the fit-factors, that might be even better. But in the end, faithfulness to the Word of God and a high degree of love among the people is likely to catch most church seekers attention and turn seekers into servers and regular attendees.

If you are still looking for just the right place to worship, don't lose heart. Keep the focus not only on what may be important to you, but also think about where you could serve in meeting the needs of other believers in a new fellowship.