Have you moved to a new city and lost as to where you should start going to church? Maybe you are ready to move your membership and find a new church home for other reasons. Or maybe you have recently accepted Jesus Christ into your life, and you want to secure your membership at a local church? Whatever the reason, I got you!
Choosing a church home is important and should not be entered into lightly. A church home is a place where believers congregate together, pray, worship, and fellowship together. Churches are places that a person should go to and feel energized, and loved when they enter and exit. It is a place where a word penetrates the heart and a soul is transformed. But I must be honest, that although it should be a safe place full of love, there are still mean, unhealed people who attend service.
But don’t allow that to stop you from getting your praise and worship on and joining a new church. No church is perfect, because humans/people exist there. I also must be honest and share that I have been turned off by members in the past because of hurt feelings, and things said to me, but I also have strong faith and refused to allow one bad apple to keep me from attending church and praising God.
Less than two years ago, my husband and I made the hard, but necessary decision to move our membership from a church we had attended for over 10 years, when we first relocated to Louisville, KY, to a smaller church, Elim Baptist church. It was the best decision for so many reasons, and it truly feels like home.
But, enough about me, here are some tips for you to review when you are deciding on a new church home:
1. Visit frequently.
It can be tempting to attend one church service and automatically decide to join a church; especially when you feel so happy, and you just heard an encouraging word. However, I encourage you to visit several times and get a feel for the overall culture of the church, including music, members, indirect messages, such as tithes and offerings, etc. Sometimes it is easy to allow a one-time visit to sway you into saying yes, because you are super happy and love your first experience, but it is necessary to visit a few more times and make a thoughtful decision. Sometimes when a visitor attends their first service, members will be super nice, but by the third or fourth visit, a smile can wear off, and a true attitude can appear. This is not always the case, but it is important to get a true feel for the church, and you will see what you need to see after a few visits.
2. Evaluate ministries of interest.
This is an important step because depending on your interests, spiritual gifts, or goals, you want to ensure that there are ministries or openness to begin ministries at your future church. For example, if you have children, does this church have a children’s church service or youth ministry to support your child’s development? Are you a woman that enjoys meeting with other women, weekly or monthly, for encouragement, or support? Does this ministry exist? Be sure to evaluate what ministries are and are not available. This will help aid you in your decision-making process. It also may inspire you to join and start a ministry yourself. The point is, evaluate and keep your eyes open.
3. Speak with the Pastor.
Do you have access to the Pastor or is that important to you? There are churches that have as small as five members, and some as large as 10,000 members on any given Sunday. All individual’s goals vary when it comes to church size. However, an important question that you need to understand is whether you care to speak with your Pastor or have access to him or her. There are some people who do not care whether they get to hug or speak with their Pastor. However, there are others who want to hug their Pastor, ask for prayer, and want to have a connection with him or her. Which type of relationship do you desire with church administration? Does the Pastor of this church have limited accessibility? Do you have to go through several people to speak with him or her? These are all valid questions to ask yourself.
4. Pray and seek God for guidance.
Sometimes we think we know what to do in life, and we forget to consult God who knows what is best for us. Pray and ask God to lead and guide you to the church home that He sees fit. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” which means that God will answer you, guide you, and help you. Talk to Him and ask Him to provide clarity with you regarding if a specific church is where you are being called to. One thing I know about God, that He hears you, will answer you, but you have to pray, trust, and believe that His answers are perfect, and required to hear and follow.
There is nothing like a good Sunday morning worship service. In today’s age, a lot of church members view service online. While this is a great alternative option for viewing service, it is not the same as being in the building, hugging your friends, and feeling the word live and in-person. Also, let’s face it, sometimes technology is not our best friend and prevents us from experiencing a great service.
Whomever you are, I want you to know that I am excited about your journey in finding a new church home. This is a huge decision, and I would love to hear your thoughts on the four points that I have listed above.
If you would like for me to pray for you while you are choosing your church home, send me a message or put it in my prayer request box. I would love to pray for you. Be blessed!