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Several years ago, everything at our home church changed. The first sign of trouble was when the chairman of the elder board resigned and left the church. Then our pastor resigned. The search committee selected a new pastor, but not only did his sermon delivery differ from our previous pastor (a matter of taste), he also differed theologically on several key points.
After praying about it for three months, my family and I felt prompted to move on. So we began our long, sometimes tiresome search for a new church home.
According to the Barna Research Group, we aren't alone. One in seven people will look for a new church this year. In case you're among that one in seven, here are five important things we learned are critical to a search process.
1. Does This Church Preach the Right Message?In Acts, the New Testament church was described as a group who "joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles' teaching sessions and at the Communion services and prayer meetings" (2:42, TLB). And the apostle Paul encouraged his young protégé Timothy simply to "preach the word."
This mandate may sound like a given, but some preachers strive to make the gospel more appealing by watering down its message. According to pastor/church-growth consultant Richard Krejcir, "A healthy church will never sacrifice the integrity of the Bible or neuter its message." So first look for a place where truth is preached from the Bible—where God's Word is seen as living, relevant, changeless, and inerrant, rather than just a "good book" filled with advice on how to be a more loving, moral person. Look for a place you can invite friends to and feel confident they'll hear the gospel truth directly from Scripture, a place where difficult passages as well as straightforward ones are preached with clarity.
You can tell if a church preaches the right message:By carefully listening to the pastor's sermon. Does he continually paraphrase Scripture, or use direct quotes from God's Word?
By following along and taking note of all Bible references he quotes.
By revisiting those passages at home to be sure he's handling the intent of the verses accurately.
2. Is This Church a Caring Community?We all want a church home where we feel welcomed, a place to belong. For example, my friend Gail is a 40-year-old single who moved cross-country three years ago because of a job transfer. Gail looks to church as her main source of friendship and nurture. About the church she found when she relocated, Gail says, "I really love it! People show they care about me through asking me to get involved in projects."
My family and I had begun trying out yet another new church just a few weeks before my mom and I arrived at the emergency-room entrance at 5 a.m. to see my dad rolled into the cardiac surgical unit. We held his hands for a moment, then had to let go as he made the solitary journey toward the surgery that either would save his life or end it. We prayed. We watched the second hand of the waiting-room clock make its methodical sweep. We barely spoke.
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