From the article: Church Worship Service
Speaking from firsthand experience, I know that the search for a good church home can be one of the most challenging endeavors you and your family will face as Christians. If you are a new believer, you may not know where to start. And if you've recently moved into a new community, choosing a church can be especially difficult. To complement the advice in my article, "How to Find a Church," I'd like to give you a chance to share tips from your personal experiences in choosing a church for your family.
How We Found Our Church
- It took us several years to find a church. We visited all of the churches in our area several times and went to one church for a while, but none of them had a strong 'young family' population. Since we had a newborn on the way, we decided to keep looking. After my son was born, I got involved with a Newborn Mommy & Me program at another local church and met some really nice women. I noticed that their Children's Center always had tons of young families. We decided to give that church another try and for some reason, this time the sermon really stuck with us. We kept going back and have never stopped. We became members about a year after we started going and baptized our first son there. There are many programs and classes for women, moms, and families at the church and I am there 3-4 times a week for things like Bible study, Mommy & Me classes and church services. It has really become a second family for us.
- —Guest Ali
Keep Praying and Searching
- My young family recently moved to a new community, so we began looking for a new church as soon as we settled. It was very challenging to find a church that we felt was our home church because we moved from a large metropolitan area, to a small retirement community. We were used to a very large church with diverse age groups, but we were the youngest people at the churches we attended, and felt so out of place. Even though we found one that we thought might be our home church, as we prayed and attended over 5 times, we never had peace that it was our church. The church itself wasn't the problem, just an inner knowing we weren't home yet. We finally decided to try another one after searching the internet and the first time we went, we knew it was home. We finally had that peace, even though we at first rejected it because it didn't fit what we thought we needed in a church. My advice: keep praying, search online and in newspapers, and try several until you sense God's peace.
- —ErickaWatson
I Look For ...
- I look for a church that has modern worship and is biblically based. I look for a church that is healthy, in that I mean, one that does not use guilt or shame to try to lead people to Christ and to service. I look for a church that uses grace to lead others to the love of the Father. God's kindness leads to repentance, not making someone feel bad for being late to church or for sitting in the back or for not working in the nursery. I look for a church that teaches you to find out what the Lord is doing and join Him; to be Spirit led in what God has for you in your life and what he would have you do for Him. I look for a church that motivates with love not fear ... all that to say ... I look for a healthy church that is not spiritually abusive.
- —Guest Tammy
Growing Up the Church Was a Platform
- Dad was a preacher, so church was our life and it had to fulfill all my social needs. I wasn't allowed to do anything like discos, parties, teenage stuff. Now as an adult I realize that it can't (and was never meant to) fulfill me like that. However, I still want it. I can't break free of this cycle. I feel screwed up by church. Other people don't have this baggage. They have a much healthier, balanced view of church. I feel angry with my parents for inflicting this unbalanced emphasis of church on me as a child. As an adult I don't know anyone else as screwed up about it as I am. I'm worn out by this constant issue in my life. I like contemporary worship...I feel it allows me to be real. I like singing, dancing, makeup, fashion, but all this was discouraged as 'worldliness' when I was growing up. I'm 46 now and struggling. Truth is, I didn't realize any of this when I was a teenager. I just conformed. Now, I feel unable to shake off what I have been conditioned to think and believe.
- —Gemma23
Invitation from a Friend
- We all went together at first. Then my husband and I went alone to the church. Now I have been baptized there by following in Jesus' steps. It's a wonderful church for community.
- —crikeymate58
Many Challenges of Choosing a Church
- Choosing a church has many challenges which include the following: finding a church founded on the biblical teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ (since one loves the biblical teachings, then love for the church is automatic); finding a holy ghost ordered church; getting involved in the church activities; honesty and sincerity of the old timers in the church; love of the fellow believers; commitment to the word of God; hate of evil; edifying testimonies from the believers; smart old time anointed way of worship which does not involve worldly programs; responsibility of the genuine deacon board in helping to follow up the believers in both good and bad times with pleasant manner of speech.
- —Guest Pastor Jackson Imai
How to Find the Right Church
- I recommend praying first for God's guidance from the Holy Spirit and becoming very familiar with what the Bible really teaches and not what people say it teaches. Then I recommend going around to churches to see if they measure up to the standard of the Bible. Are they teaching what the Bible really says? The Bereans in the Bible searched the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was really right. Many churches are teaching the traditions of men rather than the true Word of God. The Bible says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable...that means Old Testament and new alike, and not just the popular parts of the Bible. Jesus said, "IF you love me keep my commandments. Be doers of the Word and not just hearers and readers." The end time church will be characterized by keeping the Ten Commandments and the faith of Jesus. Jesus didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Only the ceremonial law, sacrifices, and our sins were nailed to the cross.
- —Guest Deborah Funderburk
Prayer Prepared the Way
- When I left Germany 7 years ago and traveled to Ireland, I did not know anything or anyone, but for weeks, I prayed! I asked God to show me clearly whether this was the right place for me to live and I specially needed a church that taught HIS will. On the 3rd day I saw a Christian bookshop and asked for a pentecostal church. The man wrote down 3 different churches but I could not find 2 of them, so only one remained. When I got there, I experienced the presence of God amongst holy people. And I am there still today and so are my husband and 3 kids. I thank God He did not let me wonder for weeks, month or years.
- —Guest Michaela Omojola
The Internet Was an Excellent Tool
- About a year ago, we left our previous church where I served as a part-time employee. So we needed to find a new church home. We had moved to a new community a few years prior, so we wanted to join a church that was geographically located in our community. The internet was an excellent tool. We wanted a church that was relatively modern, and so I opined that a church without a website would not meet this characteristic. Visiting the church website gave me the chance to see what the church was doing regarding ministries, music and worship (music is important to me), and other aspects of church life. Based on that, we were able to narrow our choices down to a few churches that we then felt lead to visit.
- —Guest Joe
Church at Home
- I am a born again Christian. I am 52 years old and don't have a church. The 500 people in our town are Mennonite, not that I don't respect the way they believe. I just find the 3 churches in this town very stoic. Plus, I have osteoporosis and can't sit on their wooden benches for an hour and a half, and then walk away not knowing what the message was about. I love the Pentecostal churches.They are so lively and alive, but, alas, we can't afford gas to go to the city every Sunday. My husband and I have church at home. I have many study manuals and we have never run into any snags. But, Christ did say, 'Whenever 2 or more gather, in My name, I am there.' This leads me to believe He is in my home 24/7, and is here when we have church. My Lord and Savior would not condemn us to sit in a hard seat, and did I mention my husband had a hip replacement when he was 49 and a serious back surgery in October of last year? You can have church wherever you are. All you need is 2 or more.
- —LoisLeemans
I'm the Church
- All my life I have been raised in a formal Anglican Holy Name church at Tembisa. Until I grew up in spiritual maturity I thought it owed me fulfillment. But as God taught me in Christ Jesus, I realized that true church is me being part of Jesus Christ's body. If I see a gap missing in the formal church, that is a position for me to fulfill as my church duty to the Lord. For if we are to say we are Christians we are to act like Christ. He came to find the lost sheep by filling in the gap that was missing. We are not called to complain and to judge but to be the light of the world. Jesus Christ said he will tear down the formal building temple and build us, the church, in three days.
- —Guest Johanna Matsele
