Church is important to me as a believer because it’s a place I can go to learn more about God, worship God, fellowship with others, serve others, and reach out to the community.
For the past year, Travis and I have been attending a very large church that we both enjoyed. But last week, I looked around as I sat waiting for the service to start and I realized after an entire year we still didn’t know anyone. Part of that is our fault — we could have tried harder to get involved and been more forward about meeting people. But at the same time, we tried joining a small group but couldn’t find one that fit our schedule. I tried volunteering for the ministries but no one contacted me back.
In the past couple weeks, I had started to wonder if this was the right fit for us anymore. At lunch that Sunday after realizing we didn’t know anyone, I asked my husband if he was getting anything out of the sermons. We both agreed we weren’t getting enough out of the sermons and we definitely weren’t getting the fellowship we needed.
And so begins the church search…
My husband and I are looking for a new church. I’ll be honest, I’m not looking forward to it. Finding a new church can be difficult and can take a long time, but it’s important. I’m proud of us for recognizing we were becoming stagnant within our previous church. We weren’t growing. It’s important for us as Christians to reevaluate our church homes and spiritual lives every once in awhile. It’s easy for us as humans to grow comfortable with a place and keep going out of routine.
We must ask ourselves if we are truly growing, truly feeling God’s presence, and truly participating in fellowship with other believers. If we aren’t, it’s time to step back and see if this church is still where God wants us.
And if it’s not, then it’s time to leave. It doesn’t mean the church you were at is bad or has something wrong with it, it only means it’s not the right fit for you at this time. It means God has something better — a place where you can grow and learn and connect and serve.
But like I’ve said, finding the right church can be difficult. Especially as a couple or family, because everyone needs to agree.
As we begin our new church search, I’d like to share some tips for anyone out there beginning their own church search.
Tips on Finding a New Church Home
1. Hit the web. Not all churches have websites, but many do these days. Google churches in your area and check out their websites. A lot of times this can be an easy and quick way to check to see if the church’s beliefs line up with your own.
2. Listen in. While on their website, you may be able to listen to sermons through a podcast or other form of video. This can be a great way to see if it’s a church you’d like to visit in person or whether it definitely isn’t for you.
3. Ask around. Check with friends, family, and co-workers to see where they attend. You can get some great recommendations and you can ask that person more about the church.
4. Call ahead. If you can’t find a church online, you can also check local directories for a listing of all churches and their contact information.
5. Give it a chance. Once you begin trying churches in person, be sure to attend more than once. Of course, if you go and immediately know it’s not right, don’t waste your time. But if you aren’t sure, try it out a couple of times. It can take several weeks or more to know for sure whether the church is the right fit for you.
6. List them. Make a list of churches you want to try before choosing. After researching online, make a list of around five churches you want to visit. Visit each of these churches before deciding.
7. Introduce yourself. When visiting a church, visit the welcome desk (if they have one) to ask for more information. Some churches have a welcome packet or even a small gift for visitors. Even if they don’t have a welcome packet, it’s a great way to get to know someone and be able to ask any questions you have.
8. Think it through. Consider the following when choosing a home church: worship, sermons, ways to connect and fellowship, children’s ministries (if you have children), ministries or volunteer opportunities, and most importantly– beliefs.
9. Pray about it. The most important thing you can do is pray that God will show you where you need to be, that He will clearly and quickly direct you to the best church for you. Ask Him to open your eyes and heart.
Are there other tips you have for those of us looking for a new church?
Check out these other posts you may like:
- Top Five Christian Books You Should Read
- Neighborhood Ice Cream Social
- Ways to Pray Together as a Couple
Be sure to follow my Pinterest board Faith: Christian Living for more faith-based posts.
Someone gave my husband this advice: attend the church of someone you greatly admire. It worked for us. We couldn’t be happier with our church of 8 months. Good luck with your efforts.
That’s great! Thanks Amy!
Great tips, but I worry about your introduction a little bit. You list the reason for the time to move as: “We both agreed **we** weren’t getting enough out of the sermons and **we** definitely weren’t getting the fellowship we needed.” — church shouldn’t be about what YOU get out of it, but what God does… just food for thought 🙂 Hope you found a church you love!
Calling a church before you think services begin is so beneficial. It helps save time if you can call ahead and get all of the information you need without having to drive everywhere. That church you call may also be willing to offer information on where to find a church closer to your location.
Great advice Kendall! This may have helped us a couple weeks ago when we drove to a church and it didn’t seem to exist. We had the wrong address thanks to Google. So we ended up being late to that service!