This has been a question I have been asked not just through the blog, but even more recently in my church by those visiting.
It is a common scenario. You move to a new area. You get settled at your new residence and job. You get the kids settled in school.
Where you settle in a local church oftentimes becomes a longer, more drawn out task.
After checking out all the churches you desire to visit, here are four questions to ask yourself as you narrow the search to make a decision.
1. Is this a church where my family will be regularly fed by God’s Word?
This is the first question that needs to be asked.
Not just are they faithful to the Word of God, but is this a church where the preaching and teaching is such that my soul and the souls of my family will be nourished because of the way the Word of God is taught and preached?
In other words, are they preaching expositionally through books of the Bible as the regular, steady diet of the congregation. This does not automatically answer this question, but it is a great place to start and evaluate, in my opinion.
2. Is this a church where I am convinced the care of my soul will be a priority?
Does this church have real pastors/elders who see their primary task to be the spiritual care and oversight of the souls of the members?
In other words, just because they have powerful, biblical preaching does not mean your individual soul will be tended to on a regular basis.
Ask the pastors. Ask other church members. It will not take much investigation on whether or not this is a priority of the leadership of the church.
3. Is this a church where my family will experience meaningful Christian fellowship and accountability?
To know this, it will require a bit of a commitment to one church for a time to build relationships, attend some church fellowship events, and get to know some of the pastors and leadership.
Yet, you must have a realistic expectation as you are not yet a member, so do not expect to be treated as one.
