How to Find a Church

Read This: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

Think: We are a people who love to shop. Clothes, electronics, cosmetics, cars, food—there always seems to be something on our shopping list. And because we are expert consumers, we constantly ask ourselves, “What does this do for me?” We want the very best product, one that will not only do its job but exceed our expectations. That’s fine for buying a toothbrush, but we need to be careful that the same self gratifying approach doesn’t creep into how we view God and his church.

The truth is, there is no perfect church. It’s not about how entertaining the pastor is, how good the worship music is, how much fun the kids have in their classes or how many of their friends go there. Those are all nice bonuses, but they aren’t the reasons we go to church or the basis for determining where God would have us commit. God’s church is not a shopping center where we can browse what’s on offer and show up on the days we’re in the mood.

We go to church to be taught, to learn and grow in our knowledge of God, to have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to be part of the ministry God is doing in and through his church. The Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation. We are the body of Christ, hands, feet, eyes, heart—all working together to carry out the work God has left for us here on earth. Yes, there will be obstacles and sometimes you’ll be inconvenienced. But something beautiful happens when busy people take time to do life together with Christ in the center.

Whether you live in an area where there are very few churches or one on every corner, prayerfully consider where God would have you use your gifts and passions for his glory. If you’re already in a church but unhappy with certain aspects, think of ways you can be part of the solution—maybe that’s why God has you there.

Ask: What are your expectations of your church? How committed are you to your church? What are some ways you can be an active member of the church if you aren’t already?

Pray: Spend some time praying for your local church as well as the universal church. Pray that the church will be strong and effective in their outreach without encouraging a “what’s in it for me” attitude. Pray for the shoppers, that God will move in their hearts and their eyes will opened to what it means to be part of the body of Christ.