Finding a Church

“Do you have any tips for finding a good church?”

Short Answer:
Well, there is only ONE church, as stated in the Apostles’ Creed, “sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam” or “the holy catholic church,” that is, eternal and universal. The gathering of the people of God throughout time and space. When you profess faith in Christ, as the Apostles’ Creed says, you join the church.

More often than not, when we say “church” we really mean, “prayer house.” In so far as finding one of those goes, settle for a Biblical one. How do you know if it’s Biblical? Read your Bible. Check everything that is taught there to see if it is in God’s Word. – You don’t want to end up in a cult like Mormonism (yes, that is a cult). If you don’t know where something is in the Bible, check in a concordance – online Bibles sometimes have concordances and dictionaries, interlinear translations, maps, etc. Biblos.com is my strongest recommendation.

Long Answer:
This is a very good question, a one of those, “What Church should I go to?” questions that we hear a lot of both from believers as well as those people just starting their search for God. Hearing it from non-believers makes me praise God, whereas from believers it irks me. Those first-time seekers of God want to go someplace that is godly, not knowing that it is God who really seeks them. They are humble and open to learning God’s Word, and that they can do many places – but do find a place: personal Christianity is not Christianity; we were never meant to live alone even from the beginning. Now, there are obvious differences among denominations, and many of those are significant, yes, but largely, if it is a Christ-centered group of believers reordering their lives according to the Bible and the Holy Spirit, one can readily find “a church.”

On the other hand, older believers often mean they want to go someplace that fits their needs, or somewhere they fit in. “We haven’t found a church we like yet,” or “I want a church where everything just clicks.” Hmmm, ‘cliques’ is the word I think they were looking for. A gathering of God’s children should be a gathering of the most diversified of people. If you are going to a church because you fit in, then you aren’t going for Christ but yourself. It makes one a connoisseur where one should largely be a student; a master where they should be servant. We are to love and serve one another, not be served. Matthew 20:28Matthew 20:28
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
28 The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue x rescue: The Greek word often, though not always, means the payment of a price to free a slave or a prisoner. many people.

WP-Bible plugin, “…for even the Son of Man came not to serve but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

As Screwtape writes in his 16th letter to Wormwood,

“…being a unity of place and not of likings, [the parochial organization] brings people of different classes and psychology together in a kind of unity that [God] desires. The congregational principle, on the other hand, makes each church into a kind of club, and finally, …into a coterie or faction.”(1)

Factions, one thinks of in terms of politics; and we will often find many of those about, especially groups that insist upon doing some work or another for the betterment of society, humanity or God’s Kingdom. Granted, many things should be done socially, but God won’t be used as an end to a means. God is the end and the means. We don’t “go to church” or a church because they support welfare or climate change. If you love Christ, these things may come, but they should not be the reason.

“Many will tell Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’” Matthew 7:22, 23Matthew 7:22, 23
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
22 On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, “We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.” ²³ . But I will tell them, “I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!”

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Doing “good works” for any reason other than the love of God in Christ, Jesus calls evil. Ouch.

As well, you see a large movement now for “Organic Church,” “House Church,” or whatnot. These are not all bad, in fact, we have one that meets in our own home, but there are a lot of folks who will tell you that they do so because the “modern church” has fallen away from it’s roots. To some extent that may be true, but let no one think they have “the way.” Christ is the only Way and He likes diversity. I like blue, my wife likes pink; so it is with the church: we all are individuals and God honors that diversity: He made it. But do not divide, instead, come together. “By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Learn to be humble and pious. Learn patience and temperance. Learn love. These things you will not learn somewhere that suits your needs but His. God does not whip out His Magic Wand of Piety when He wants you to be obedient; He places you where there is work to be done.

Go. Serve. Love. Live.

1. C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, HarperCollins 2001