Do not be afraid to pick up copies of literature offered by the church. Almost every church has a table or a display rack that offers free literature either about their faith, ministries of the church, gospel tracts, events, Sunday service bulletins or other subjects. This information is provided with a purpose – to inform, encourage, and bear witness. As a visitor, feel free to pick up copies of what’s available so that you can read and study about the church before making a decision to join. Information about various ministries will allow you to make the determination if that particular congregation will be able to fulfil your spiritual needs – and we all have spiritual needs. For some people, they have a spiritual need to regular prayer and fellowship with members of the same-sex – and there is nothing wrong with men of the church or women of the church gathering for Bible study, fellowship, and prayer. There is nothing more miserable than to be a member of a congregation that does not meet those needs.
Don’t solely base your decision to attend or not to attend a given church based survey you have sent out. A few years back, while attending a Promise Keeper’s rally, one of the guest speakers mentioned there was nothing wrong with sending a survey to a handful of churches and basing your decisions on which church to visit based on the results of the survey. As a former pastor and as someone who has moved a lot, this is horrible advice! Surveys may give you the information about church attendance, Sunday school classes offered, which version of the Bible is used, and even the various activities and ministries of the church but it will never be able to show you the involvement and workings of the Holy Spirit within the congregation. Some pastors may not even choose to respond to your survey, but that does not mean that they have anything to hide – it is just that when we approach the things of God with the tools used for the measuring of the things of man, our measurement tools will fail to give an exact picture of what God is doing.
A survey is nothing more than a set of questions that we would like to know the answers about; the problem is that nothing replaces actually attending a church to get all of our questions completely answered. What better way to find out which version of the Bible the pastor uses than to attend a couple of services yourself? What better way to understand the level of fellowship in the congregation than to experience it on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night service? There are things that happen during a church service that simply cannot be quantified or qualified on a written description to answer an arbitrary question. How can one measure the working of the Holy Spirit by reading answers on a piece of paper?
Look for a church that’s spiritually growing and where there is always room for you to serve. God did not create man to be an idle creäture nor did He indent for Christians to be nothing but pew warmers. God intended man to be busy and He wants His children to be willing, able, and working to expand His kingdom. Churches that are spiritually growing are also the churches that are looking for more volunteers to help meet needs. These are churches that are excited from the first moment you walk through the door to make sure you feel welcomed. Their hospitality feels natural and their interest in you sincere. Chances are, they are looking for members that are ready to do more than sit in a pew, sing a few songs, and toss a few dollars in the offering plate. These are the churches that openly talk about the needs of not only its own members but of trying to reach more of the community with the gospel of Christ. For me, this is a major thing I always look for.
I have been a member of a couple of churches that the only way you could teach Sunday school, be a part of the soul winning team, sing in the choir, or even help in the nursing home ministry was to be from one of the main families from the church – the families of the deacons, associate pastor, or even trustee. Others could attend, but were not encouraged to be active participants. The problems with churches like this is that Christian service has become about who you relate to rather than the condition of the heart of the believer. There is no room in a church such as this where others can serve according to their gifts, talents, and abilities. There simply is no room for “outsiders,” and regardless of how sweet the fellowship is or how strong the word is preached, Christ calls us into an active service and not a service of being content to be a pew warmer. Chances are when you find the church where the Holy Spirit wants you to join, they will have a job for you that will be the perfect complement to your abilities, talents, and gifts.
Don’t feel obligated to join a particular church because it is where family or friends attend. This is an easy mistake to do and often times it feels like once you’ve done it, there’s no good way to leave to find another church without causing anger or hurt feelings. Believe it or not, the church that’s good for your mom, sister, uncle, or friend from your high school days may not be the best church for you. Each of us have different spiritual needs and learning styles. Some prefer the traditional church hymn over the praise and worship choruses. Should you visit these churches – yes, but you are under no obligation to join its fellowship if you do not feel that the church encourages you to spiritual growth, service, and meets your spiritual needs for teaching, fellowship, and service. I’ve made this mistake twice before and it is amazing how joining a church just because a friend is a member not only places a strain on the friendship but also hampers the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
I hope that if you are in the process of finding a new church home that these suggestions will help you find the church that will meet your spiritual needs. If you’re already a member of a good church, maybe you want to consider how a visitor might feel or what they might be looking for in their visit to your church and will take a moment to make sure that visitors are made to feel welcome.
