Choosing a Church
Choosing a church can be a very daunting task. What denomination do I choose? What style of music should this church have? What if I choose the wrong church? As a new believer, questions like these can be so intimidating that they delay or even stop you from choosing where to attend each week. This guide is designed to help you wisely choose a church that will anchor you in Christ.
In 1 Timothy, the apostle Paul encourages Timothy, a young pastor, to read the Scriptures to the church, to encourage the believers, and to teach them. This instruction helps show some of the church’s core purposes: reading Scripture, teaching truth, and encouraging believers. If we don’t attend church, we’ll still be able to read the Scriptures on our own, but there will be no one to teach or encourage us. That’s why the author of Hebrews says, “let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do” (Hebrews 10:25a NLT).
When we choose a church, we need to choose one that is going to faithfully teach the Bible and encourage us to live according to those teachings. So what should we look for in a church? What should we avoid? How long should I attend a church before I call it “home”?
What to look for in a church:
The first thing a church should do is teach the Bible.
Paul tells Timothy that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT).
The Bible is God’s revealed Word and the ultimate authority for knowing who He is, what is true, and how He calls us to live. And so, each message that a good church preaches will be rooted in Scripture. A pastor of a good church will not simply read Scripture, he will also explain the context of each verse to help you understand why it means what it does, and will also help you to apply Scripture to your own life.
The second thing a church should do is teach that following Jesus is the only way to be saved.
In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (NLT). The Bible is clear that we can’t earn our way to God’s forgiveness, only Jesus can give it to us (which is great news!) James, the brother of Jesus, emphasizes that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone, and genuine faith produces good works as evidence (James 2:14-26). Therefore, the teachings of a church should reflect that.
The third thing a church should do is confront sin.
In 1 Corinthians 5, we see a man claiming to follow Jesus, but deliberately living a life completely contrary to the teachings of God’s Word. Paul confronts this sin, because he wants the man to repent of his sin and be saved (verse 5), and he doesn’t want an attitude of accepting sin to spread through the church (verse 7-8).
As we know, we’ll all sin even though we follow Jesus, but the church should not celebrate, excuse, or encourage sin. Instead, it should confront it and teach what is right. Confronting sin should not be about condemnation for condemnation’s sake, but about lovingly calling people to repentance and pointing them to the grace of Jesus.
Finally, a good church will produce good spiritual fruit (Matthew 7:16-17).
If a church is teaching the Gospel, people should be growing in their faith, serving others, sharing their faith with others, and engaging in biblical community together. Just as you can determine a tree by its fruit, you’ll be able to tell whether or not a church is faithfully teaching by the spiritual fruit it produces.
What red flags should I avoid?
If you understand what to look for in a church, it’s easy to tell what not to look for in a church. If a church is in disagreement with anything we’ve just covered, that’s a red flag. Here’s a quick list of some of the most common red flags, along with Bible verses you can refer to for each:
The church doesn’t teach the Bible. (2 Timothy 3)
The church treats teachings, traditions, or writings outside the Old and New Testaments of the Bible as equal to or above the Bible. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Galatians 1:8-9)
The church worships someone or something other than God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Any church that directs worship, prayer, or ultimate devotion toward anyone or anything other than God alone should be approached with caution. (Matthew 28:19, Exodus 20:3-4)
The church celebrates sin and does not confront it within the church.
Churches will frequently never even name sin because it might offend someone. Worse are the churches that openly affirm and celebrate lifestyles that Scripture calls sin. (1 Corinthians 5, Romans 1:32)
The church teaches that you will be saved by doing good rather than by faith in Jesus (James 2:14-26)
What denomination should I choose?
There are many different denominations of churches, even non-denominational churches (churches that don’t report to an outside authority such as a bishop). In reality, there will be good and bad churches throughout every denomination, and there will be good and bad non-denominational churches. The key factor isn’t choosing which denomination is right - it’s choosing a church based on all of the factors we’ve covered so far.
If you choose a denominational church, make sure that the church you choose preaches the Gospel as outlined above, but also make sure that the bishop or other authority is in line with the Gospel as well. In denominational churches, it’s common for pastors to be relocated, meaning that a new pastor could get assigned to your church. If the denomination has good executive leadership, the pastors chosen to minister will be held accountable to the Gospel. However, without strong biblical leadership, new pastors may not be held to this standard.
If you choose a non-denominational church, make sure the church has clear biblical accountability, such as elders, a board, or trusted leadership structures that can lovingly correct even senior leadership.
What about different worship styles?
Many people fret over whether it’s okay to join a church that has electric guitars and a drum kit, or if they need to join one that sings hymns. If you’re worried about this decision, let me reassure you by saying that while worship should always be biblical and God-honoring, musical style itself is largely a matter of preference.
In Psalm 150, King David writes, “Praise [the Lord] with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals” (Psalm 150:4-5 NLT)
Whether your church has an organ and a choir or a drum kit and loud guitars does not matter. The key is simply that you worship and praise the Lord.
How do I find the right church?
Hopefully, you now understand what makes a good, faithful church. So how do you actually find a church to try out?
You can start by looking at your local churches online. Most churches have websites, where you can see a statement of beliefs, previous sermons, and more. This is a great starting place.
When you find a church that seems to meet the above criteria, try attending it in person! I recommend attending a church for at least a few weeks to a few months before deciding whether or not to call it home (unless it’s clear that the church isn’t teaching the Bible!) It can take a while to get used to a new church, so giving yourself a period to acclimate will be very helpful. Use this time to pray and ask the Lord if this is the church community He wants you to be a part of.
One thing I would very much encourage is attending church in-person, even if that church offers online services. Online services are great for when you’re sick or out of town, but nothing can compare to being a part of a church community where you serve and worship the Lord together!
A final note - don’t “church hop” forever. While it’s wise to take time finding a healthy church, at some point, healthy Christians need a church family where they can grow, serve, and be known. No church will be perfect, because churches are filled with imperfect people, but a healthy church will faithfully point imperfect people to a perfect Savior!
