What I’m looking For In My Next Church
Since my departure from my previous church (and place of employment), I’ve been extremely excited about finding a new church! And since my current job doesn’t tie me to any particular geographic location, I’ve got a HUGE list of potential churches to join. The decision is difficult, but at the same time it’s bringing me tremendous perspective on how to gauge the direction God wants to take me. My finger is definitely trying to feel the wind, but that doesn’t mean that I’m any closer to deciding where to go next.
But the journey is sometimes a reward itself. Over the last couple of months, I’ve gotten to visit some great churches, and I will continue to visit churches from all over. Almost certainly, we humans can be selfish in how we choose our churches. We want this, that, and the other, and usually it’s all about what you can get out of church. And that’s not to say that’s necessarily a bad thing. I would NEVER choose a church where I wasn’t behind the vision of the leadership and growing from the teaching there. To me, that is a primary concern.
Here is a short list of some things God is telling me to look for in potential churches. It’s sort of a list of indicating factors for a healthy church.
1. There must be a passion for outreach.
Without naming any names, there are too many churches that are content with not reaching their IMMEDIATE community. I’ve seen it first hand. That’s not God’s will for me, and the leadership must have an insatiable passion for non-Christians.
2. There must be opportunities to serve.
I would gladly empty garbage cans in a church that was making an impact.
3. Sundays must be taken seriously.
I’m sick of Sunday services being an afterthought in the “ministries” around this area. Sunday should be the climax of the week. Too often, Sundays are a “necessary evil” in order to pay the bills to keep the “other ministries” above water.
4. Children must have prominence.
If I see a church who either a) makes the kids/teens sit in the main church service or b) dumps them off in some abandoned Sunday school room or basement, I won’t be back. If the seats in the adult auditorium are more comfortable … if there is more money spent on the senior adults … if there is not a priority placed on children … you will not see me again. It’s as simple as that.
5. Excellence must be a goal that is always looking to be reached.
Doing things halfway isn’t an option. Jesus didn’t do anything halfway for us, and so there’s no reason to do things halfway for Him. It’s just not acceptable.
6. Technology must be embraced.
It’s not a sin to use technology. In fact, if you’re living in the 21st century and you don’t use a tool God has given us to use (assuming you have the means), shame on you!
7. The leadership must not be afraid to speak on money.
I’m sorry, but since the rise of the televangelist, regular churches have been shy when talking about money. It’s almost like they’re afraid they’re gonna be labeled as “one of those money preachers”. Get some guts and do what you’re supposed to do. And don’t make it a guilt trip either. People should be excited to give, not guilted in to it.
8. The leadership must not be afraid to speak about sex.
Come on, this is not the 1950s! The fact is, television, music, and Hollywood are talking about it all the time, and all the Church has in response is “don’t do it”. We can do better than that, folks. Especially for our teenagers who happen to be more confused that I have ever seen. Has that much changed in the last 10 years? I can’t be that old, can I? 
By the way, just in case there is any confusion, numbers 9 and 10 are my personal preference. I’m not saying they are from God or anything
9. I would like to be somewhere where my talents are utilized and where I can learn from my superiors.
I’m a sponge! I would love to sit under someone and just learn from them. But I’d also like to put that knowledge to good use by serving the church with my talents.
10. I would like to be somewhere that God is blessing.
This is probably a little selfish, but I’d love to be part of a church plant or small church experiencing rapid growth. I would love to observe how the leadership handles the growing pains, and adapts to the expansion. I’d also like to be part of a team where I’m making a difference in helping cultivate that growth.
I’m definitely on the prowl, and I’d like to make a decision by the end of the summer. We’ll see how it goes!
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Maybe God is calling you to Connecticut… as a pastor, I’d love to hav esomeone like you in our church. If you are ever in CT, come visit us at St. Paul’s Collegiate Church — http://www.uconnchurch.com
11. It MUST be somewhere that God has lead me to. Even if it doesn’t fit “my bill”.
Goes without saying, of course. Let me be clear though, aside from the last 2, these are things God has been leading me too look for in my future church home, not necessarily “my bill”. Just thought I should clarify that.
Dubow can’t have you. I get first dibs!
Kidding… sort of.
I like your list. If I were to come up with a list, it would probably the the same. It’s not centered on your needs and preferences but on an attempt to measure the church’s understanding of why the Church exists at all.
Have fun looking around. It would be great if you would report back here with what you find, good and bad.
Maybe God could lead you to Vermont? Like maybe… Somewhere near the Ct. River? Maybe at the Woodville, N.H. & Wells River, Vt. crossing?
We have a new Wal-Mart coming in 2008, so we are gettin purdy civulized! I Hear tell most of us gots runnin water insides the houses now too! You seem like the “church planting” type, and we could use one.
You can even borrow my shovel!
Ben C,
That was such a great way of putting it. That’s exactly what I’m looking for … a church that knows why they exist, and embrace it.
Guy,
I’m a PK, and I don’t envy those of you who have taken that position 
I think the last thing Vermont needs is a 21 year old kid to start a church! And in case there’s any confusion, I don’t aspire to be a pastor
Ben D,
You never know. I promise that if I’m in CT, I’ll drop by. That’s a heck of a trip for me though 
Perhaps He is
All,
I just got a good suggestion from my wonderful girlfriend, and it sort of follows what Ben C said. I’m going to report back each week I visit a new church and let you guys know how it went, much like I did with Elevation a couple weeks ago.
You’re a PK? Me too. It explains a lot: mainly the twitching.
You should really check out Marathon Community Church – http://www.marathonchurch.org. I think you’ll find it a perfect match for your requirements! If you don’t like it, then you’ll know you need to rethink your list.
Great list! However, I really visited your site to try and contact you about your theme RockinBizRed. I really want to use it but have no clue as how to get it onto my blog. Sorry to bust in on this comment thread! If you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it. BTW…I live in So Cal…land of some really good leaders and churches…I currently attend Revival Christian Fellowship in Menifee. We be movin’ and shakin’ there! Thanks and blessings!
Honestly, you just nailed our church. 1-10. I’m going to hit the highlights. Christ Fellowship in Miami, FL. http://www.cfmiami.org
1. There must be a passion for outreach.
- We opened our first multi-site in March. Aiming to open a second site in 2008. In addition, we have well over 300 members going on mission trips this year. Not to mention, Miami-Dade is the second most unchurched county in America. HUGE MISSION FIELD POTENTIAL!
3. Sundays must be taken seriously.
- Everything pushes the weekend. That is the crux of our ministry. I’m on staff as one of the production directors, and I can tell you that the weekends are crucial in our church’s ministry.
4. Children must have prominence.
- Just spent $1mil on a children’s upgrade. Brought in the people that design “Rainforest Cafe’s” for Disney. Check out
http://www.cfwaystation.com/
5. Excellence must be a goal that is always looking to be reached.
- Have you met my boss? He says “Excellence” 40 times a day.
6. Technology must be embraced.
- Yep. We’ve embraced it (and get better at it).
7. The leadership must not be afraid to speak on money.
- We spoke on it, and the people responded. We increased our budget 17% in 2007, and we’re getting 15-20% over the raised budget so far this year. It’s incredible. Our campus feels missional, and people jump on board with their time (and their wallets).
8. The leadership must not be afraid to speak about sex.
- Did a four week series on this in late 2006. Want me to mail you a copy?
9. I would like to be somewhere where my talents are utilized and where I can learn from my superiors.
10. I would like to be somewhere that God is blessing.
- Let’s talk. I’d love to have you come down. We’re doing some great things, and we’re always looking for creative, knowledgable people willing to serve. E-mail me or check out my blog for more info.
Jeff Reed
Christ Fellowship Miami
Nathan, maybe you should just sell yourself on eBay.
Ben,
It certainly is flattering and humbling to have all the compliments, but I’m nothing special. God loves me, and I love him, and I sincerely want to serve him where he wants me. If nothing else, these comments are encouraging, since there are so many churches that have a clear vision of God’s purpose for them. I absolutely love that!
Just passing bye and thought I’d leave some advice. First, none of your points mention Christ. I assume that you’re Christian (aka, a follower of Christ) so perhaps preaching that’s “Christocentric” should be a point. What I mean by that is preaching that’s centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, that leads one away from oneself and closer to the objective proclamation of atonement for sin. Second, take stock of your life and the church in general. Realize that church hopping is a product of our consumer driven society and not something that should be promoted. Your list of requirements sounds awfully “me-centered”.
Doug,
I would respectfully disagree:
1. There must be a passion for outreach.
I’m not talking about selling them Avon. Winning people to Christ is the goal.
2. There must be opportunities to serve.
Service is anything but “me-centered”
3. Sundays must be taken seriously.
Why? Because I want God to be glorified, and people (including myself) to grow as a result of a Sundays.
4. Children must have prominence.
Children-centered. Again, I’m talking about teaching them about Jesus, so this can’t be “me-centered”.
5. Excellence must be a goal that is always looking to be reached.
I did mentioned Jesus by name here. Who did you think I was suggesting we be “excellent” for? It’s all about HIM!
6. Technology must be embraced.
Again, to reach people for Christ! Technology is a good tool with which to do that.
7. The leadership must not be afraid to speak on money.
8. The leadership must not be afraid to speak about sex.
See this story
9 and 10 were admittedly selfish, something I said in the story very clearly. Even then, the ultimate goal is the Glorification of God, not me.
Also, I’m not at all “church hopping”. I’ve been a member of 2 churches in my lifetime. I said I’m looking for a church HOME, which means I’m very much looking for a permanent church in which to reside.
Read Ben’s comment. It pretty much sums up the whole list:
“[the list is] not centered on your needs and preferences but on an attempt to measure the church’s understanding of why the Church exists at all.”
It’s all about Jesus … EVERYTHING! But a church that focuses on others is fulfilling the 2nd greatest commandment. Can’t go wrong there, can you?
Doug, could I give you a little advice as well?
It is very easy to misunderstand the written word, especially on a blog. My guess is, you read Nathan’s post here quickly, made a snap judgment about him and responded accordingly. This is all too common all over the internet.
When commenting on a blog that you have not spent any time on, you should be a little more careful not to “correct” the author until you have a more complete understanding of his positions. If you don’t have time to read up, or you’re just doing a “drive by” reading then don’t make negative comments. Your intentions were probably good, but anyone who frequents this blog will recognize that your assumptions are way off.
I hope you will come back by. We are a forgiving bunch…