Question from a Site Viewer
How do I find a good church?
Tim’s Answer
You ask how to find a good church. I would begin by asking Christians you know or meet where they go to church. If you know someone you highly respect, ask them. Ask them what their church is like, and what they like about their church. If you run across someone who is kind and helpful, ask them.
Once you get some feedback on where others go to church and why, then you can look up the church online and read about each specific church. Find out about them. If they have a doctrinal statement, read it and see if they adhere to the Bible. If they have sermons online, listen to some of them and determine whether the pastor is teaching from the Bible what the Bible says. And then, try the ones that you think may be good.
A good church will be reflected in people who care and serve, love and worship, who believe in encouraging you to read the Bible and pray. As Scripture says in Acts 2:42, the focus of the church is the apostles’ teachings, which is for us the New Testament; fellowship; breaking of bread; and prayers. This is the life of the church.
Not that we should ignore the Old Testament, as it is rich in the revelation of God to us. But we filter the Old Testament through the apostles’ teaching. If you find a church that teaches the Word of God, encourages fellowship with each other, has a focus on prayer, and participates in the breaking of bread, you have found a good church.
