Finding a New Church
If you’ve recently relocated because of a job transfer or have moved to another city to be closer to family or have moved from one house to another for any number of reasons, you may be seeking a new church to attend. If you are unfamiliar with the area, you may not know where the closest church is or which church has the programs you desire to participate in. Choosing a church is an important part of life: church is where we meet others who have the same spiritual desires and belief system that we do. It’s a place we find comfort and fellowship and learn more about living a Christian life.
There are a few things you can do to find a new church family, and the journey doesn’t have to be a difficult one. If you are already a member of a particular denomination then narrowing down a church to find may be easier. If you aren’t a member of a denomination, then you’ll have a few more things to consider. Whichever group you fit into, the process of finding the right church for you will come down to a few items to be measured as a ‘rule of thumb’ such as: does the church have the programs you need? Is there a nursery and children’s program or teen youth group? Is there a choir or music ministry that you’d like to participate in? Does the church offer bible study groups or home groups? Would you prefer to attend a large church or a smaller church? Do you prefer contemporary music with a full band or do you hold near and dear traditional hymns accompanied only by a piano?
All of these things can play into making a decision on finding the right church for you. Sit down with your family and find out what is important to your spouse and your children. Now grab a phone book or use the internet to find a few churches to attend. You can check out a few churches a week by attending a Sunday morning service, Sunday evening service or a weekly night time service. Keep in mind that an evening service can be different from a morning service, so don’t be too hasty to judge a more laid-back night-time service at a church that may have a wonderful Sunday morning service. If that is what you are looking for then just visit on Sunday mornings.
After you attend a service, talk about it when you get home. Did you feel welcome? What did everyone like about the service? If everyone loved it, give the church another shot because you may have found the right place for you and your family. If not, try another church the next Sunday.
If you still can’t find the right church, ask friends, family or coworkers where they attend. You may be able to find a great church through networking. When you do find a church that you are comfortable with, ask to meet with the pastor or associate pastor (or any other church leader) to ask questions about the church and becoming a member. In no time, you’ll find yourself a part of a warm, welcoming church family!
Author Bio: A Raleigh Baptist Church parishioner in North Carolina has provided the information in this article. For more on this and other Bible Study information, visit them today.
Category: Religion
Keywords: baptist church, bible study, find new church