Every good article begins with a hook. You want it to be something that grabs the reader’s attention and perks their interest. This can be an entertaining story, an illustration, or an opening statement that is challenging, shocking, offensive, or even intentionally ambiguous. Full disclosure, I’ve gone with offensive and shocking. Ready? Here it is: choosing a local church is one of the most, if not the most, important decisions you will ever make in your life. Go ahead and let that breathe for a minute – take your time. I know that’s probably not what your High School guidance counselor told you, but I assure you it’s true. Now, I can already hear the objections: “That’s stupid! Who you choose to marry is the way more important!” or “Are you kidding me! What you choose for a career is going to affect every day of your life for the next 30 years!”. I hear you, but think of it like this, because those decisions are so important, don’t you think the place where they will be grown, nurtured, and cared for through guidance, encouragement, correction, and accountability is just as important – if not more?

I think of the newly married couple that finds the local church to be the accountability they need to keep their marriage healthy in a world filled with temptation and bad advice. I think of the hurting family who find the local church to be a sweet comfort as it rallies around them in a time of crisis. I think of the weary widow who finds the local church to be the encouragement she needs as she walks down unknown roads. I think of the rebellious teen, the wayward spouse who finds the local church to be a source of loving correction in times of weakness. I think of homes, dorms and apartments that find the local church to be the spiritually edifying community that fills their gathering places throughout the week. Friends, I could go on and on, but I have a word count. The bottom line is this: Without a healthy church our marriages, our careers, our families, and our lives will find themselves in a disadvantage at best or at worst, in shambles. We need the local church

Now, if what I am saying is true (and it is), then it seems the question we should be asking isn’t “How do I find a church” rather it should be “what should I look for in a church”, and those are two vastly
different questions, aren’t they? See, when we ask, “How do I find a church” what we are really asking
is: “what steps can you give me that will help me find a church?”. Now, these steps are simple, they
involve things like asking locals or friends where they attend, or Googling the word church plus the city you live in. Or if you’re looking to get specific, you might add an adjective like Baptist/Lutheran or even hip/popular before the word church in your Googling (the latter is not advised, although I can’t say I never did it). And while this will provide you with a local church, it leads to finding one based off very superficial standards, that may or may not get you into a healthy local church – and a healthy one is what were most concerned with given the impact it will have on you and your family’s life. So, we, as
savvy shoppers must focus on the question: “what must I look for in a local church?”

This seems like a better question, but the problem is my eyes tend to look for and fixate on the shiniest thing in the room. Often times my eyes get distracted by exciting things that are big and new, and while that may be Adams’ fault, I do believe the world has exasperated the problem. See, the world has conditioned us to believe bigger is better, popular is credible, more money means more impact, entertainment is essential, and our wants and desires should drive our decisions. Unfortunately, many in the church have leaned into these ideas and in turn have built churches that focus on creating Sunday morning ‘experiences’ that woo people with entertainment, big productions, and shiny new programs built to meet all your wants and desires. Maybe you’ve been wooed by these things, maybe you’ve found yourself in an unhealthy church because they had worldly based things that appealed to your flesh as opposed to Word based things that appealed to your spirit. If you have, please know you’re not alone, many of us have made that same mistake. Secondly please know that there are healthy churches out there that love the Bible, love Jesus, love people and love ecclesiology.

With that hope in mind, I want to lay out for you seven qualities or characteristics that you should look for when seeking out a local church:

INVESTIGATION (before you go):

1. SERMON SERIES: When you look at the sermons or the series do you find that the majority are
   based on books of the Bible or are they based on topics? While there is nothing wrong with a
   message or series that focuses on a topic from time-to-time healthy churches preach expositionally. Meaning they open the Bible, preach from books of the Bible, and ensure that the main point of the text is the main point of the sermon.
2. STATEMENT OF FAITH: Read it. All of it. If the church’s statement of faith doesn’t make any absolute truth statements backed up with Scripture and instead says a lot of ambiguous stuff about love and belonging that tug at heartstrings, run. Healthy churches love Biblical doctrine and Biblical theology and are not ashamed of it even when it means being rejected by the culture.
3. STAFF PAGE: Who makes up the leadership of the church? Is the church pastor-centric with all the
   power consolidated around one man? Is it run by dozens of committees, chair-people or councils?
   Or is the burden of leadership shared by a plurality of pastors/elders? A healthy church models the early church and will see multiple elders serving the congregation through Biblical polity.
4. PROGRAMS: No, I’m not referring to ‘Moms Meet-up’ ‘College Game Night’ or ‘Homeschool Jean
   Jumper Sewing Group’, I’m referring to programs that facilitate discipleship. Healthy churches care
   more about discipleship than entertainment, so when they gather throughout the week, they gather around the Word to be trained up in the Word.
5. SERMON CONTENT: Remember that Sermon Series Page? Click on a few of them and listen to more than one or two. As your listening ask yourself: Does this church understand the message of the Gospel? Do they understand conversion? Do they preach the full council of God? Do they
   understand that the lost cannot be saved through moralism? Do they understand that the
   regenerate must not live like the unregenerated? Its one thing to have a Biblical statement of faith
   it’s another thing to have Biblical preaching that informs, teaches and exhorts fundamental truths
   

REFLECTION (after you leave):

1. THE LOST: Does it seem like lost people are valued at this church? I don’t mean, “Are they given
   sweet coffee mugs, t-shirts and goodie bags?” but rather is their soul valued? Does the church care about evangelism? Do they desire to see people won to Christ through Gospel-centric evangelism as opposed to emotionalism and entertainment. Healthy churches welcome the lost and understand
   that what you win people with is what you win them to.
2. MEMBERSHIP: Does the church have meaningful membership? Is being a member of the church
   more like having a gym or membership or is it more like being a member of a family? Do they
   practice church discipline? Do they practice member care? How do the leaders work to ensure the
   membership is regenerated? Are their membership classes focused on explaining the expectations
   of membership and the importance of it, or is it nothing more than a glorified tour of the building
   and an overview of the programs? Healthy churches have healthy memberships because they
   understand the church isn’t the building it’s the redeemed people of God.
   Friends these seven steps are not a magical formal that guarantees you end up in a perfect church (that church is still being perfected by Christ), but these are Biblically based qualities and characteristics found in all healthy churches. Today there is no shortage of churches but there is a shortage of healthy churches and since choosing a local church is one of the most, if not the most, important decisions you will ever make in your life it would be wise for us to slow down and ensure the place we are choosing is one that is based on the Word not the world and that benefits our soul not just our flesh.