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Finding a church that is
right for you and your
family is one of the most
important decisions you will
ever make. Ask the Holy
Spirit for guidance.
Talk to Christians whom you
know and respect. They can
help point you in the
direction of finding a
church that will be a good
fit for you. You may also
consult the yellow pages or
newspaper for a listing of
local churches.
Some
churches are incredibly
ritualistic and solemn,
others are very free form
and exuberant. Some only
have a couple of members,
while on the opposite
extreme the world's biggest
Christian church has more
than 750,000 members. That
congregation is bigger than
many denominations.
In
some the pastor wears robes
and is addressed as father.
In others the pastor wears a
tee shirt and shorts and is
called by his first name. In
some congregations it's a
man who leads and teaches in
others it's a woman.
You'll
probably never find a
"perfect" church. There will
always be something that you
don't agree with, or people
you don't get along with.
After all the church is full
of people.
With
all the diversity, how do
you know it's a good church?
There are lots of
counterfeits out there who
claim to be Christian or who
claim to use the Bible as
the source of their
teaching. How do you tell
the good from the bad? How
do you know whether it's a
rose or a noxious weed?
There
are several good indicators.
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Their view of the Bible: a
rose recognizes the Bible
is truth. If they deny the
truth of Scripture they
are a dandelion.
All Scripture is
God-breathed and is
useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and
training in
righteousness, so that
the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for
every good work. 2
Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
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Their doctrine is sound.
Contrary to what many
might think, sound
doctrine is important.
Watch your life and
doctrine closely.
Persevere in them,
because if you do, you
will save both yourself
and your hearers. 1
Timothy 4:16 NIV
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A
good church teaches heaven
and hell. It recognizes
that the only way to
salvation is a personal
relationship with Jesus
Christ.
Salvation is found in
no one else, for there
is no other name under
heaven given to men by
which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12 NIV
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A
good church recognizes
that we are saved by God's
grace alone.
For it is by grace
you have been saved,
through faith--and this
not from yourselves, it
is the gift of God-- not
by works, so that no one
can boast. Ephesians
2:8-9 NIV
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good
church has a passion for
the lost.
Therefore go and make
disciples of all
nations, baptizing them
in[1]
the name of the Father
and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, 20and
teaching them to obey
everything I have
commanded you. And
surely I am with you
always, to the very end
of the age." Matthew 28
A
good church has love.
A
new command I give you:
Love one another. As I
have loved you, so you
must love one another.
By this all men will
know that you are my
disciples, if you love
one another."
John 13:34-35
NIV
Ultimately, you should
worship in a place where you
feel the presence and the
power of God. Through His
power, you will grow and
develop into the person God
wants you to be, ready to
meet the challenges of daily
living. And as an active
member of a church family,
your life will also be
enriched through the many
blessings and the
transforming power of united
worship.
There are several web based
services that you can use
including the following:
Evangelical Free Church of
America (EFCA)
CHURCH FINDER
Willow Creek Association
FIND A CHURCH
GRACE
EMMANUEL
(OUR CHURCH)
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