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How to Find a Good Church in Your City or State

By Christi D Johnson

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Published: 28Mar2011
Word count: 749
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To find a good church is something that many people strive for but never really do. It can take months if not years to actually feel comfortable enought to go visit a church full of strangers, sit through the entire message, endure the ritual of standing if you are a first time visitor, and then keep coming if you are still a little unsure. Putting it plainly, finding a good church is hard. By the end of this article, reader will know what the main issues are that prevent most of us from joining a church more quickly. For the most part, it is in the hands of the leadership, but most leaders are too prideful to make the changes that people need. Over time they have begun to see the church as their business instead of as a trust given by God to teach people the Bible and how to live a good, Christian life.

The main issues that people have when considering joining a new church are as follows: people don't want to be hurt at the new church like they were at the last church; people do not want to have church leadership that is weak or dishonest. They look to pastors and leadership to be the leaders they are supposed to be; people are tired of seeing sin permitted for some and not for others; people are tired of not being taught the Bible. If you go to church, the last thing you want to hear is the pastor's agenda. You want to hear the Word of God and learn to live well as a Christian!! There are many other reasons why people leave one church and then try other churches, but because of past hurt, it is usually difficult to settle down and make a decision quickly.

For any pastor who says that he cares about his people, the first thing he should do is to stop calling them "his people." This is a critical error and sets leaders up for a quick fall or a long-term fall. Either way, the fall is coming because, to assume that people belong to a pastor is inherently prideful. The people belong to God. The end. With this new and correct mindset, the pastor should recognize immediately that all people want is a safe place to attend church, where they can learn the Bible, fellowship with other believers and get away from the strife they face in every day life. Yes, it is true that people are the ones in a church, and people are inherently messy emotionally and otherwise, but there can be structures in place to ensure that the casualties are few and far between. How, you may ask. One of the best ways to ensure that people do not get hurt very easily is to make sure that your church leaders are mature. Either they have been single for a long time and are not living a privately sinful life, or they are married for a while and are in a marriage that has stood the test of time and children or infertility and circumstance. You want men and women with proven, transparent integrity to be leaders, not people with a fresh history of gossip, sexual misconduct, multiple multiple marriages, money mismanagement, anger issues, overblown egos, etc. If these kinds of people are your leaders, it will come out in time, and you will find yourself struggling with the same issues year after year, and you will see people cycling in and out of your church. After ten years you will have lots of new faces but not much change otherwise. If you have only added 100 new members in 10 years to your roster, there is a problem.

The good news for both pastors and parishioners is that things can change. They can get better. People demand more out of their churches than they ever have, and this is a good thing. All that is left now is for the pastor to step up, face the truth, make changes - permanent changes - and watch the church grow. After all, Jesus did say that if He were lifted up, He would draw all men unto Him. If no one is joining, it is because Christ is not being lifted up. That is very simple! Face it! Adapt! Or continue dying. There are people looking for churches, and hopefully, your newly Godly church will be the one that is found.

Christi Johnson created the internet's first church referral service where people can call a number and get "insider information" on a church before visiting or joining. She consults with local churches to help them understand today's digital, inter-savvy church member, and she shows them common sense ways to be a better church for people to attend. Click here to find a church!

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