Church Attendance - Part 2

Now that we have discussed why it is important to attend church, we turn our attention to what to look for in a church. To begin, we need to choose a church that believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins and that He rose from the dead and is alive in Heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father, intervening for the saints in prayer. If a church does not believe these things about Jesus Christ, and does not teach them, then move on to another church. Many churches disagree over various issues, such as speaking in tongues (another language), healing, etc., and those are truly not important enough issues to argue about and allow to cause divisions. However, if they do not believe in Jesus as depicted above, then this is a serious issue and you must not put yourself under their teaching or authority. They may teach various things that Jesus Himself taught, but if they do not believe that He is God, then, they have mixed the truth of things Jesus taught about with a lie saying that He is not who He said He was. Dear One, this is what satan does. He mixes a little bit of truth with a little bit of lie/deception, which then causes the whole thing to be tainted. The way to discover what a church body believes is to ask them for a copy of their constitution, which is a document that states what they believe about God and the Bible, and which should clearly state what they believe about Jesus Christ. It will contain other things, too, but look especially for what they believe about Jesus Christ.

Other things to look for when selecting a church, are: whether they are actively teaching God’s Word (the Bible). Are there opportunities to study the Bible? Are there Sunday School classes for everyone in your family? Are there Bible studies that meet outside of regular church time? Are there opportunities for you to get involved in the life of the church (social gatherings, community outreach), as well as tasks that need to be done that you can do (typing letters, cleaning, childcare, music ministry, etc). Most importantly, are the members there enjoying a personal relationship with God? Do they reach out to others? Also, do you feel more comfortable in a large church or smaller one?  Your personal preferences play a part in your decision, but there are times when the Lord may lead us to a church that we don't quite understand the reason, but we do it because we love Him and He's asked us to attend that church.  Just because we find ourselves in difficult situations does not mean that God didn't lead us there.  He has something to teach you and the people around you, so don't run from the difficulties.  Learn to ask God to help you understand what He's trying to teach you, and wait for His answer. 
(Please click on the "Baptism" blog)