Finding a new church is a lot like buying the “right” house! All homes are unique and so are all families, which means there is not one perfect “Home Church” for everyone. Life is ever changing and you may find yourself moving neighborhoods, and looking for a new church home. So, we want to share 5 tips on finding a new church for your family!
Keep in mind, a “home” isn’t necessarily just a place, or a building but more importantly it’s the FAMILY that lives there! A church home is the same. It’s a family of believers who meets and spends time, a safe place to come together and under a roof to grow and worship God! Finding that church that feels like “home” is one of the MOST IMPORTANT decisions you can make for your family! We trust that just like buying that new house, you’ll just “know” when you’ve found it!
The FIRST and most important (non-negotiable) thing to know going into any church is that it’s a BIBLE believing church and stands firm on the teaching of GOD’S WORD and nothing else! Once that has been established here are 5 TIPS for FINDING A NEW CHURCH.
5 TIPS ON FINDING A NEW HOME CHURCH
1. TAKE A TOUR
- If it’s your first time don’t be afraid to ask to take a tour! Especially if you have kids and go it alone with your spouse the first time! Get a feel for what their child care facilities are like! Ask in depth questions as to what curriculum they cover, how many leaders are in a class and if they participate in worship? Check out where prayer rooms are at, restrooms and family worship areas. It will instantly make you feel at ease when you can get the lay of the land.
2. ATTEND A SERVICE AT LEAST 3-5 DIFFERENT TIMES
- Attend a service at least 3-5 different times (or events) to get a COMPLETE feel for the church. Churches have special events, guest speakers, and random changes that can occur at various times of the year. Attending on one of those events may not give you a TRUE picture of the type of home a church is until you’ve seen it on a regular basis.
3. JOIN A SMALL GROUP
- Join a small group: this is honestly the BEST way to connect with other people in the church, make friends, and grow as a family and church body! It’s especially important in a large congregation where it may be harder to meet people. With a small group, you will be sure to have a “church home” in no time!
4. LET YOUR HUSBAND BE THE SPIRITUAL LEADER
- Now before we get all “woman’s rights” or “we are women, hear us roar” over this tip let’s look at the word. If you are a believer and you believe the word of God is true, Ephesians 5:23 says [pullquote width=”500″ float=”center”]For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.[/pullquote] As believers we believe our husbands are the spiritual leaders in our family units. They are there to guide us, make decisions for the family and to love and support us. Let your husband lead you and your family in the ultimate decision if a church home is right for you. Think about it…if the SPIRITUAL LEADER of your household isn’t comfortable in your new church home how do you expect him to lead your family properly?
5. TRAVEL TIME
- Travel time should be a huge factor in choosing a new church home! If you have children that are growing up in the church or you and your spouse plan to be EXTREMELY involved you may want to consider commute times. A 30 min commute time may not seem like a ton of time at first but when that’s compiled over many round trips per week it can get quite daunting! You wouldn’t want this to eventually deter you from being as involved as you would like to be!
Ultimately God will lead you and your little family to a church home that is going to be just the right fit! With a lot of prayer and a TON of patience (we all know that’s a favorite lesson of God’s) you’ll be immersed in your new church family in no time! We hope that our 5 TIPS FOR FINDING A NEW HOME CHURCH was helpful in getting you started on your new journey!
From our wild crew with so much love and blessings,
CAIT, LINDSEY, CAMILLE and loving husbands/kiddos
