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Unfortunately, the church has “grown” from the New Testament picture of mostly homogeneous house churches scattered around a city, all connected by a common leadership and doctrine. Nowadays, any preacher with a vinyl sign and a school auditorium or empty storefront can start a church formatted in his own image and emphasizing the doctrinal flavor of the day. And with free/cheap websites available for broad consumption, a technically savvy volunteer can make the church appear like the most dynamic, warm, authentic, and attractive place in town, complete with stock photos. As I am continuing to assess what I should be looking for as I visit churches, here are some bullet points I have come up with to help organize my own thoughts.

Consider the Marketing – First impressions can be wrong, but the way a church “sells” itself to its community is pretty insightful. In many ways the name, website or radio ads reveal foundational principles or priorities of the local body (or at least the leadership). A church slogan like “A church for people who don’t like church!” gives some glimpse into what you might find in the presentation of the gospel, the personality of the congregation, or the format for how sacraments might be handled. A church name/sign like “The River – Catch the Flow” may be very contemporary, but says something about the emphasis of this congregation that you may or may not want to participate in. These first impressions do reveal foundational principles that are helpful in the search.

Evaluate the Theology – This is actually easier and more difficult than it sounds. It’s easier based on the first point above, now that many churches have caught the marketing bug. You can tell if a church is “seeker friendly” or “Reformed” or “Charismatic” based on many key words used in their advertisements. On the other hand, it can be more difficult because just about every Evangelical church uses the same “Doctrinal Statement” in their literature. Unfortunately, words mean different things to different people and the sweeping theological truths attested to in such statements can be lived out very differently even among members of the same congregation. At the end of the day, this may be more of an art than a science whereby you just have to “feel it out” and see which versions of “solid Biblical preaching” or how firmly the view of “saved by grace through faith alone” is held and communicated.

Observe the Practice – What type of outreach or ministries or programs is the church focusing their resources on? When these opportunities are communicated, what value is placed on them? What basis is given for the outreach? How is the program staffed and supported? How is the call for involvement/participation communicated? These types of questions will give you a sense of what is important and how the body is motivated to do what it does. It’s a lot like the old adage: “If you want to know where someone’s heart is, just look at their check book.” This is particularly significant considering the next point.

Find a Ministry – Is there a way for you to contribute to the body? I’m sure just about every church could use help in the nursery or teaching the Jr High boys Sunday School. But ultimately this may not be a good fit. I have been involved in ministry in previous churches and know what opportunities I am most comfortable in. As you visit, it would probably be helpful to know what spiritual gifts and talents you have and how you might be able to participate in the ministry of the local body. As you evaluate the church, find out if there are opportunities for you to use your gifts. It may not be a good fit if you feel led to start a worship dance team and you are considering the Reformed Church on the corner. There may not be a homeless ministry, but if you feel led and gifted in such an outreach, find out if the church is open to having you start one once you’ve been active enough for the leadership to know you. If there already is a place where your gifts can be used, find out as much as you can about it.

Introduce your Friends – The one element I have been considering as I visit churches is “Would I feel comfortable inviting a non-Christian to this church?” I believe this is important because we are called to make disciples. As I rub shoulders at my work place or in my community with non-believers, I want to be involved in a church that I can unreservedly introduce them to where they can grow in their faith if they come to know Christ. The church is about people and is meant to grow. You don’t want to be a member of a church but have to recommend a church across town to your co-workers. The logical question is “So why don’t you attend that church?”

Yes, I know there is no perfect church. I also know that I may have to agree to be stretched in my own practice of my faith as I consider plugging into a new church. There may be styles of worship, denominational practices, personality quirks of the pastor, or other issues that I have to ignore or embrace as I seek to live in community. But “testing” a church before committing to it is a wise thing. After all, it is there that your faith will be fed or starved, your character strengthened or defected, and your knowledge and image of Christ clarified or deformed. As you fight for your own faith, it is critical that you use discernment and caution, especially when choosing a community of faith.