Finding a great church – Fellowship of Believers

By Ian Millar

Are you new to researching the Christian faith? Looking to find a Great Church? I understand, I was there once. It can seem daunting. There *seem* to be many options. I have answers for that question that will lead you right, every time. I’ve moved many times over the years, and I use this process each time.

First, understand the purpose of the true “Church” of Jesus: it’s a fellowship, a gathering, of people who are jointly called out of this world to follow Jesus into a relationship with God. Jesus is the head of the church, not men and not institutions. (Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 5:23) That helps you ignore a lot of religious error. We follow Jesus Christ and He, being risen from the dead and exalted to Heaven’s throne, is able to make intercession for each of us who trust in Him by faith (Hebrews 7:25). Because of that, we do not need human priests anymore. We can go directly to Jesus Christ in prayer. 

So, your first task is to call on Him to guide you! Jesus knows your needs, He knows your heart, He knows your situation. He is the one to ask first. And the way to do that is to start by calling on Him and invite Him to be your Savior, your Redeemer, your Leader, your King. Then, ask Him to guide you to a church that will be the fellowship with whom you can grow in your walk. You will probably feel funny doing that, but He will answer those two things.

Next is to employ discernment, which will come from Jesus, if you have asked Him those two things stated above. 

My 5 discernment keys to finding a great church:

1. Bible believing. If any congregation does not hold to the Bible as the one guide for all faith and practice, nothing else matters. If they hold their leader or institution above the Bible, they are off track.
2.  Gospel centric. The essence is that Jesus Saves. If a church claims to believe the Bible but is not centered on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus being the source of our salvation? They are not truly “biblical” and therefore are off track. 
3.  Worshipful with order. There are two errors to beware of here: worshipful without order, and order without being worshipful. God deserves our worship, and worship brings us into communion with the Living God. But some churches make worship and idol and have no order. Others focus so much on order and propriety that they have no sense of worship. They are not leading people into true connection with the living God. 
4.  Encouraging. A truly godly, biblical, Gospel centric and worshipful church will both encourage you to develop a prayer life, and have a time of corporate (or group) prayer. If they aren’t leading you upward, what’s the point? We are taught by Jesus not to pray on street corners, but we are definitely called to join together in prayer as His people.
5. Welcoming. This seems obvious. People who are walking with Christ, who are in touch with the Living God, who are focused the Gospel will be helpful and welcoming to those who come in seeking a church to join.

If you are unsure if you understand how to be a Christian, please read this page on how to be saved from the death curse of rebellion and begin a walk with Jesus.