Hello. I am new, and I am looking for a church. Are there any red flags to look for when I look for a church? Thank you very much. Any advice would be appreciated.
You should go to the Church to which God is guiding you. You should not make up your own criteria first and THEN seek a church that matches your criteria.
The red flag, I think is if you go to a church that tries to attract you with some other promise besides "truth." If they try to lure you with how "popular" they are or how vibrant their "music" is or how great their after-service social hour is, you might want to dig a little deeper and question them. Why is there priority not "We present you the fullness of the true Church."
A big red flag should be any1 trying to sell you God as a product...but my opinion is go where you apiritually most comfortable...it might be a bit of a search...but it's worth it in the end
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I agree with the previous post about presenting God as a product. Zola Levitt used to call that a manufactured Christ or making Christ conform to our image of Him. Searching for a good church is not easy. My wife and I have prayed and we have sought. We've not been in a steady church home for a good while. We don't like that and we're not looking for perfection. You've probably heard this adage, If you find a perfect church, don't join it as you'll ruin it. It takes time to know if a church if right for you. But, on the other hand, you can waste a lot of time if you stay at a church for a long time, only to find it is not right for you. We've done that. Our rationale is that rather than be judgmental we'll spend some time there and really get to know some folk before we make any rash decisions. The last time we did that, we thought we'd found a church home and some man in a leadership position at the church kept making passes at my wife. I enlisted the pastor's help to go speak with this man, rather than let my temper (i.e. flesh) get in the way, and the pastor was clueless about how to handle the situation. He favored giving the other guy the benefit of the doubt and blew me off. Up until that time we thought we had found that church we were seeking. I was recently given what I consider to be some good advice. If you visit a church and think you might be interested in joining it, go meet with the pastor. If you can't communicate with him (he puts himself on some higher level, either theologically or positionally), or he won't gladly and graciously meet with you, I'd keep looking. Also, the pastor's theology needs to line up with yours. Even though you may have some flaws in your theology (most of us do) you should feel content that this pastor is preaching the Word, as you understand it. If there is disagreement, then how the pastor handles that is also something to consider. Is he just real dogmatic, or does he offer an explanation, again, in a gracious way? That could be a clue to move on. A pastor has to be confident and solid in what he believes, but he also has to recognize his own shortcomings and realize that he can still learn.</p>
Last edited by notreligus; 21st October 2009 at 05:47 PM.
For what it's worth, I am about 90% in opposition to my friend, Mr. Polo, when he says, "You should not make up your own criteria first and THEN seek a church that matches your criteria."
Of course, you can expect to receive a wide range of opinions--all well-intentioned--when you ask the question you did. I think that what one needs to do is really educate himself in the basics of the Christian religion and in the differences between the denominations. First. Then seek a local parish or congregation. I do agree, though, that you should not approach the church with an attitude of "this is what I'd like God to be asking of me or offering me, and if I don't get it here, I'll shop around until I do find it."
I do not think that visiting one church, then another, and assessing the reception or the style of the service is probably going to be the best way to go if that's where you begin. So many people say that the reception was cold--or too enthusiastic, wanting you to be a member the first moment they see you. These impressions can be mistaken. The church that doesn't pressure you can seem unwelcoming, while the one that seems to swarm you may just be trying to keep from having visitors feel out of place and unwelcome. There is a lot of gray area in these things, in other words. And when we come to the service itself, you can't judge too firmly on one or two visits. The sermon that day might be very atypical for that church, perhaps because it's a special occasion.
In short, you'd have to spend a lot of time, not a little, to really get the pulse of most churches that way. But as everyone has pointed out, whether the church teaches right, or on the other hand is just a social organization or one that teaches "whatever you want to believe is OK with us" is a prime concern. To that, I really think you need to bring at least a basic set of convictions concerning the Bible, man and God, Jesus' teachings, etc. which you can compare against what the church is offering through not just the sermon but the literature, the bulletin, how the people act and talk, and so on.
To that end, it does very much help to have a general knowledge of what differentiates one denomination from another going in, which is not to say that you can't be educated on some things thereafter and that you shouldn't be open to correction.
Last edited by Albion; 2nd November 2009 at 02:35 PM.
I would avoid churches that say they are the right church
Since pride comes before a fall, they might be poised for it.
If you visit one and something about it just doesn't sit well, and you can't put your finger on it, then don't feel guilty for moving on. Sometimes I have had that feeling, and later found out there were undercurrents of trouble about to surface.
I believe that visiting many churches is a worthwhile experience in itself. I consider this very healthy, despite what many other Christians say. It is important to see that there is not one right church, but a network of believers that belong to one fellowship in Him.
I would avoid churches that say they are the right church or have the right political or theological view etc. etc.
I agree with the political bit, Jesus' church is called to go into every nation, regardless of the politics.
But if they don't know if they have the right theological view on salvation what good are they?
Jesus said "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free".
After the church was established John said to them: "Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, has not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed" (2 John 9-10)
He also spoke of: "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist" (1John 4:3)
A true Christian is one that has Jesus Christ in them by the infilling of his Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13, Romans 8:9, Acts 2:4, 39). Just believing that Jesus came in the flesh 2000 years ago is not the same!
Paul also said: "if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached" (2 Cor. 11:4)
We se from Acts (see 19:1-6 or 8:12-18) that that jsut because people profess faith or are "believers" in what they have heard doesn't mean they have received salvation by receiving the Spirit.
Similarly Jude warns to watch out for those who "separate themselves" but who don't have the Spirit (19-20).
I would say Lutheran if you were wanting a good, solid teaching the Bible church. The greatest miracles Jesus did were to forgive our sins and He died on the cross to make it possible.
1. Does the church have the opportunity to confess sins?
2. Is forgiveness of sins part of the church service to the members?
3. Does the church follow the Biblical teachings of taking sin seriously in our lives and seeking repentance?
Tragically, most churches put on shows these days, trying to make people feel comfortable and are drawing large crowds. But there is no confession of sins, no preaching that sins are our biggest problem and we need to have them confronted on a regular basis. Why did Jesus come again? To give us a praise band?
Medicine isn't something you enjoy taking. But it is something you need. I wish more churches were into the celebration of the miracle of forgiveness but most churches have a different agenda. I just don't know a better one for you or for me.
You are a sinner. When you know that, you appreciate that Jesus is your personal Savior. One is connected to the other.
Where can I go to find forgiveness of my sins? This might be a good place to start.
Are there any red flags? 
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