This week I was contacted by a man who briefly attended my church when he was living in the area. He moved away, and — inspired by his positive experience with us — returned to church in the denomination of his youth (not the same as mine.) He was sorely disappointed and dropped out again. He was contacting me in the hope that I could direct him to a like-hearted congregation in his area from my network of churches. I contacted a leader from my denomination in his area, and asked if we had any good churches in the man’s vicinity. The response was that we didn’t even have any BAD churches in his vicinity.
You know what I mean by “good” church. In every denomination, mine and yours alike, there are good churches and some pretty lousy ones. Here are some things I consider elements in separating the good from the bad churches… things I consider before recommending a a church when asked for a recommendation:
• Is it welcoming? Do they actually want new people, or do they have an “us vs them” mentality? Some churches have been populated by the same closed circle of friends for so long that they are suspicious of outsiders and actually resent the intrusion of newcomers who might change the social dynamics or upset the power balance.
• Is it Biblically balanced? Will a person attending there over a period of time grow in grace and knowledge as they are taught from the Word of God, nurtured and released in their Spiritual Gifts, and valued as a person? Will they generally leave church services encouraged and look forward to returning next week?
• Is it relevant? I don’t mean trendy… I mean is scripture being taught and preached in such a way that it impacts the way the people live out their everyday, ordinary lives, or is it just a bunch of religious facts and theory? The Bible is filled with timeless, timely, practical truth meant to inspire, challenge, convict and provoke to righteousness and good works. That is not always evident in every church. Some pastors preach redemption through political action, some have distorted emphasis upon this pet doctrine or that heretical distortion, and the teaching leaves much to be desired.
• Is the pastor a leader? Not a manager, not a dictator, not a place-holder… a leader: one worthy of being followed. Is (s)he a person of personal integrity, moral certainty, vision… are they thoughtful, kind, considerate, loving, and committed to the community? Is the pastor a person I would want to sit and talk with at Starbucks? Go to a college football game with? Invite over to the house for dinner? Would I be proud to introduce them as my pastor? Are they genuine, and not a plastic saint? Leaders come in all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, genders and nationalities — it’s not a matter of appearance, it is a matter of heart.
• Is it a place I would attend myself? If I were not a pastor, and lived in that area, is this a church I would select to attend for me and for my own family? It hardly seems right to recommend a church I myself would not choose to attend.
What we need is a network that crosses denominational lines. A way to screen out the bad churches we would never want to recommend. A rating system. A secret-shopper survey.
I am open for suggestions. (And if you know a great church near Warrenton, Virginia…)