Don't Always Join The Best Church In Town

There are many important factors in selecting a new church when new in town, such as the church’s doctrinal commitments and its ministry offerings, among many other things.  When church shopping the typical approach is to look for the best deal:  the church with the best preaching, best facility, size and location, best staff and programming for all ages, best music and the best people.  We all have our own list.

What if we didn’t assume we were supposed to find the best church?  What if we sought to join a less appealing church, even one struggling and in need of hope, one that seems to have very little to offer us?  Two brave examples come to mind, one a family with three grade school children, and the other a single white female college student.  

A Young Family Finds Challenge

A young family was relocating, and they were concerned about finding a good church.  They were a solid Christian family and they had also grown significantly as mission-minded Christians in their time at our church.  I challenged them to transfer what they had learned about being missional to a church community that was still trying to figure it out, rather than going on a search for a similar church and one that would meet their needs, as would be typical.  We talked about being a humble and gracious agent of change and how to tell stories of God’s glory in His Mission.  

They did it, but it was extremely hard.  The church they joined was doctrinally sound and so they received good biblical teaching, but it was lacking in affection, unwelcoming, and sometimes downright mean.  As the months passed, the congregation warmed toward them, though haltingly.  It was no easy task, but the young mother was able to motivate them and lead them in their first serious outreach attempt.  The church succeeded in that ministry effort and began to absorb her contagious joy for life and ministry in Christ.  It was a faith adventure with God that was filled with greater blessings because of the hardships.

A Young Adult Finds Community

A college student I know chose not to attend a church with many other students like herself, in fact she purposefully went out of her way to select a church with hardly anyone like her at all.  It was a small struggling Hispanic church plant, even having some spiritual health issues.  She was a Spanish major, but nonetheless this was a bold unconventional move to make.  She was determined to enter community as a learner.

Every Sunday she would have to push herself across language and cultural barriers, and trust the Holy Spirit to build genuine relationships.  And she would have to make extra effort outside of church to listen to biblical preaching to benefit her soul.  God was faithful to bless the church with her and her service over these past four years, and He probably blessed her even more by the church family that loved her greatly.  Everyone benefited because of the intentionality of this college student.

Try Something Different Next Time

We move around a lot these days.  Next time you move you might prayerfully consider selecting a church using atypical criteria, or encourage your friend who is moving to do so.  Certainly, this approach is not for everyone, nor for anyone all of the time, including the two examples earlier.  However, the Lord might like to bless you and your family as you encourage a church in need of encouragement, even as you assist them in fulfilling their role in His Mission.

This is just a suggestion, but this could be yet another way to experience what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 1:11-12 (ESV), “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”