Wanted: Church
In our (almost) twenty-seven years of marriage we have moved twenty times. During that time we have attended only seven different local church bodies. Which means we have more experience finding housing than finding church family. We are quite good at packing, but a little more apprehensive about searching out a new place to call “home” for worship.
So, how do you find a church home? I rail against the consumer approach of evaluating all the ministries to see “what’s in it for me” or “where will my talents be used so I can be fulfilled.” But, I can’t quite accept the seemingly trite answer that “God will show you where to go.” Will a scroll come down out of heaven (or in a fortune cookie) with an address? How do you balance the call of God to be part of a community of believers (who may be quite different from you…and maybe even disagree with you doctrinally) with the desire to share a common life with people you like and who will (hopefully) matter most in your life.
What do I desire in a church? A short list:
- God-centered worship and preaching
- Reformed theology
- Perhaps a bent toward Ancient/Future worship
- A “parish” feel (local neighborhood…so we can live out our day-to-day experiences together. You know, “Can I borrow an egg? Oh, and can I pray for you?”)
- Multi-generational (grey heads and toddlers, grad students and forty-somethings…and NOT all segregated to their own programs)
I suppose the list could go on, but it would make the process of fulfilling it even more difficult. And, I remind myself that I am trying not to use a shopping list method. So, what do I do? Do I search Google? Do I listen to fellow students at WTS? Do I go to my professors’ church? Do I read the Yellow Pages for the best ad? I doubt any of those ideas will direct me to my destination. No, I must be patient. I must find a way to walk in faith that God will lead us to the family he wants us to knit ourselves to.
Mark (jokingly) says I get to choose the church this time. I wonder if that is really a blessing or a burden? Perhaps we should just take time to visit various congregations for a year or so. No, I think we are committed to the accountability of the brethren. We need each other. Our hearts are deceptive and without our brothers and sisters we would be blind to some of the things that God wants to work into our lives. And without these yet-unknown souls we would worship in corporate “silence.” We need to find that place where our voices (and lives) will join in with others in magnifying our great God.
Perhaps the better approach would be to post a spiritual “Available for Worship” ad… and see how God answers it.
June 29th, 2004 at 5:15 pm
That’s not an entirely bad premise, but it is far too long of a period to do searching, even in a city as large as Philadelphia. I suggest finding friends at WTS who attend or know of churches with what you’re looking for and giving them a try. It’d be silly not to let a network of friends do some filtering for you.
June 29th, 2004 at 5:47 pm
Yeah, I’m sure we’re not going to take a year…but it will be an adventure looking. We’re kind of looking forward to seeing what different churches are like.
June 30th, 2004 at 8:36 am
I just jumped to your site from your husband’s. Great stuff! My husband and I are currently church seeking. Not because we’re re-locating. Simply because we know we need something different. I’ve really been questioning “church” in the traditional sense. Thank you for your comments. They’ve been helpful.
June 30th, 2004 at 10:35 am
Deb, I checked out your blog. Sounds like we have some similar pursuits (and you look WAY TOO YOUNG to have 4 teenagers). I’ll enjoy “getting to know” you as I read more of your posts.