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Tips for finding a new church

How to connect quickly with a place of worship in the Fishers area community that's just right for you! 

Whether moving across state lines or into a new neighborhood a few miles away, there’s a good chance you’ll be looking for new church. Here are some tips to help make your search more successful. Before you start visiting churches, be clear on what you are looking for in a new church home. After brainstorming with the family, pare your wish list down to the absolute essentials. It’s unlikely that you’ll find the “perfect” church, but you will find a church that’s just right for you. What elements should be on your list? Issues surrounding theology, spiritual values, core beliefs, and scriptural authority are very important to consider. When visiting churches, look for written statements of faith and beliefs. If you like everything about a church except one or two points of theology, be prepared to live with these if you join that church. If you can’t, then keep looking. Your current position in life is another very important factor. If you are single, look for a church that supports singles. If you are divorced, find a church that readily accepts divorced people. If you have school age children, you may need a church that offers a variety of programs for toddlers to teens, as well as for parents!

Books to help you in your search

• Look for a church that will minister to your needs, and offer you and your family opportunities to minister to others. Being part of a church is not a passive experience! Look for a place where you and your family can use your skills and talents to make a contribution.
  Location is a factor for a couple of reasons. First, the closer the church to your home, the less time you’ll spend getting there. Second, being close to the church makes it more likely that members live in your neighborhood. Having “ready made” friends nearby will be a big help in settling into your new home and neighborhood.

• Prayer is important, too! As in all things in life, looking to God for guidance and direction helps ensure the best decisions! Pray before and after every church visit, and listen to what He says.

How long should you look? As long as it takes! Being part of a church family represents a serious commitment for everyone in your family. You’ll want to get settled quickly, but don’t rush the process. Make a plan and work it. It could take a few weeks or as long as a year. The goal is to become connected with just the right church for your whole family.

A four step plan

But being without a church home for an extended period of time will also take it’s toll. So what do you do? Here’s a simple four step strategy that can help relieve some of the strain of searching for a new church:

• Step One - Plan to visit one new church every Sunday for two months. Look through area newspapers, church web sites, yellow pages, and other resources to locate churches to visit. Pay attention as you’re driving around your community and note the churches you pass. Talk to your neighbors. Make a list of places to visit and then stick with your list.
  
  In these first two months, don’t visit a church more than one time. After each visit, discuss each family member’s experience and make notes. Sticking to your plan, you will have visited eight to ten churches in your area.

• Step Two – Of those you visited, pick the three that you most enjoyed. Over the next three weeks, go back to each of these three for one more visit. Again, discuss your experiences after each visit and take notes. At the end of three weeks, pick one of these three as your “home base” church. This may or may not be the church you finally settle on as your permanent church home.

• Step Three – Continue visiting and revisiting new churches, but return to your home base church at least once or twice each month. This will give you and your family as sense of stability during your search.

• Step Four – As you are in your final phase of searching, be sure to set goals and time limits. Begin building a short list of churches that you revisit at least three or four times.

Throughout your search, continue to pray for guidance and rest assured that when you find your new church home, you’ll know it! Click here to view the Directory of area churches with links to more information on several.

Do you have tips about finding a new church? Feel free to share your ideas, experiences, and comments. E-mail them to info@FishersWorship.com.