What To Look For In A Church | ©Bridget Marcus

I'm glad a brother in Christ shared a question on fb and formed a discussion on what does a person look for when looking for a church home? So here are my thoughts on it. I think we forget that the church is not for entertainment value, it's not about how many programs or small groups that you have to entice people to come in both young and old. Because that is the job of the Holy Spirit. It doesn't even matter the size of the congregation. But it is the church's job souly to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the church's job to preach from Genesis all the way to Revelation leaving nothing out so that it can correct us and help us to grow spiritually. The church needs to preach what people NEED to hear not what they want to hear. That is what the word was meant for. Even if it can get you into "trouble" preach it anyway. If you entice the lost to come in but they are not spiritually fed and if the church doesn't disciple after the baptism than what good are we as the church? We tend to focus souly on bringing in the sinner and getting them saved and baptized but then we move on to how can we reach the next sinner. But what happens after the baptism? We drop them and go searching for the next lost person. We have to sow into the people that receive salvation and in doing so more will get saved and in being discipled they will stay in the will of God, they will stay encouraged, they will grow spiritually. God will use them. A community will begin to grow. The same community that followed Jesus. Man can not draw man to be saved. Only the Holy Spirit/God can do that. It is the Holy Spirit speaking and working through the church as we are the salt and light in a flavorless and dark world. He says I will draw all men to me(Him). We have to stop trying to find ways to entertain and draw in and just simply be. Be obedient and faithful in bringing His Holy Word to the house of God along with genuine worship and true discipleship and then allow Him to do the rest and stand back and watch it grow. The church has got to start being the church again. Amen! So if you don't find these qualities in the church you visit or even attend than you may need to keep looking.