Choosing A Church

[GraceSaved]

How do you choose a church if the options available in a person's area are not where one wants to attend such as Catholic or Charismatic?  Any suggestions to help a person out?  Thanks.

[Miss Daisy]

Then you'll have to drive to where one is. It's worth the drive.

[John81]

Much prayer and investigation of the available churches is the place to begin.

 

The RCC, being totally a false church, is automatically out of consideration.

[EKSmith]

When I moved from my hometown to where I'm at today it took a lot of searching before I found a IFBC  when I found one I did not know it had lost it's pastor and had hired a new one which was part of the new evangelical movement 5 years later the church was destroyed and I was looking for another church  there's a lot of the same church's here and I'm not going to join one just to be in church . I did find one about 35 miles from my house but I have not joined because it's an IBC and they use more then bible ( I'm KJO) and I disagree with some of the doctrines taught . l've tried to be a good witness to a lot of it's members but lately things are getting as I have seen before in my last church and it wont be long and CCM will creeping in the doors .

 

I was a Youth Pastor for 20 years until God called me into the evangelist ministry and the mission fields for 7 years and now God is calling me back into the youth ministry but this time I will be starting a church with the youth in our town just recently we had our first meeting and had 35 youth attend a lot of them where young adults whom I taught for many years ( how great the rewards ) whom are born again christian's  IFB we don't have a place to meet regular yet but we are seeking God in prayer daily to bless the ministry for His Glory.

 

We are all called into the ministry and if we can't find a church there is always a need for a new one to be started '' Many times I have taught that On Our Knees God Will Lead "  seeking God Daily in Prayer is our power to do all things in Him for His Glory.

Today Many church's a falling away and It's getting harder to find one that hasn't become worldly and my friend you are in my prayers that God will direct your way to find the right church.

 

Praying

God bless 

[Ukulelemike]

When I moved from my hometown to where I'm at today it took a lot of searching before I found a IFBC  when I found one I did not know it had lost it's pastor and had hired a new one which was part of the new evangelical movement 5 years later the church was destroyed and I was looking for another church  there's a lot of the same church's here and I'm not going to join one just to be in church . I did find one about 35 miles from my house but I have not joined because it's an IBC and they use more then bible ( I'm KJO) and I disagree with some of the doctrines taught . l've tried to be a good witness to a lot of it's members but lately things are getting as I have seen before in my last church and it wont be long and CCM will creeping in the doors .

 

I was a Youth Pastor for 20 years until God called me into the evangelist ministry and the mission fields for 7 years and now God is calling me back into the youth ministry but this time I will be starting a church with the youth in our town just recently we had our first meeting and had 35 youth attend a lot of them where young adults whom I taught for many years ( how great the rewards ) whom are born again christian's  IFB we don't have a place to meet regular yet but we are seeking God in prayer daily to bless the ministry for His Glory.

 

We are all called into the ministry and if we can't find a church there is always a need for a new one to be started '' Many times I have taught that On Our Knees God Will Lead "  seeking God Daily in Prayer is our power to do all things in Him for His Glory.

Today Many church's a falling away and It's getting harder to find one that hasn't become worldly and my friend you are in my prayers that God will direct your way to find the right church.

 

Praying

God bless 

Agreed, Brother EK! I always say, if there isn't one nearby, get started on a new one. Even if a person does not believe themself 'called' into ministry, they can always start a work, and pray for a pastor to come to lead. But I have known some outstanding, godly, Spirit-filled pastors who didn't believe they were 'called', they just saw a need and sought to help fulfill it, and the Lord used them mightily. The attitude of "use me" by a Christian can find them in many amazing places and situations they may not feel called to, but the way I see it, God may not have to 'call' if one is ready to go already! He just opens a door, and we are ready to pass through without any more invitation.

[HappyChristian]

GS - my folks were in almost the same predicament as you describe. Except that there was a church in their town that billed itself as IFB.  They attended there for a while, but there were things that just weren't right...so they left.  After a while, they went back, having tried a number of other churches in surrounding areas.  But the prOBlems were still there and they became pretty glaring.  So they just stopped going to church.  Not a good thing. They did listen to Adrian Rogers every Sunday (and for an SBC, he was pretty biblical!), but that isn't the same at all.

 

One time when I was there to help my mom after a serious surgery, I saw a sign for a church when my Dad was taking me to the ferry to head back to Seattle and then home.  When I got home, I did a search and found a church about 40 minutes away from them.  We were heading up there for a visit two months later, and visited the church.  It became my parents' home church and remains so to this day. My Dad has gone on to Glory, and, sadly (well, sad for the people), so has the pastor.  My Mom still attends and we are all praying that God will send the man He would have pastor them now. 

 

It is sometimes necessary to go outside one's area to find the right church.  If it is at all possible to host a church in one's home and try to get a work started (as has been suggested), that's great, too...we can never have too many good, biblical churches.

[paid4]

Why not start one?  There is a need in that area. Find a pastor, 2 or 3 members and hammer out a article of faith or church beliefs constitution.

 

Let us know how it turns out.

 

Whatever you do, don't rely on TV or radio or computer.

The local assembly is where to be.

[mkrishna]

Why not start one?  There is a need in that area. Find a pastor, 2 or 3 members and hammer out a article of faith or church beliefs constitution.

 

Let us know how it turns out.

 

Whatever you do, don't rely on TV or radio or computer.

The local assembly is where to be.

How does one go about finding a pastor?

[paid4]

There are some pastors out there that their ministry is starting churches.

I would start with a credible (Biblically Correct) seminary school and find new graduates.

Word of mouth, ask other pastors if they know anyone.

Some churches put out ads in the papers and magazines.

Sadly most churches when searching for a pastor will send a member to another church and if the pastor does a good jOB then they approach him afterwards with an offer to come to their church. That seems hurtful and decieving but it's how a lot of churches do it these days.

[Alimantado]

GS, will pray for you. I've been struggling with church for years.

[2bLikeJesus]

I was in the same situation when I first moved to Oregon.  There are extremely few IFB churches in Oregon and there were none in the Eugene/Springfield area.  I was forced to attend a Southern Baptist Church in Eugene that was definitely a "Laodocian" church and very lukewarm.  There were 3 other families though that attended that were of like mind and faith and seeking an IFB church.  We started meeting at each others houses every Saturday for bible study.  We also took up an offering each week to put towards the possibility of becoming a church some day.  After about a year we had grown to 30 people and had raised $20,000 and we then made it known to other IFB churches that we were officially seeking a Pastor to take our group and make a church.  Thus was born, Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Springfield, OR. under Pastor Nick Gillaspie.  

 

Bro. Garry

[Ukulelemike]

I was in the same situation when I first moved to Oregon.  There are extremely few IFB churches in Oregon and there were none in the Eugene/Springfield area.  I was forced to attend a Southern Baptist Church in Eugene that was definitely a "Laodocian" church and very lukewarm.  There were 3 other families though that attended that were of like mind and faith and seeking an IFB church.  We started meeting at each others houses every Saturday for bible study.  We also took up an offering each week to put towards the possibility of becoming a church some day.  After about a year we had grown to 30 people and had raised $20,000 and we then made it known to other IFB churches that we were officially seeking a Pastor to take our group and make a church.  Thus was born, Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Springfield, OR. under Pastor Nick Gillaspie.  

 

Bro. Garry

I happened to find myself in southern Oregon one Sunday, and looking for a church in the phonebook, found "Conservative Baptist Church", which was, it turned out, anything but conservative OR Baptist-rock and roll, multiplicity of bible versions, passed out lesson plan with all the 'verses' printed for you, so no need for a Bible, since it couldn't be followed anyways, and, to top it all off, the quintessential sermon on...Loooove.  We stayed for the entire service, just so we could actually see these things for real, and take it out of theory for us. So, really we DID get something out of it, if only the confirmation that what we had been taught was not coloring outside the lines.

 

Recently I was in the tiny town of Sheridan, I believe, near McMinnville,  and I saw there was an IFB church there, though I was not there when I could attend, so I can't verify whether it was really IFB or not.

[John81]

Mike, your description of that church sounds much like about a third of the IFB churches in this area now. Unfortunately, most of the rest aren't too far behind in reaching that level of straying.

 

A few smaller IFB churches elsewhere were having trouble trying to find a good pastor because it seemed the better IFB pastors already had churches and those in the looking for a church were looking for bigger churches with bigger pay.

 

One of the reasons at least a couple of the area IFB churches took turns for the worse was because their old pastors died or had to retire for health reasons. At that point they discovered a very limited pool of IFB pastors to even consider for small, middle of nowhere churches. A few of the younger pastors they looked into were willing to consider pastoring there but only if guaranteed a certain salary with built-in yearly increases.

 

It's really sad how many get into the ministry as a career rather than a calling. Then along with all those who think they deserve a large salary with benefits regardless of the financial strength of the church, there are those who are only interested in doing the minimum necessary to get and maintain their pastor position, those willing to compromise on important matters in order to keep a board or the deacons or elders happy, and then there is always the prOBlem of those in the pastorate who are not even saved (which I think is still much less a prOBlem among IFBs than it is with others).

[AVBibleBeliever]

The Bible says the believers of Christ are the church.  NOT a building that says "so and so (put in any denominations) church".

 

What you are looking for is not the church,  You are looking for, is a place where the church fellowships.

 

making the church a building, (an RC bring over by the reformation break aways along with the Christian flag), and calling it the house of God is unbiblical blasphemy of the biblical doctrine of the church.

 

I am the church, You are the church, NO building will ever be the church.

 

And finding a pastor, Pastors/Teachers is a gift to men but they are not necessarily the co-pastor of the church which Jesus is the true Pastor.  Elders were appointed over the church (people) in cities where they assembled.  Bishops were also among those that led, we are not sure where in the Bible they were commended to appoint but Paul said if a man desire the office of a bishop he desireth a good thing and they are connected to elders.  but pastors were never commanded or said in scriptures to be head over the church (people) in the cities where they met.

 

Study and you will see the things I say are true and you will see this is not my doctrine this is God's and it is ignored for the money grubbing belly serving men who want the respect of men and titles, more than the respect of God.

[John81]

NOBody here is saying a building is the church.