Dating the Church in the 21st Century
Churches should recognize there are two types of Christians who may be visiting your church. The Christian who is seeking after God’s own heart and the Carnal Christian.
The Carnal Christian
It is very easy to identify who the Carnal Christians are in any local church. They are the visitors who really doesn’t want to commit themselves to kingdom building. They just like going to hear the music and the word of the day and for them, that’s all they need
Spiritually Mature Christians
Now there are many Christians who truly have a heart and a passion for the word and a desire to be planted in a church where they can get a feeling like they belong there and it is a place where they can connect with others to serve and be involved in kingdom building. Now the challenge churches encounter with visiting Christians who are looking for a place where they can do kingdom building is that the “wanderer” unknowingly compares one church to another church, one worship experience to another worship experience. Unlike the Christian who has been a member of a church for many years and has “worked” their way into ministry and the congregation knows them personally, for the visiting Christian, they not only have a heart for kingdom building, they also bring a variety of knowledge and experiences that many church leaders don’t know how to transition them into their church culture as easily as someone they’ve known for years.
The transition from being a visitor to a member who is ready to contribute and wants to link up with established leaders in the church to find a place where they can be of service most times is not a pleasant experience. They discover that many churches have too many Spiritually Unhealthy Carnal Minded Christians who are not just members but are also in leadership roles and unfortunately for those seeking a place to belong because they can discern when something is "out of order” after a while, the wandering Christian find themselves still searching for a place to call home. Yes, spiritually matured Christians realize there are no “perfect” churches, however in this day and age churches should recognize just because a Christian is “wandering” doesn’t mean they’re not getting spiritually fed. With the many advances that technology provides like YouTube, Streaming Videos, CD’s, DVD’s, Television, Computers, iPods, iPads and even one’s Cell Phones etc. spiritually mature Christians find themselves longing to fellowship but preferring to distance themselves from churches not because they don’t love or fear God, but His people make it difficult to fellowship with Him in community with others. The other challenge many wandering Christians encounter is they’ve been taught not to let just anyone preach or minister to them so they become cautious about joining a church until they can spend some time getting to know the people of the church. They also begin to realize that just visiting a church does not provide them the opportunity they need to determine if the church and it’s leadership would be a great fit for them as well as their desire to be a great fit for the church. How do you fellowship with others and yet, identify a way for you to not have to be a “member” in order for you to reduce the number of times you become burned by your experiences. Thus they find themselves needing to “Date” the church before they commit themselves to the church.
If you find yourself currently in “transition” or “Dating Churches”, you need to take the time to build a list of things you are looking for in a church and worship experience before you “join” or plant yourself at that church. Take some time to see how the church is governed, who the people are in leadership and what programs or ministry opportunities they provide. Prayerfully identify what is important not just for yourself but for your children and family as well. With so many different Christian denominations, in the 21st century take your time to ensure your spiritual needs are possibly met by the place you call your “church home” and also be sure you can be a great fit for them as well. By taking your time, once you are planted, you will truly do a great work in kingdom building and for spiritual maturing. Below is a sample or a list of some things you might want to see if the church provides or offers to their members:
Spiritually Mature Christians
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New Believer training: Knowledge about key spiritual terms and words
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New Member training: Documentation that tells a member about the church, their vision and what they believe in (Their Bylaws), expectations about how members should dress etc.
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Programs for young adults and children
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A church website where information about the church and their events are listed
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If you can purchase CD’s or DVD’s of the different ministry opportunities
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If they have streaming videos of the service
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Ministry Opportunities; a process in place for people wishing to work in the ministry
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Leadership training opportunities
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Are you comfortable in small or large settings
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Beliefs about Communion
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The age of the Pastor and Leadership may dictate/define the teachings you will receive (Traditional, etc.)
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Holiday celebrations (Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween etc.)
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Fundraising efforts within the church
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Tithing expectations etc.
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If you can call the pastor of if you have to speak with an elder or lay pastor before you can speak one on one with your pastor
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If you prefer to be a part of a small church or if you are comfortable in a larger environment
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If you prefer traditional vs. modern or kingdom type gospel music or would like a variety of both
Create yourself a list so that you can ask those question to the leadership in the church where you find yourself visiting. If they can’t answer the questions you feel are important, then these things will at some point in time become the issues that may cause you to desire to leave. God desires his people to come together to fellowship one with another. Where two or three are gathered he is in the midst, let’s work a little smarter to prayerfully ensure God obtains the glory in our assembling one with another.