Choice of Church

This blog arises out of conversations I've had with different friends recently about choosing a church. One of our tutorial discussion posed the question differently by asking us to consider on what basis do we decide to leave a church. It definitely provoked a very lively discussion. We even have courses here on how to evaluate a church! I've not taken that class but this is a list I hope my friends who are in the midst of deciding this issue will find helpful. It also serves as a reminder to myself.

1. Christ-centered
- This is a litmus test for me. Christ said upon this Rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I don't think I can be part of a church that does not confess Christ as Lord, profess His divinity and humanity, or believes in the virgin birth and Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
2. Bible-based
- It is crucial that the church upholds the authority of Scripture and thus tries to honestly live out what the Bible teaches. It is important for me to hear a preacher preaching faithfully according to the Bible. I don't think I'm the sole judge of it, but I am responsible to listen with discernment and test what is being taught.
3. Sound Theology
- Upholds tenets of faith about Trinity, of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, and Scripture. I may not agree with other parts of their theology but I do believe it must be founded on Scripture, then at least there will be basis for discourse (hopefully) and possibly open to change, if need to.
4. Leadership of the Church
- It's important that I respect the leaders. I appreciate leaders who are dedicated and try to look for leadership who are transparent and accountable. This does not mean perfection nor sinlessness, but to have a teachable spirit. Yet I know I need to learn to respect those that God has placed over me and will be held accountable for my attitude towards them. Nevertheless I don't think, as Christian leaders, we can give ourselves the excuse that how we live our lives has nothing to do with how well we can do our 'job'. Our very 'job' is to do our best to live right before God and men, that others may draw from our lives.
5. Place for personal growth
- Fellowship that encourages growth and accountability is important. I also know that I grow by studying the Word and by serving and getting involved in ministry. Such opportunities are important for me.
I've signed up to help with set-up in Church, that is I go early to brew the coffee and boil the water, so coffee and tea is ready when the people come in. Here we're pretty relaxed and simply bring our beverage along into the sanctuary!
6. Mission emphasis
- Mission is the mandate of every Christian and the church should encourage and facilitate its members to participate in missions.
7. Evangelism and outreach
- We are in the world but not of the world, and the church is not the world. The church is where I am equipped to do the work of the ministry and fulfill the mission God has given me in the world that I live in everyday.
8. Style of worship
- Worship is a very important part of church life but it is also very important for me personally. I need to know myself, and when possible, find a place that helps me to worship wholeheartedly.

I know the above list are basic and I would seek to look for such a church when I have the opportunity choose. These are some of the elements that have led me to worship where I am. Perhaps these elements are common in the available choices, then how does one choose? The secondary elements are many and far from exhaustive:
- Close to where I live
I guess I am very practical. Here in Vancouver I rely on public transport and buses are a lot less frequent and start to run later on weekends. If I miss a bus, the next one can take from 1/2 hour to an hour, I will most probably miss a good part of the service. If I'm not careful this can be a source of discouragement especially in winter when it is wet and cold and it takes a lot of effort to get to church. Also I know this consideration will affect how much I will be involved in church during the week and etc.
- Affliations to the members: family members, friends, etc
I suppose this can work both ways but generally my life here evolve around College. I wanted to attend a church that is not full of Regent students and wanted to have a wider group of friends.
The first church I went to here was a very small group (less than 30) of mainly second -generation migrant Chinese. Most of them were younger than me and were either married or engaged to be married. I liked the people and worship style but did not feel comfortable in that setting.
- Availability of a good Children Ministry or Youth Ministry
I know this is an important consideration for parents. While I believe the main and first place for Christian education is the home, I recognise the importance of healthy role model outside of the home and positive peer influence.
- Formality and dress code
This probably sounds silly but I feel so free seeing my worship pastor lead worship in a round neck t-shirt and jeans. He's a Malaysian about my age with bright red hair but I guess what's important for me is he conveys a great passion for God and worship. My assistant pastor can also be found clad in a jumper and jeans when he's not preaching.
- Parking facility
For those who drive I don't think this is something we can afford to ignore. It's a pain to see how we obstruct traffic for others while we are worshipping God.
- Time of service
It is helpful if we have more than one option especially if our work hours and etc do not permit us to always attend service at the usual hours.

If some of the above clashes with our lifestyle, then perhaps we need to consider adjusting our lifestyle. I mean if God is as important in our life as we claim, then our worship life should not be any less. While our faith is a personal one, it is not an individualistic one. It's easy to be patient in a hermit's cave or be loving and spiritual in our own little world, which consists only of I, me and myself. We are called to be part of a community to work out our faith. Once I commit myself to a being part of a church, I am to embrace that community as my family. Thus is it then for me to leave my family when things are not as exciting, or if I don't agree with certain members? That's not really what being a family is about. We stick things through together and work things out hoping for the best. I may feel my needs are not being met at this point, may not agree with how things are done, or even ashame of some members in the family, but we never quit being family.

I've listed the above to serve as a starting point for those considering such a decision. I've sorted the list between what I consider primary factors and secondary ones. Even then the list of secondary factors do not all bear equal weightage, and different people will accord more weight to one consideration more than others. And I repeat they are far from exhaustive. The primary consideration for me is where I can grow best and live out my Christian faith most faithfully. Yet it's not about what I can get out of church, but where I can live for and serve God best. For example you may not agree with the church's position on various issues like praying in tongues, who can serve communion, opportunity for women to minister, practice of infant baptism, etc. One need to ask ourselves honestly if these issues are important enough for one to break fellowship with a church. At times the only resolution may simply be to agree to disagree about some of these matters. We need to bear in mind there's no perfect church and every church will have its set of flaws, and sometimes these will only show up after we become part of the fellowship and get close enough to take a closer look.

I pray for my friends who are presently making this decision. It's not an easy decision and I believe these are some factors for prayerful consideration. There are no shortcuts and the Lord gives us wisdom and discernment to make the best decision. I pray the Lord will lead you in this process and may He grant you peace in your decision.