On the June 6, 2009 Battle Lines broadcast we discussed what to look for in a church. We began by discussing the need to be in church. According to Barna’s research, a full 17% of people who attend church less than once a year are born again Christians. About half of the overall population of the U.S. does not attend church on a weekly basis and a significant portion of those skipping church are believers! A lot of people are wondering, particularly young adults, why it is important to be a part of a local church. While it certainly is a good thing to attend church on Sunday morning, we are talking about more than just sitting in a pew for an hour once a week. The Christian is a member of the body of Christ and the family of God. Sometimes we call that the universal church; and the universal church finds visible expression in the local church. A Christian connected to a local congregation is part of a community, involved in ministry, submitted to biblical leadership, and regularly under the teaching of the Word. Most Christians, at least once in their lives, have had the experience of looking for a local church to call home. What should you look for in a church? We discussed six characteristics of a good church.

#1. The Preaching of the Scriptures. A good church will open up the Scriptures on a Sunday morning and preach God’s Word. A good church both believes in and declares from the pulpit sound, biblical doctrine that is in keeping with orthodox, historic Christianity. #2. The Edification of Believers. A good church will equip its people to understand and live out the truths of Christianity and to share their faith #3. Biblical Leadership. A good church will have a leadership structure reflective of the basic pattern revealed in Scripture: pastors/elders leading and deacons serving. And the leaders in those offices will meet the character qualifications listed in the Scriptures. There are certain things we should not use to determine if a pastor is a good pastor: Speaking ability, charisma, personality. Instead, evaluate a pastor based on faithfulness to his responsibilities, faithfulness to the Word, and Christ-like character. #4. The Observance of the Ordinances. A good church will regularly observe believers baptism and communion. These three are what Calvin called the “marks of the church,” the visible signs that a particular local church is a part of the true church. #5. Commitment to and Engagement in God’s Purposes for the Church. God’s purposes: to disciple the believing (the church gathered), to evangelize the lost (the church scattered), to fellowship (to share with those in need), and to worship. Most churches have a commitment to those things, but do they actually engage in them? Do their stated values become actualized? What you really, truly value, you do. If a church truly values evangelism, you’ll see it happening. #6. Healthy Relationships. The people of a good church will practice submission to leadership, care for the weak, forgiveness of personal offenses, and other habits of healthy relationships. Believers need to be part of a good, biblical church. If your church is not at least aiming for these things, perhaps you can be a part of positive change or perhaps you need to consider looking elsewhere. Keep in mind, however, that there are good and bad reasons to leave a church. Good Reasons: moral or spiritual failure of the leadership, deviance from orthodox doctrine, consistent failure of the church to live up to God’s purposes for the church, or significant disagreement regarding philosophy, methodology, or theology. Bad Reasons: you don’t like the music, you have been personally offended, or you have differences in preferences.