Looking for a New Church for the New Year

I posted this nearly two years ago, but I thought it might be appropriate for anyone who stumbles across this blog after making a new year's resolution to start attending church services during the new year.

"...in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive" (Titus 2:10, NIV).

I've been thinking about people who want to follow Jesus Christ, but they have not connected with any particular church. What if I were in their situation? How would I find a church? What would make a difference in my search?

Generally, churches look alike in their yellow pages ads and mass mailings. Their radio and television commercials seem very similar. I might visit a church based on advertising alone. However, if a church did not live up to its projected image, I would not return.

Recently, I have been thinking about another method of finding a church. What if I started looking at the people around me to find the most Christ-like men and women? What if I decided to visit congregations that they attended? I have little doubt that I could find an excellent church using such a method.

I would look for men and women of kindness, the type of people who will reach out in compassion to others around them who are hurting or lonely. I would look for people of conviction, people who would stand for biblical standards and doctrines despite the unpopularity of their positions. I would look for men and women who would not only refuse to participate in office gossip, but who would not allow it to go unchallenged in their presence. I would look for people of wisdom, people who know how to live godly and attractive lives at the same time. I would look for men and women who enjoyed life and had grateful attitudes. I would search for people who spoke of faith in Christ and lived by faith in him. I would seek out men and women of humility, people with a sense of security without a sense of arrogance.

Such people reflect well on Christ, but they also reflect well on their local congregations. They are the best advertisements that a church could place in a community.

I want to be that kind of living commercial for Jesus Christ and for the Contact Church.

Great Links

Here are a few great links:

At http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080511_46_E7_spancl586795, you will find an article by business columnist Harvey MacKay titled "Practicing Compassion Brings Happiness." I liked its emphasis on bringing compassion into the workplace and the information about the chemical changes in our bodies caused by compassionate acts.

At http://urbanlogfamily.blogspot.com/2008/05/day-in-life-of.html, you will learn about a day in the life of an urban youth minister. Bob Logsdon, the Contact Church's youth minister, shares information about his work.

At http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158347~E-mail%3A_Speak_-_and_forward_-_the_truth_in_love, you will find a column by Erik Tryggestad encouraging us to refrain from spreading gossip and slander on the Internet.

Heartlight ministry has published two outstanding devotional pieces over the last few days. At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080513_hardchoice.html, Steve Higginbotham wrote "Sometimes the Hard Choice is the Right Choice." At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080515_uprighting.html, Ann Voskamp wrote, "Uprighting the Earth."

Church Shopping

"...in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive" (Titus 2:10, NIV).

I've been thinking about people who want to follow Jesus Christ, but they have not connected with any particular church. What if I were in their situation? How would I find a church? What would make a difference in my search?

Generally, churches look alike in their yellow pages ads and mass mailings. Their radio and television commercials seem very similar. I might visit a church based on advertising alone. However, if a church did not live up to its projected image, I would not return.

Recently, I have been thinking about another method of finding a church. What if I started looking at the people around me to find the most Christ-like men and women? What if I decided to visit congregations that they attended? I have little doubt that I could find an excellent church using such a method.

I would look for men and women of kindness, the type of people who will reach out in compassion to others around them who are hurting or lonely. I would look for people of conviction, people who would stand for biblical standards and doctrines despite the unpopularity of their positions. I would look for men and women who would not only refuse to participate in office gossip, but who would not allow it to go unchallenged in their presence. I would look for people of wisdom, people who know how to live godly and attractive lives at the same time. I would look for men and women who enjoyed life and had grateful attitudes. I would search for people who spoke of faith in Christ and lived by faith in him. I would seek out men and women of humility, people with a sense of security without a sense of arrogance.

Such people reflect well on Christ, but they also reflect well on their local congregations. They are the best advertisements that a church could place in a community.

I want to be that kind of living commercial for Jesus Christ and for the Contact Church of Christ.