What are some things people look for when searching for a new church home? Are these necessarily bad things? Are they good things?

People have various things they are wanting when they search for a church. Some of these are good; some are not so good. Some reasons may be mixed, partly good and partly not so good.

Some better reasons to search for a church are ideas like these: “I want to find a church where the worship and life of the church is in accordance with what the Bible teaches”; “I want a church that follows the teachings of Jesus and not the doctrines of men”; “I want a church where I am fed spiritually and can worship God heartily”; “I want a church that loves one another and their love for outsiders and the world is real”; “I want a church that will involve me in the sharing of Jesus with the entire world”; “I want a church that is not in conflict but that is filled with peace and joy”; “I want a church that loves me”; “I want a church that ministers to the needs of people in the community like people struggling with life and problems, and that offers hope and help to everyone”; and, “I want a church where my children will be nurtured and nourished in the Christian faith.”

Some not so good reasons to search for a church are ideas like these: “I want a church just like the church I attended as a child”; “I want a church that is popular with the community”; “I want a church that teaches what I like to hear and believes what I do”; “I want a church where the preacher is interesting, polished, and makes me feel good”; “I want a church where the worship is really entertaining”; “I want a church where they will accept me as I am and not expect me to change the things that I enjoy doing”: and, “I want a church where I can meet influential, successful people who will help me succeed in my business.”