This article originally appeared on Don Sweeting’s blog, The Chief End of Man.
Church shopping. I hate the phrase. It sounds so . . . consumeristic! But at one point in our lives, most of us do it. Even pastors do it before they are pastors. If they have a break from pastoral ministry and move, or retire, they do it again. So guess what we’ve been doing this year in the wake of a move and a job change? That’s right . . . church shopping.
What should you look for in a church? Here’s what most of the “church shoppers” I’ve recently talked to include on their lists. Prime consideration number one: They are looking for a certain style of music—“traditional service with a strong choir” or “hot band with great worship” (meaning music). After that comes the theological preference they are looking for. They also want a pastor who is a “good communicator.” They scope out churches that have strength in a favorite ministry area. “I’m looking for a strong ________ministry,” (fill in the blank—“youth,” “children’s,” “men’s,” “women’s,” “singles,” “young married’s.” Sometimes it is the building that matters—does it have enough parking, a gym, and coffee stations? Sometimes they want a small church where they can know everyone. Other times they are looking for a Walmart-like “full-service church.”
We are all familiar with these lists. But we may not be familiar with the ancient lists, used for centuries, to help Christians identify a good church. They may help us reshape our own lists.
Let Their Lists Refine Yours
The first list comes from Scripture in Acts 2:42. It describes the early church and says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” That’s a great starting point. You could even look at verses 42-47 to round out the list.
A second list comes from the Nicene Creed of the early church (AD 325/381). The creed concluded by identifying four marks of the church—“one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” These four marks are found in the writings of the early church fathers. “One” describes the unity of the body of Christ—its belief in one God, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. The focus here was more the spiritual unity than organizational unity. “Holy” was a reminder of the Bible’s words, “Be holy as I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:15-16). This does not mean a church is free from sin, but that it is set apart for God’s redemptive and sanctifying work. Next comes the word “catholic.” This did not mean Roman Catholic, but catholic as in “universal.” The idea was not so much inclusiveness as it was “mainstream.” In the early church, catholic Christians were those who believed what all Christians everywhere believed—as opposed to what Marcionites or Arians, for example, believed. “Apostolic” focused on the origins and beliefs of the church. The church’s teachers were apostolic; that is, they were rooted in and in continuity with what the early apostles (the authorized representatives of Jesus) taught.
A third list comes from the Reformed churches of the Protestant Reformation. The marks of the visible church include the Word rightly proclaimed, the sacraments properly observed, scriptural discipline faithfully practiced, and loving fellowship joyfully maintained. Reformed churches began their list with the faithful preaching of the Word—was it true to Scripture and centered on the gospel? They highlighted the right use of the sacraments—that is, were they correctly understood and practiced according to the Scriptures? Spiritual discipline was practiced. Disciples need discipline. The discipline conceived here involved both pastoral care and correction in order to keep the church on track. Can this kind of discipline be found in the church? Maintaining loving fellowship was also important—because the mark of the Christian is love. Is the love of Christ seen in this church?
Chances are you will find yourself church shopping at some point in your life. Maybe you are church shopping now. Before you jot down your own list, learn from some of the believers who have gone before you. Let their lists refine your own.
Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?
In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
