When we read in the New Testament of the church, we only read of that which Christ promised to build (Matthew 16:18; cf. Romans 16:16).  The church is the people (I Corinthians 12:27), thus the New Testament church is made up of saved individuals.  We do not read of denominational churches professing Christianity as they were centuries away from official formation.  But, today people have many choices of where to attend.  This of course is not what God desires.  The Lord adds only to one church those who are saved (Acts 2:41; 47, I Corinthians 12:12-13, and Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4).  That one church is not a man-made church – it is the church of Christ.  This article is not going to deal with this point, what we are going to deal with is how absurd standards are used when “church shopping” and choosing where to worship.

    I cannot count how many times over the few years I have been laboring as a Gospel Preacher that someone has called me and began asking questions that began with a statement such as “we are looking for a church”.  It is almost like they are browsing the isles of a “church store” looking for the right brand at the right price.  Some of those calls come from brethren who have moved into the area that are looking for sound brethren with whom to work and worship and other calls come from non-Christians looking to worship God somewhere.  Certainly, it is a good practice to call and ask questions before attending somewhere with a group of people.  After all, we are to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  I for one ask many questions as I do not want to join in fellowship with an erring group of Christians when I am traveling (II John 9-11).  However, many of the questions I have received have very little to do with doctrine and much more to do with comfort and fleshly attributes.

    One of the top questions some people have asked me when seeking to find a church to work and worship with is about the size of the congregation.  Some seem scared when they find just a few members making up a local church.  Some want fancy buildings, new song books, and technology that shows a church is of the 21st century.  I wonder if those individuals would ever consider worshipping and working with some of the smaller congregations in the first century that met in homes (I Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, and Philemon v. 2).  Large numbers do not in any way represent sound brethren (Matthew 7:13-14; 22:14). Other questions I have been asked show the desire many have to be part of larger and more “social” churches.

    Just recently a couple called saying they were moving into the area and needed to find a church of Christ to worship and work with.  The first question these folks asked was: “what programs do you have for children?”  I responded by telling them that we have Bible Classes for all ages.  They said “of course, but what special programs outside of that do you have?”  I told them that the church meeting here in Butler has the same programs for children that the church you read about in the New Testament had for children – scriptural teaching.  They suddenly found the church in Butler disinteresting.  When you read in the New Testament you do not find brethren implementing programs, you find them teaching the word of God (Acts 5:32, Acts 8:4, Acts 20:32, I Thessalonians 1:7-8. etc.).

    Some have and will say “if all you’re doing is teaching the Bible you will never grow”.  To which I would and have responded: (Romans 1:16) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  Entertainment is great, but it is not a work of the local church.  Some of our brethren believe that you have to have food, fun, and frolic to evangelize.  Is that what Jesus taught?  (John 6:26-27) “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

    “The church I left in Alabama had the ‘Lad’s to Leader’s’ program, does the church here participate in that?”  This quote is from a brother who attended here in Butler twice and now worships with the liberal church in Kittanning, PA.  One of the problems with the church today is that many of the current “second and third generation” Christians are not properly brought up and trained.  The way to solve this problem is not for the church to begin doing the work of the home, but for brethren to teach more on how parents need to properly teach their children.  (Proverbs 22:6) “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  (Ephesians 6:4) “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

    Most song books have the song “Jesus Loves Me”.  The first verse in that song points out “Jesus loves me! this I know, For the Bible tells me so.”  Congregations that are blessed in having Bible Classes need to have teachers who will continue what the parents have started at home.  Teaching the children the “Bible tells me so” kind of mentality (Matthew 4:4; 7; 10)!  Forming extra works of a local church, having entertainment, and organizing more programs other than teaching the word of God; is not a biblical work of the church of Christ.  Nor does starting programs solve the problems that start at home.  Thus, when looking for a local church with which to work and worship your questions should not be about programs, but about the aptitude of the teachers in Bible Classes to assure that your children are being taught what the Bible teaches and what you have started teaching them at home.

    Some begin asking questions by asking if the folks they are talking to are conservative.  This is certainly a proper starting place.  However, others feel that if they find a congregation listed in a certain directory (saying they are Non-Institutional) that this makes them sound.  Just because a congregation is Non-Institutional, that does not mean that they are sound.  Many “NI” churches are just as liberal as the Pro-Institutional churches are and some even more liberal than that and others overly strict (Joshua 1:7).  We need to be careful on this point.  We should be asking more than one question and looking deeper than just one set of issues.  We also need to be aware that brethren may not always use the same type of definitions of a term that you do.  For example, some Institutional churches that have fellowship halls and other unauthorized things sponsored by the local church also call themselves conservative.  Maybe the first question we should ask is “can you and do you feel it is necessary to supply book, chapter, and verse for all things you do as a local church (Colossians 3:17 and I Peter 4:11)?”  Then press them in proving that they can by asking them what they do and where they get authority for that practice.

    When looking for a congregation with which to worship and work we need to act differently than we would when looking for a new outfit.  Looks, size, feel, and price should not be what we use to measure where we will attend.  Maybe a smaller congregation could use a family to help them grow.  Maybe new Christians should look for a faithful church that has elders to guide them in their Christian youth.  Stronger Christians could help in places where leadership is really needed, though it may be more work and take more patience than finding an established congregation to work and worship with.

    Most importantly, we need to look for a local church to work and worship with that holds to the pattern of the New Testament (II Timothy 1:13).  A congregation that is not sound in the faith may be sly in hiding their errors (Romans 16:18).  However, upon questioning and observation you will know where they stand and where they fail (Matthew 7:15-20 and I John 4:1).  Look for a sound congregation, test them, if found to be sound put yourself under the oversight of that local church, be recognized as one of the members there, and then help that local church in her work to please the Lord.