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Crestview Baptist Church
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Searching for a healthy, local church can be an overwhelming task. Too often choosing a church is based on secondary preferences while primary essentials are overlooked. Issues such as music style and children’s programs are too often the first questions that are asked. While these are not unimportant, they are also not first order issues. When buying a car you might have a preference for a particular color, but color does not matter if the engine and drive train are faulty. Here are some tips on finding a healthy local church and the kinds of key questions you should be able to answer before joining. Pray. Ask the Lord to guide you to a good church. Pray that you will desire to be a part of the church that the Lord wants for you. Seek counsel from a godly pastor. Ask for recommendations of healthy churches. If you are deciding to leave one local church for another, you owe it to your current pastor and/or other leaders to explain why you are considering joining another church. Visit discerningly. As you visit churches consider the following: Does the church affirm, preach, and live out the Biblical gospel? Is the Bible understood to be God’s Word and treated as the highest authority? Is the preaching of the church faithful to the Bible? Does the church have a statement of faith? Do you agree with it? Do you understand how the church practices baptism, Lord’s Supper, church membership, church discipline, and decision making? Would you want your child to find a spouse who has been brought up under the church’s teaching? What picture of Christianity will your children see in this church – something distinct or something a lot like the world? Would you be happy to invite non-Christians to this church? Would they clearly hear the gospel and see lives consistent with it? Does this church have a heart for welcoming and reaching non-Christians? Is this church a people with whom you can minister and serve? Consider Geography. Does the church’s meeting location encourage or discourage frequent involvement and service? If you are moving to the area, try to locate a good church before buying a house. Adapted from Dever, What is a Healthy Church? (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2007), 79.                                                               Thinking of leaving your church>>