Church Shopping

Dear Victorious,

My husband and I are looking for a church near our home (we just moved). Do you have any suggestions on how we should go about evaluating and picking a new church?

Kylie T. - Rockford, IL

Dear Kylie,

For starters, don't be distracted by the things you like. I mean, pay no attention to the cappuccino bar, contemporary band, or even the brochures in the church lobby. Instead, look for a church that best lives out the principles that are identified in the New Testament. There's an excellent blog on the subject of New Testament churches. You may want to read it to get an idea of what I'm talking about. (See http://bible.org/seriespage/what-new-testament-church.)

Once you establish that this is a relevant church - in that its people actually live a Christ-centered life, then you simply have to ask yourself if this is a church you can commit to. Will you go? Will you serve? Will you submit? Christians are called to be in intimate community with other Christians. They are called to serve others in that community. And they are called to submit to the spiritual authority God has placed over that community. Will you do that here? If so, then this is probably the right church for you!