When we are praying and seeking God’s Will for a Church home for ourselves or our family, we need to approach it from the perspective of what Scripture says about what the Church looked like in the New Testament.
Here are 7 points to take into consideration when choosing a Church home:
What the Church Believes: It's crucial to ensure the church adheres to the cardinal doctrines of the faith, believes in the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture, and that all Scripture is God-breathed. (2 Timothy 3:16) The church should emphasize Christ and the objective Word of God over other aspects like luxury or personality appreciation. The church's teachings should not be based on tradition or personal relationships but should be grounded in Scripture (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Church Government: The structure of church government is important, with one pastor-teacher responsible to Jesus Christ for the assembly, cooperating with and supported by elders and deacons, functioning according to biblical guidelines. The church should practice delegated authority within a biblical framework (Titus 1:5).
The Pastor-Teacher: The pastor-teacher's relationship with Jesus Christ, fervency for the Word of God, and commitment to preaching the whole Gospel of God and eveangelism, are critical. The pastor should encourage personal study of the Word among congregants (Acts 17.11) and preach with authority and conviction (2 Timothy 4:2).
Godly Convictions and Church Discipline: The church should have a balanced emphasis on intercessory prayer, handle sin according to biblical principles, and practice church discipline with love with the goal of forgiveness and restoration (Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18.15).
The Revelation of the Body of Christ: The church should teach and practice corporate body truth, emphasizing the unity of believers with Christ as the head. Members should be encouraged to edify one another, bear one another's burdens, and build each other up in love (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4.11-16).
Attitude of Love: The general attitude and environment of the church should be one of love, reflecting God's unconditional love for individuals in all circumstances. Not knowing one another after the flesh, or having someone’s past or sin as a point of reference but rather who we are as new creations in Christ. The church should create an unbiased atmosphere where God's grace and love is experienced by all (Romans 10.12-13), especially in times of adversity or when dealing with sin (John 13:34)
Vision for the Lost: The church should have a local and global vision for preaching the Gospel, motivated by a desire to reach the lost, making disciples and serve those in need, rather than focusing solely on internal growth or comfort (Matthew 28:19)