Finding a church in Adelaide or anywhere for that matter is serious business, and so is evaluating the one you already belong to.
So….What do you look for–what are your priorities?
Preaching style? Denomination? Type of music? Kids Ministry? Youth group? Friendly atmosphere? Service times? Location? Close to where you live?
None of those factors are necessarily wrong to consider. The issue is: What should churches primarily be known for? What should stand out most in a church you’d want to call home? Amid all the options and competing priorities, the Bible speaks clearly as ever.
Further to this; Not everyone group that calls themselves a Church actually is. Did you know that the Bible clearly marks out what the true Church will do and how it will conduct itself as the pillar and ground of truth? (1 Tim 3:15) Jesus clearly states in the book of Revelation that if a Church does not conduct itself appropriately He does not consider it to be a true Church. (Revelation 2:5)
Here are a list of things we think are important for you to consider when thinking about what to look for in a true local Church.
- Expositional preaching. Does the pastor preach God’s Word, or his own ideas? Does he allow Scripture to set his preaching agenda, or does he pick topics by some other criteria? (2 Tim. 2:15, 2 Tim. 4:2)
- Biblical theology. Does the church openly confess key biblical doctrines? Do the leaders consistently teach sound doctrine? (Tit. 1:9-11)
- A biblical understanding of the gospel. Does the church clearly proclaim the good news about what Jesus Christ accomplished for sinners in his death and resurrection? Consistently? (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
- A biblical understanding of conversion. Does the church teach that people must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-8)? Does the church teach that in order to become a Christian, a person must repent of sin and trust in Christ, both of which are ultimately gifts of God? (Acts 11:18, 20:21)
- A biblical understanding of evangelism. Does the church preach the gospel to non-Christians and encourage its members to do the same? Does it understand that it’s our responsibility to preach the message of salvation yet God is the only one who can do the saving? (Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 2:1-10)
- Biblical church membership. Does the church take membership seriously by seeking to ensure that its members faithfully attend? Does it encourage members to fulfil the biblical “one-another’s” with each other? (Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 4:11-29)
- Biblical church discipline. Does the church lovingly, patiently practice church discipline? (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:1-13)
- Biblical discipleship and growth. Does the church expect and equip its members to grow spiritually (2 Pet. 1:3-11)? Does the church encourage its members to disciple one another (Rom. 15:14)? Growing as a Christian should be normal, not exceptional.
- Biblical church leadership. Is the church led by godly, qualified men? Does the church look to Scripture to determine its leadership structure? (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-11)
Here’s a short video that sums it up nicely!
Have a quick look at this video to see what Ps John Macarthur says you should make sure of in looking for a Local Church.
Still have questions?
If you want to clarify anything else feel free to click on the logo below to ask. We would love to hear from you.
Gospel Community Church is a Reformed Church in Adelaide, An Evangelical Church in Adelaide, A Bible Preaching Church in Adelaide, A Gospel Preaching Church in Adelaide, An expositional preaching Church in Adelaide, An Acts 29 Church in Adelaide, A Gospel Coalition Church in Adelaide the City of Churches.
Footnotes/Credits
9 marks website – Article: What should I look for in a local Church
https://www.gty.org/What-to-Look-for-in-a-Church