I'm looking for a new church

I'm looking for a new church

I'm looking for a new church

I'm looking for a new church

While some remain in the same church from the cradle to the grave, some wander, and still others feel called by God to new horizons.

When we do feel motivated to move on, what should we be looking for, and how can we be sure it's the right decision?

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Being planted in a church community can be both a wonderful and challenging thing. But sometimes we may feel that we need to move on from the church we're part of, and look for other options.


Here are some of the more common reasons you might have for wanting to move:


• You are moving to a new city or country (check out I'm new to the Reading area)

• You feel unsatisfied with aspects of church life (such as the social and interpersonal)

• You feel unsatisfied with aspects of church doctrine (teaching and preaching)

• Your church is going through heavy trials or even disbanding

• Your personal safety or life is in danger

• You just fancy a fresh start

• You discern that God is telling you to move

First Steps

If you feel that any of these reasons currently describes you, there are some recommended first steps that you can take to establish whether this is a wise move or not. As a general rule of thumb, you should ideally start with the following:

• Be prayerful — always put your intentions before God.

• Get advice from pastoral figures —especially those who would be objective about you uprooting.

• Be honest with yourself about the real reasons why you might be thinking about leaving

• Avoid rushing into anything unless your personal safety is at stake

Conclusion


Assuming there’s nothing dramatically wrong with your church life, it should be noted that church membership or attendance is not a random process. A loving God cares for us deeply, and many Christians have personal testimonies about how they ended up in a certain church — and it wasn't necessarily the one they wanted to join!


Sometimes our circumstances can be frustrating where we're planted, and if this lasts long enough it can cause us to seek solace elsewhere, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we should be leaving. In fact, trials and tribulations can often be God's way of helping us to grow — or raising you up to help solve them — and walking away from this can actually be counter-productive.


However, on the flip-side, God does sometimes use adverse situations to wake us up to things, people and places that are no longer meant for us. Perhaps he's calling you to a new church plant, city — or even country? On rare occasions your personal circumstances might be dangerous or even life-threatening; and no one should ever have to face abuse or attacks in the house of God.


In short, this is something that calls for discernment, and it is always worth reflecting prayerfully on why you feel you want to leave your church family. This is where godly counsel is critical. Having a second, third, or even fourth pair of eyes on your situation is highly advisable, and you should pray that God will provide brothers and sisters from within your church or without, who can give you non-partisan, loving and wise advice.


By the same token, do be wary of people whose manner seems more personally motivated and who may be trying to stand in your way. This approach will likely manifest itself in advice which distorts God's word, is overly controlling, coercive or aggressive, or which omits God altogether. Sometimes even our closest friends and family can be the biggest obstacles to God's direction in your life.


Finally, be assured that this article is not written to diminish your deeply-held convictions about leaving; if you're already set on a certain path and you're convinced that God is with you in it, then may God be with you in your faith. However, if you are uncertain in what you're planning, and you haven't yet reached out to fellow Christians who you can trust, please be encouraged to take the time to be reflective and allow God to work through others to help guide you on the path.


Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14).

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).


Conclusion


Assuming there’s nothing dramatically wrong with your church life, it should be noted that church membership or attendance is not a random process. A loving God cares for us deeply, and many Christians have personal testimonies about how they ended up in a certain church — and it wasn't necessarily the one they wanted to join!


Sometimes our circumstances can be frustrating where we're planted, and if this lasts long enough it can cause us to seek solace elsewhere, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we should be leaving. In fact, trials and tribulations can often be God's way of helping us to grow — or raising you up to help solve them — and walking away from this can actually be counter-productive.


However, on the flip-side, God does sometimes use adverse situations to wake us up to things, people and places that are no longer meant for us. Perhaps he's calling you to a new church plant, city — or even country? On rare occasions your personal circumstances might be dangerous or even life-threatening; and no one should ever have to face abuse or attacks in the house of God.


In short, this is something that calls for discernment, and it is always worth reflecting prayerfully on why you feel you want to leave your church family. This is where godly counsel is critical. Having a second, third, or even fourth pair of eyes on your situation is highly advisable, and you should pray that God will provide brothers and sisters from within your church or without, who can give you non-partisan, loving and wise advice.


By the same token, do be wary of people whose manner seems more personally motivated and who may be trying to stand in your way. This approach will likely manifest itself in advice which distorts God's word, is overly controlling, coercive or aggressive, or which omits God altogether. Sometimes even our closest friends and family can be the biggest obstacles to God's direction in your life.


Finally, be assured that this article is not written to diminish your deeply-held convictions about leaving; if you're already set on a certain path and you're convinced that God is with you in it, then may God be with you in your faith. However, if you are uncertain in what you're planning, and you haven't yet reached out to fellow Christians who you can trust, please be encouraged to take the time to be reflective and allow God to work through others to help guide you on the path.


Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14).

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).