What are you looking for from a church? What are you "not" looking for in a church?
2006-12-30 08:25:46 · 14 answers · asked by ksanders7 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
My view of a "perfect" church would be a place where the Word of God is proclaimed faithfully, believers are filled with love for God, His truth, and for one another, and where evangelism is encouraged.
My idea of a "not so good" church would be a place where the Word of God is compromised and where people aren't devoted to living Christ-like lives.
2006-12-30 08:31:34 · answer #1 · answered by srprimeaux 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Dear KSanders,
I liked Fish and Beekay's and SRPrimeau's answers.
I agree that there is no perfect church but I'm going to answer on the basis of perfect-church-to-attend.
Two years ago I started church shopping because I was very concerned about the liberal denomination I belonged to. The church was near my home and the people were like family to me following an unwanted divorce. I really loved the members but my soul was thirsting for something MORE than a nice social organization. It seemed that we were "moon-walking" away from the awesome uncreated Creator of the universe. When I tried to share my interest in reading the Bible with other members they looked at me like I was really weird. Reading the Bible was the minister's job!
I had attended a number of much more conservative churches with the friend of a friend and liked some of them but they were a distance from my home. I wasn't interested in doing lots of driving or in making toll calls to the church and its members.
I looked at churches in my area and visited some only once and others for a couple of months. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church had a very solid Biblical base and I would have been happy to join IF I were married but the membership was predominantly couples, families and older widows.
Finally on the night before Mother's Day 2005 I was going to meet my daughter and her husband at a restaurant. As I drove down the road there was a sign board at the side of the road. Suddenly I knew where I would go to church the next day.
I stopped church shopping on Mother's Day 2005! My church is a small Bible believing church that feeds my spirit and "satisfies" my thirst. Nearly all of the members including the Pastor are former Congregationalists or Catholics. The members are all Bible-readers which is a really important thing to me.
These are my criteria along with some of my history. What are your criteria?
Edit: A solid base in what the Bible says is of utmost importance to me. Traditions are fine but are meaningless when one's life falls apart at the seams. I want to be where the members are like the Bereans who "... received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11 NIV).
2006-12-31 09:51:26 · answer #2 · answered by JOYfilled - Romans 8:28 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think there is a perfect church. I had dream one time about a perfect church. Everyone was happy and genuinely nice to each other.
2006-12-30 08:41:53 · answer #3 · answered by Cori 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
For me the perfect Church is the Catholic Church and the perfect "church" to attend is a devoutly celebrated Catholic Mass.
2006-12-30 08:35:05 · answer #4 · answered by Dysthymia 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well perfect is the next world but in this one the closest to the preaching of the pure Gospel the better. The grace of God saves and no amount of works can buy it.
2006-12-30 08:29:00 · answer #5 · answered by beek 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As long as sinners are invited to church it will never be perfect, and that's the way it should be.
2006-12-30 08:27:45 · answer #6 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I went to this church one time called Agape that used good points from all belief systems as well as people like MLK, Ghandi, etc, and enchoraged each to find his own spirituality. It was all about love, not teaching one doctrine. It was great. That's my perfect church.
2006-12-30 08:33:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Bible-based, teaching observance of the 10 commandments,
actively evangelizing, unified
2006-12-30 08:43:53 · answer #8 · answered by bethybug 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No church at all. The resources used to help people who need it.
2006-12-30 08:38:20 · answer #9 · answered by karnautrahl 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
One that you walk into and automatically feel comfortable. The preachers talks about things that interests you and move you.
2006-12-30 08:43:54 · answer #10 · answered by so so 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋