Chrsitsians how do you know what church to join how do you go about finding one?

Question

I am leaving the LDS/Mormon church. I still belive in Jesus Christ and that I need to be part of a church (baptism, sacrament ect.) The problem is there are over 200 churches near me that all claim to follow Christ. Do I just choose one blindly? It would be very tedious to call every church and ask what they believe (they would probably want to meet with me) Many Christians say that as long as you follow Christ you are okay, so does that mean any church that follows Christ is okay? I was part of a Christian church before that taught going to any other church would lead you to hell (main reason I left) Are there Christian churches in unison? Every church should just be the church of christ. Anyone gone through anything similar? I'm on the edge and think being an athiest is a lot easier then decoding through all these churches. I just want to follow Christ.

I meant Christians (it is early)

Answer 1

I was where you are now. What my husband and I did was to go to a few churches in our area. We were limited to how far the church was from our house because my husband works afternoon shift and we had to be back home in time for him to go to work. I would suggest going to a Bible believing church. You are spiritual starving right now. You need to go to a church that teaches and preaches from God's Word. Don't get to hung up on "which church is right' like someone else said as long as they are worshiping Jesus and teaching from his word it IS his Church. Don't be afraid to ask them what they believe, my church ( independent baptist) gave us a list of what they believe. Ask the pastor over to your house and talk to them. They would be more than happy to talk to you. When you find the church that is right for you, you will know. Right now just relax enjoy going "church shopping" and reading God's word. Don't feel like you have to tell them that you are a former Mormon. We didn't say anything about that until we found the right church for us. Feel free to email me, if you need someone to chat with. Leaving the LDS church can be a scary,lonely thing. Us former Mormons need to stick together and help each other through this rough time.

Answer 2

Good for you to think about this! I have been searching for a new church as well. As simple as it sounds I went to the net. Almost every church has a website now. Read their Mission Statement, their beliefs, possibly download some MP3s of a couple of Sundays. Then - whittle that down to a small list that you want to try. Go to each one at least 3 times. Even though Jesus Is at each and every church, it is also that since we are all wired differently we will be able to get the message/lessons more clearly from different people. Pray on this one.....He'll guide you...

Answer 3

Find a church, ideally close to your home, which claims to believe the Bible and the Bible only is God's inspired Word and that puts into practice the two great commandments:

1. Love God

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.


Find a church which teaches that people need to be "Born Again" and that is not baptism.

Find a church which does not claim to be perfect.

Find a church where the Pastor admits he doesn't know it all.

Find a church where the Pastor trusts Jesus Who does know it all.

Avoid any church which baptizes babies.

Below is a link to 50 good denominations.

If you contact me, I'll gladly help you find a good church in your area.

Pastor Art

Answer 4

The Church to a Christian is not and organization, not a building made by hands. It is a people called out (out of the world) to be the children of God. As far as a local church to become associated with you need to find one that is based on the Bible. There are many around that deny the miracles, that see Jesus as a good teacher. You need one that believes the Bible to be the word of God and that Jesus is God in human flesh. I might be able to help a lot more if you tell me what area of the world you are in.. Jim

Answer 5

Go to a Church that believes the Holy Bible is the Word of God and is not faulty.

When I was in a break down, other Christians prayed someone to come into my life to lead me to a good Church. Someone did, & we checked out different Christian Churches. One Church I went forward, and the Pastor prayed for me & I was healed. This was years ago. We went to this Church, and I still go to this Church. The Pastor preaches overcoming victory in our life. And I still need this type of preaching. He also seeks God for each message what to preach to the people. He is anointed from God to be Pastor of this Church. He preaches from the bible and confirms things taught with scripture shown on the wall so we can read it there or look in our own bibles. There are other good churches, but they all are built on the Rock Foundation that Jesus Christ the LORD is the Son of the Living God, & He shed His Blood for the remission of our sins and raised up for our justification. Salvation is the gift of God & not by works. None of us can be good enouph because of our sin nature in our flesh.

So, also, you would want a Church to be water baptized in after you are born of God, born of His Spirit, cleansed by His Blood, joint heirs with King Jesus, part of the family of God. This is a testimony to the World that the old man has died, washed in His Redeeming Blood & the New Man in Christ alive forevermore.

The church I go to is http://www.riveroflifefellowship.org . Another good Christian Pastor is http://www.joelosteen.com . These are an example & you can request at their web sites for a good Church in your area, & if they know of one, they will let you know. Also, you can call Billy Graham or Franklin Graham ministries for direction. Or Joyce Meyer, or Benny Hinn, etc. Big Christian Ministries know where some Good Christian Churches are planted.

Answer 6

finding a church that you can call yours is something i am dealing with .i was raised a Baptistt so going to a baptis church has always been comfortable but very boring for me .i truly enjoy raising my hands when i pray and sing in the Baptist church i go to once in a while they look at you like your a nut .everything is so orderly .i have gone to bible Church's and they fit the bill but here were i live there is no bible church .first you should look into what each type of group you want to be with a old fashion or a new fang led .if you don't no which one to start with start at the closet one to your home enjoy the many differences of gods people in the many different sec of Christian's

Answer 7

You will always be safe going to the Church that Christ and the apostles founded. It is the Church that the Scriptures say is the "bulwark and ground of the truth." It is the only Church that Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against into apostasy. It is the Church where Jesus promised that He would be with until the end of the age and He is in a corporeal sense and not just spiritual. It is the Catholic Church, the enduring Church founded by God Himself.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 8

You want to choose a church that teaches the truth. The Bible tells us that people perish because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. You want to start by making sure that you are a lover of the truth. Although all churches claim that they are teaching the truth, the truth is most of them are not. We can find this out by reading the Bible on our own and comparing it with what is being taught. Most of them have the Bible twisted to serve their own purposes. They want to control people to build a kingdom for themselves and to get people's money. The Bible itself warns us about this. They are making merchandise of the people today more than ever just as the Bible warns. They are robbing the poor to get rich with twisted teachings. The Bible teaches that they are suppose to help the poor. Stay away from any church that is trying to control you. It is best to ask God to lead you in this and get your advice from Him. If you are sincere with God and ask him to lead you into the truth, He will. Read the Bible with an open mind and ask God to show you the truth as you read it. Remember, Jesus called the religious leaders of His day children of the devil. The Bible also says that, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the sun." History does repeat itself and I would not trust my soul with any religious leader. I would not worry about trying to decode through all the churches. We already know, if we study the Bible, that the messed up church scene is a work of satan so why bother. Some of them are synagogues of satan because the Bible tells us that. Ask God to lead you to the church that is right for you. Remember, God wants you to study to show yourself approved as the Bible states. So, he may not just hand this request right over to you. He may want you to search the Scriptures for truth as He leads you. He may let you struggle in this for a season, but do not give up. Know that He will be faithful to you. I am going to leave you with a website with what I think is a lot of good Bible teaching. This guy really seems to be going for the truth rather than to take advantage of people for his own purposes. He has a lot of free stuff on there. There are many free audios that you can listen to. It has helped me a lot. It is: americaslastdays.com Don't let the devil defeat you by confusing you. It is just one of his tactics. God bless you.
Sources:
II Thessalonians 2:10-12, Ecclesiastes 1:9, Revelation 2:9, and II Timothy 2:15
http://www.americaslastdays.com/

Answer 9

A Church that is bible based is great!
Anyone of these I think you might like to explore; The Salvation Army, Baptist, Assembly of God, Presbyterian, Christian Outreach.
There are so many more, if you wanted to message me I would be happy to help you, as I know of a Church that is on Television in Aus here and I have been to can recommend a similar or 'Sister Church' where ever you are.
I think it is a great move your making.
May God give you peace and guidance I pray.*
Le7

Answer 10

I know that the one denomination that seems to be the former church of a lot of Mormon converts is the United Methodist church. But they're not all the same, so, I guess, just keep going to some until you find the one that fits you best.