How to Pick a Church 12/8/16

Picking a church can be a tough thing to do. Whether you are new to the faith or you are in transition and looking for a new place to worship, finding a fellowship house can be a tricky experience. Here are a few things to look for when deciding on how to choose a church.

1.      Evaluate what you need spiritually. If you are a brand new believer, you need detailed teachings of the scripture and how to apply them to your life. Thus you would need to be in a church where there is a strong discipleship program or heavy biblical teaching. If you are struggling to develop your prayer life or press into worship, you may want to seek out a church that is strong in these areas. If you need support in your single life or are newly married, you may want to fellowship in a place that will encourage your growth in these stages of your life. You need to take an honest look at what you need spiritually and seek out a church with that in mind.

2.      Make sure the core beliefs are scripturally accurate. When choosing a church you should make sure that the church believes in The Trinity, Salvation and the process of transformation, the immaculate conception, heaven and hell and Christ return.  If churches do not believe in these things, they are in some level of error and should not be attended. This is not a difference in doctrine. These are core tenets in the gospel and if a church does not believe in these they are not a church you would want to attend.

3.      Don’t get caught in tradition. Perhaps you grew up in a church where there was a choir. Don’t be afraid to choose a church  with a worship team. Maybe your last church had a pastor that was of your same ethnic background, don’t be afraid to choose a church with a pastor who is a different ethnic background than your own. Perhaps your old church did not use the baptism of the Holy Spirit, don’t be afraid to look into a church that does. It is okay to choose a church that does things that are different than traditions you are use to, as long as their behavior is not anti-scriptural.

4.      Beware of churches with one-sided messages. Now, I think it is important to point out that every pastor is given a specific call from God when it comes to how he or she ministers. For example, some pastor’s are called to minister to people from the inner city, some from the country. Other’s are called to college ministry and some to family centered congregations. So with that in mind, every pastor is going to have a bias or a tilt in what and how they preach. However, if a pastor’s teachings are so one-sided that they only teach about grace and love and never about holiness, sin or the transformation of the believer’s heart, this is problematic. Church should not only encourage us, it should also cause us to feel conviction. This being said, if you never leave church feeling even just a little convicted, there may be a little bit of bias present and you will want to be careful of that.

5.      Beware of churches that exclude people on leadership based on age, gender, class, or race. This is not biblical. God has called people of  both genders (male and female), all races, ages and economic class groups to preach the good news. If you visit a church that doesn’t allow women, certain ethnic groups or people of various ages in their pulpit, run in the opposite direction. (See Galatians 3:28)

6.      Consider the practicalities: Is the church close enough that you could get there consistently? If you have children, does the church have a children’s program or is the church open to a children’s program being started? Is the church willing to let you serve (note I do not mean necessarily on leadership. But be sure that the church wants to allow you to serve even if it is in hospitality, fellowship ministry, etc.)

XOXO,

Myah Lonye’

Why Church Community Matters 12/5/2016

Have you ever heard the saying “even the Lone Ranger had Tonto?” It’s a proverbial truth that essentially reminds us that nothing we desire to do can be done alone. I am the queen of “do it myself.” But something the Lord has been teaching me in my 20’s is how important it is to have a team and build community. Salvation is a tale of relationship. God never intended for us to do life alone. He wants his children to be in an intimate relationship with him and with each other. Church community is that fellowship together of his children. And it is so, so very important.

I have a younger brother and no one understands our parents like he and I do, because we were raised by them. We are a part of the same family. We share the same bloodline and the same lineage. We hold the same inheritance. We are loved equally, by the same two people on earth. That is a unique experience that only he and I share because we are both children to Michael and Mallory Gary. It’s the same thing when you a child of God. Your brothers and sisters in Christ (or church family) understand God on a level that only his children can. They understand his love, his grace, his favor and even his chastisement in a way that only his children can.

There is a uniqueness in the community that is being a believer. With all that being said, it is so important that we hold on to each other. Not only is it a command found in Hebrews 10:24-25, but it is so necessary to the advancement of our own walks with Christ. I need my brothers and sisters in Christ to help me develop and become more like our father. And since God is their daddy too, they understand him and can help me become more like him than women in the world can.

As the times grow darker, we need people who get us, who can keep us accountable, who can show us love and mercy when we screw it up (and we all will screw it up at some point) and snatch us out of hell if they see us slipping in our walks. We need each other. We are strongest when we are intertwined in this walk of faith together.

XOXO,

Myah Lonye’