Consider Theology When Looking For a Church
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Consider Theology When Looking For a Church
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they look for a church is not considering the theology of the church as a primary factor in whether or not they will attend. Often churches which have a very exciting public face may have something in their doctrinal statement that, when it is finally revealed to you, can cause significant issues and get in the way of good relationships within the church.
When you are looking for a church home, ask a pastor or elder for a copy of the church's doctrinal statement. If the church doesn't have one clearly defined, that should be a serious red flag.
Once you receive it, spend some time looking through it. If anything at all strikes you as odd or off-putting, check it against what you know of the Bible. If you don't know much about the Bible, run it past someone you respect, and write down your question for a future conversation with a pastor or other church leader.
Make sure you're on board with the doctrine of the particular church you're thinking about to protect yourself and the church from a lot of heartache in the future. Leaving a church can be very hard, and may result from differences in interpretation in the future if you are not on the same page to begin with.
