Looking to join a new fellowship that truly suits your personality and religious beliefs? Here’s how to choose a church fellowship that’s the perfect fit.
No matter who you praise, you want your church to be a place of comfort and solace.
Or comfort and excitement – a place where you can grow, thrive and make friends.
If you were lucky enough to have this kind of church experience while you were growing up, you know the hole that not having a congregation, you feel you truly belong to can leave in your heart.
We’re here to help you fill that hole! Whether you’ve recently come back in line with your faith or have moved to a new place, we’re going over how to choose a church that will have you singing “hallelujah” (or your version of it), below.
Don’t Be Afraid to Stray from Your “Denomination”
There are many types of Christians. And you may find that there’s a better fit for you than the denomination of Christianity (or anything else) that you grew up as.
When you’re looking for a new church, do some research about the denomination you know best. Which other denominations are closely related to it? What do you not like about your current denomination?
There may be another church with similar teachings but less of the aspects you don’t like, nearby. You just have to be open to trying new things.
Church websites are the go-to places these days, as doing general research about denominations isn’t necessarily helpful. Each church interprets its faith in a different way, and its website will give you a hint as to how they do that.
It’s possible to find a Baptist church, for example, that doesn’t concentrate so much on the hellfire and brimstone, but more on the love Jesus taught us to have for each other.
You wouldn’t commit to a job or a school without doing market research, so why should your church be different?
Learning more about different types of churches can only help you learn more about your faith – which is exactly what every higher power wants!
Ask Friends If You Can Go With Them
If you know someone that truly loves their church, ask them if you can go with them for a week or two. Let them know that you’re essentially “shopping” for churches, and you love how passionate they are about theirs.
Yes, it will be a little awkward if you don’t “pick” their church in the end, but a true friend wants you to find the best fit for you.
Any potential awkwardness will be worth it for the stronger bond you make with that friend, and the people they introduce you to when you attend.
There’s no reason that you can’t join another church’s book group or bridge club, even if you find a better fit. People are people, and we’re all looking for the same thing: meaningful connection.
Don’t Know Anyone? Go On Your Own!
Churches welcome guests, and you can go to a service for the first time with whatever level of interaction you want.
That’s the beauty of church. You only have to get as involved as you want to. Maybe you’re more comfortable slipping into a back pew and not talking to Anyone for the first time when you’re trying out a church.
That’s fine! But don’t be too afraid to talk to someone on the welcoming committee, as you’re looking to determine the social fit of a place of worship, as well.
Know What You’re Looking For
Just like you know what you’re not looking for, you need to know what you’re looking for in a church, as well.
Some people go to church for the musical aspect, and so finding a place of worship that prioritizes their choir or band is essential.
Youth Program Considerations
Have kids? A church that invests and takes care of its youth needs to be high on your list. But just having a youth program isn’t enough.
You want to find out how they teach their youth – and with what methods. Talking to other parents during your first few exploratory sessions is the best way to do this.
Here are some youth-program questions to ask.
- How involved is your youth program? IE, how often do they meet, are there opportunities for involvement that aren’t just Sunday-school?
- What’s their retention rate?
- What is the goal of their youth program?
While you should talk to other parents about the youth program, don’t be afraid to also meet with their youth services director. This is the place your children are going to spend time every week, and you need to screen it like you would anywhere else.
Consider Catch-All Denominations
If you’ve never felt like you truly found your spiritual home, maybe that’s because you have a non-structured version of spirituality.
That’s absolutely ok. You don’t have to put any rules on yourself when it comes to picking your place of worship.
There are churches for every type of spiritual person, including those that don’t necessarily believe in God, or in God the way the classical churches teach.
Examples of Non-Traditional Churches
Two good non-traditional churches to try are the Unity Church and Unitarian Universalist Fellowships.
While you’ll have to do the bulk of your own research, here’s a quick look at what each church believes.
The Unity Church is a Christian denomination but in a mild way. You are welcome at the Unity church if your version of spirituality or Christianity revolves around the idea of love – not fear.
The Unitarian Universalist Church, on the other hand, is not a Christian denomination. You can think of it as a catch-all for those that want a place to explore their spirituality but aren’t comfortable with the confines of traditional religion.
In both above faiths, you are welcome to interpret God as whatever it means to you – whether that’s the earth, the universe, or anything else that makes sense for you.
And whether you choose a church like the Parkway Fellowship or decide you’d like to convert to Judaism, we at Womanfesting will be bursting with joy for you.
How to Choose a Church You Love
While we think of spirituality as a creative, living, breathing thing, sometimes it has to be practical. And while that may make the idea seem less romantic, doing the practical research steps above is the only way we know to help you learn how to choose a church.
Did these tips work for you? Have you found your spiritual home? We hope so!
If you need more guidance on spirituality, check out the rest of this blog page.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.