# How to go to church

Being a Christian means you have a [relationship with Jesus](identity.md).

- This does *not* mean you go to any particular church, but it *does* mean you'll naturally become part *of* the Church at large.

God calls believers to connect with each other, so Christians shouldn't neglect fellowship ([Hebrews 10:23-25](https://biblehub.com/bsb/hebrews/10.htm)).

- Fellowship is effectively sharing a lifestyle in a loving community with other believers ([Acts 2:42](https://biblehub.com/acts/2-42.htm)).
- We have fellowship by worshiping God with others through [loving each other](people-love.md) and sharing [beliefs](understanding-certainty.md) sound doctrine ([John 4:19-24](https://biblehub.com/bsb/john/4.htm)).
- We don't need a routine congregation, but we *do* need routine fellowship, which is most conveniently fulfilled with a congregation in [a free society](hardship-persecution-church.md).
- Without this fellowship, we start developing strange beliefs, which adversely affects our ability to [walk patiently and faithfully with God](https://theologos.site/devotion-chaos/).

The church network is connected through the catholic church.

- The catholic church is the universal Body of Christ across the world (not necessarily the "Catholic" [denomination](history-church.md)).

A church is a Christian [community](groups-small.md), not a building or location.

- A church spiritually grounds itself on God's Word ([Ephesians 2:19-22](https://biblehub.com/bsb/ephesians/2.htm)), and any believers gathering to worship together are a church.
- God shows Himself in church services when that church focuses on giving God praise.

Without [persecution](hardship-persecution-church.md), church members usually form into demographically similar groups based on [personality](personality.md), with the [leadership](mgmt-church.md) made of the most extreme personalities:

- High openness to experience - spirituality is represented as perpetual transience or change ([John 3:8](https://biblehub.com/john/3-8.htm))
- Low openness to experience - spirituality is represented as tradition ([2 Thessalonians 2:15](https://biblehub.com/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm))
- High conscientiousness - following God requires following His commands ([Deuteronomy 8:1](https://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/8-1.htm))
- Low conscientiousness - following God is a matter of love ([1 Corinthians 10:33](https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/10-33.htm))
- High extraversion - we must be heavily engaged in fellowship and [service](church-serve.md) ([Galatians 5:13](https://biblehub.com/galatians/5-13.htm))
- Low extraversion - we must be heavily concerned with self-reflection and [prayer](spiritual-exercises-prayer.md) ([1 John 5:15](https://biblehub.com/1_john/5-15.htm))
- High agreeableness - God is highly gracious and merciful ([Titus 2:11](https://biblehub.com/titus/2-11.htm))
- Low agreeableness - God delivers His authority with a fierce severity ([Romans 1:18](https://biblehub.com/romans/1-18.htm))
- High neuroticism - there is tremendous value in miracles and [spiritual signs](spiritual-gifts.md)
- Low neuroticism - there is tremendous value in [quiet, daily devotion](spiritual-exercises.md) to God

Some churches become [cults](culture-cults.md) when they take away from Jesus' simple statements, His deity, or invalidate His sacrifice.

- If you're a new Christian, openly voice concerns if you don't [understand](understanding.md) that church's interpretation of the Bible.

Church locations can be *anywhere*.

- If a nation permits Christianity, the leadership will usually acquire a weekly meeting venue.
- If Christianity is [illegal](hardship-persecution-church.md), churches typically meet in houses or remote areas.
- Above a certain size, [conventional](habits.md) large churches *need* a weekly venue for logistical reasons to meet in person.

Some believers insist on meeting in specific buildings or avoiding a routine venue.

- While their meetings are good, they sin if they hate other parts of the church ([Acts 9:1-5](https://biblehub.com/bsb/acts/9.htm)).

## Wisely choose your leaders

Scripture gives clear standards for church leaders ([1 Timothy 2:12-3:13](https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_timothy/2.htm), [Titus 1:5-9](https://biblehub.com/bsb/titus/1.htm)).

- Church leaders must adequately [succeed](success-1_why.md) and be leaders by [the world's standards](mgmt-1_why.md) ([1 Timothy 3](https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_timothy/3.htm)).
- If you're not a leader yourself and don't have a specific secondary [purpose](purpose.md) for attending a church, your presence is voting to endorse that church's leadership.
- There are *many* healthy churches out there, and it's often an act of faith to migrate to another church.

*Anyone* serving in ministry should have a few universal qualifications:

- They're honorable.
- They're not [deceptive](people-lying.md), [an addict](addiction-substances.md), or greedy.
- They believe strongly in the [mystery](jesus-gospel.md) of the Christian faith with a clear [conscience](humanity-christian.md).
- If they're [married](relationships-marriage.md), their spouse is honorable, self-disciplined, and only speaks well of others.

Women can't exercise authority over a man ([1 Timothy 3:12-15](https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_timothy/3.htm)).

- While it's controversial, the Bible *clearly* states that [only men should fill leadership roles](gender.md).
- However, this is *not* applicable to simply preaching, and is much more regarding [discipleship](spiritual-discipleship).

Beyond deacons, church elders have a few additional qualifications:

- [Reputable](image.md) among the Church and non-believers.
- Monogamous and faithful to his wife.
- If he has [children](parenting-children.md), they're *also* Christians with a good [reputation](image.md).

Finally, the church pastors/overseer have even *more* criteria:

- He's in a well-[led](mgmt-church.md) household with submissive children.
- He's *not* a [new convert](christian-new.md), since new believers can easily become [conceited](morality-evil.md).
- He has a good [reputation](image.md) in the Church and the world.
- He's not conceited, quick-tempered, or violent.
- He's hospitable, loves goodness, disciplined, morally upright, and holy.
- He holds firmly to Scripture and teaches correct doctrine as well as rebuking others that contradict it.

God won't work much with leaders who are unrepentant about their [sins](morality-sins.md), but those people can still [draw a crowd](power-influence.md).

- The only way to discern a leader's qualities is to see their personal life, which is *very* difficult to do in a large church.

## Community worship with God is diverse

A healthy church should see a wide variety of believers, relative to the geographic region:

- There should be both older and younger people [serving](church-serve.md) in various capacities.
- The leadership should represent the range of that region's [socioeconomic classes](classes.md).
- Given Jesus' tendency to have compassion on the social outcasts, there should be a *higher* ratio of unusual people than a typical social group in the area.
- If they're sufficiently [sharing the Gospel](evangelism.md), they will have new believers, meaning there should be a wide spread of new versus veteran Christians.

Most churches give joy to the Lord by singing and dancing ([Psalm 98:4](https://biblehub.com/psalms/98-4.htm)).

- The Bible has very little basis for whether you can or should laugh, move strangely, roll in the aisles, sit, stand, the style of music.
- The only important detail is to maintain some sense of [order](unknown.md) in all of it ([1 Corinthians 14](https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_corinthians/14.htm)).

Churches often [pray and fast](spiritual-exercises-prayer.md) for God's kingdom to grow and His will done.

- The best prayers are in privacy, so public praying isn't necessarily a biblical command ([Matthew 6:5](https://biblehub.com/matthew/6-5.htm)).

The Bible doesn't specifically reference pastors' preaching *nearly* as much as meeting, but churches can spend plenty of time either [preaching the simple Gospel](evangelism.md) or [discipleship](spiritual-discipleship.md).

- Experienced Christians don't typically need to hear [the Gospel message](jesus-gospel.md) every week.
- Large-scale discipleship reaches more people, but the lack of feedback won't give any necessary context.
- Test the quality of the message by how much [direct study of Scripture](bible-study.md) the preacher uses in the worship service.

One of the best forms of worship comes through giving.

- The Lord loves people who give cheerfully ([2 Corinthians 9:7](https://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/9-7.htm)).
- A 10% tithe is more a minimum than a standard, so give generously as you see the need and [God calls you to it](god-will.md).

Large churches are often easier to attend, but tend to be impersonal.

- Their worship services are frequently a performance, where members have limited involvement.
- The main service is usually structured to include an entertaining and shallow [Gospel presentation](jesus-gospel.md) to nonbelievers.
- The downside of the main service is that you can easily stay anonymous for the entire performance.
- Instead of *only* attending the larger congregation, find connections with others in small groups or ministries.

Joining a new church is sometimes difficult when we don't have [connections](people-4_friends.md) to people in that church already.

- However, if you're willing to follow Jesus into eternity, start by getting to know a few strangers.
- Going to a healthy church will give plenty of [opposition from Satan](spiritual-warfare.md).

## All churches are flawed

No specific [church denomination](conflicts-christian-1_why.md) is "better" than the rest, though some [cultures](people-culture.md) are *definitely* more loving.

- Every legitimate church is a healthy gathering when the members are [loving](people-love.md) in Jesus' name ([1 Corinthians 3:3-7](https://biblehub.com/bsb/1_corinthians/3.htm)).

Every church is the sum of the Holy Spirit's presence working within each of its members, so each church has sins that prevent its perfect operation.

- A church's influence is a combination of the leader's [leadership skills](mgmt-1_why.md), the members' [motivation](purpose.md), and the Holy Spirit's guidance.

Over time, the [new believers'](christian-new.md) culture will often corrupt most churches into accepting and sometimes endorsing [sins](morality-sins.md):

- [Fear](mind-feelings-fear.md) of [risks or dangers](safety.md) (especially in [larger churches](groups-large.md))
- Treating outsiders' suffering [without any compassion](people-discrimination.md) (especially when they associate with [regional politics](politics-conservativeliberal.md))
- Gluttony among the members (especially in [the West](https://theologos.site/the-west/))
- [Idolatry](addiction-substances.md) of comfort, consumerism, or patriotism
- Accepting [lies](people-lying.md) through deception or flattery
- Hatred of other churches or people groups (especially in [smaller churches](groups-small.md) towards larger ones or the rest of the Body)
- Religiousness and legalism that remove the spiritual benefit of church services

Attend church and disregard its imperfections.

- Every Christian comes from the world, so God will [sanctify them](identity.md) in His timing.
- Learn to [love](people-love.md) despite the corruption.
- Leave when you see the *[leaders](mgmt-church.md)* accepting sinful behavior.
- Don't try to "fix" the Church beyond what you can control.

Worship God at whatever church you go to.

- Sometimes you may have to cycle between churches to find a healthy church body.
- Don't let that church's flaws interfere with your [devotion to God](identity.md).
- God wants Christians intermingled with non-believers right now, so concern yourself with building [individual relationships with other believers](people-4_friends.md) ([Matthew 13:24-30](https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/13.htm)).

Wherever you go, [give freely](church-serve.md).

- Give money to help support the church.
- The best time to give may be *against* where your intuition would lead.
  - Everyone gives to charities during the Christmas season, but churches tend to suffer from it.
  - Charities don't receive many donations during most of the year, especially in spring and summer.
  - Donors will often overlook parachurch organizations.
  - Churches are frequently neglected in [a natural disaster or large-scale crisis](hardship-disaster-1_short.md) from giving to humanitarian organizations.
- Find places the Church [has needs](church-serve.md), then fill the void as you see how you can help.

The only way to discover a Christ-centered church is to attend one.

- Staying noncommittal means others won't challenge you to grow, and you'll never find [meaning](meaning.md) with others.
- Finding the right church is trial-and-error, so don't linger long in an unhealthy one without a reason.
- Growing Christians often transition through multiple churches, and we should be prepared to go wherever God leads ([John 3:8](https://biblehub.com/john/3-8.htm)).