7 Steps To Choose The Right Church For Your Big Family

Finding a new church home is not easy! Or maybe you’re looking for one for the first time! Either way, it can be a little time consuming and some minor things are involved when you are preparing to choose the right church! When my husband and I started dating we mutually agreed on going to church together on Sundays. This was something that was laid out in our relationship from day one. Having a husband that’s on the same page as you, especially when it comes to religion, is so important.

But before we look at some tips on how to choose the right church, let’s look at these questions you may be asking yourself! Or, maybe questions you should be asking yourself?

How Do You Decide Which Church Is Right For You?

If you’ve went through these steps to pick a church to attend and feel comfort, at ease, and happy to go to your church then chances are you’ve done the work and found the right church!

How Do I Know Which Church God Wants Me To Go To?

Pray about it. God will lead you to where you need to go. These are all things to consider when choosing a church, and He will not lead you astray!

Why Do We Gather As A Church?

I am sure there is a better, more biblical way to say this than what I am about to. But gathering as a church is so important. for many reasons. Yes, we all gather to celebrate the Lord. We all share that interest.

But I also believe we gather to be recharged in our walk with the Lord, to communicate with others who share our beliefs. But the church doesn’t just stop inside the physical building of the church, something I didn’t realize until just a few years ago!

But the church is you, it is us. It is us going out into the world and sharing the word of God! Check out this short article about What Is The Church According To The Bible?

Now that I covered that to the best of my ability, here are some tips on how to choose a church for big families! (Yes, these still apply even if you don’t have a large family!)

1- Research Churches In Your Area

The first thing that you should probably do when you are looking to choose the right church, is to research and find close churches! Find churches in your proximity that you wouldn’t mind driving to. Get a list of these churches and write them down. Put them in your GPS to see how far away it is, and write down when their service starts. This is important because planning ahead gives you a head start when you start heading off to check them out!

You’re already going to have a general idea of where to go. Doesn’t everyone do this when they’re going to a new place?! It can’t be just me!

2- Check Out Their Website

Check out each website of the church you’re visiting! Their website can tell you a lot about what you may get out of the service and the church in general. You may find something that doesn’t coincide with your values, or maybe the time of the service just doesn’t work out for and your family. Maybe you find out right off the bat that they don’t have childcare and you know that you’re going to need it. So look for the important things!

Doing this can save you time down the road. You never know what information they’ll have. Maybe they have A LOT of information, maybe they don’t have enough, or maybe you found just what you were looking for! Don’t miss this important step!

3- Attend A Sunday Service

Okay so, you’ve googled, and you’ve figured out where these churches are. You’ve taken the time to look at their website and you still think that it may be a good fit! Well, now it’s time to gather up the family and head to a Sunday service! Try to get there early, so you can really see what’s going on before it gets busy with bodies and people talking.

This is where you find out where everything is, and start getting familiar with the the church, people, and the service.

4- Check Out The Childcare Services

After arriving your next step is most likely going to be to find childcare services if you have small children! Let them know it’s your first time and they will help you get acquainted.

Assure your child you’ll be back soon, and to have fun! Sunday school is SO much fun! Personally, some of my best younger childhood memories were in the church at Sunday school!

5- Listen Closely To The Sermon

This is one of the most important factors, in my honest opinion, when you are preparing to choose the right church for your family. I have been to sermons where there was either one of these things happening…

1. The sermon went over my head and I didn’t really understand anything the pastor was saying
2. The sermon went well, but the pastor didn’t touch on any “harsh truths” that the Bible talks about.

I have been in both of those situations and no church doing their of those two things during the sermon made me feel at home.

Luckily, we have an amazing pastor who actually TEACHES the Word. Not what we want to hear, but what we NEED to hear, and often talks about the verses and chapters that most people ignore. He also explains things in a way that I can understand them, which was a huge factor for me.

6- Meet And Greet Other Members Of The Church

Now we don’t just go to church to talk to people and communicate, but it is important to meet people and talk about where people are at own their journey. Meet members of the church and if you meet the right ones, they just become extended family!

My advice is to go around and speak to people. Don’t be like me, who sometimes just sits and stares around like I don’t know what’s going on! (Note: my kids are usually running around so this doesn’t really leave me much room to go around and talk like I’d want to).

7- Meet The Pastor

This is so important! Meet the head of the church, the voice of the church. Let the pastor know who you are, about your family, and whatever else you might want to share. Our Pastor takes joy meeting and talking to people and just listening to people.

Get to know the pastor and maybe he can even tell you more about the church, the people, the environment, and what to expect also!

So, now that you have these tips to choose the right church, I know that with His guidance, you’ll find a great one!

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