Evaluating Churches: 4 Steps To Find The Best Church

Have you seen the number of churches around? It’s incredible — over 300,000 churches across the United States. Just in my hometown of Houston, Texas, there are over 2,000 churches to choose from.

If you wanted to visit every church near you, it would take YEARS.

Don’t do that.

I’ve come up with a better way. I talk about the full process in my book, but I want to share with you the best part. It’s the four steps to evaluating a church.

The great part about it is that it only takes a few minutes. It’s easy to get a quick yes or no to each question.

You don’t have to spend hours studying their statement of faith or performing online historical research.

Just answer “Yes” or “No” to the following questions.

Ideally, you can answer “Yes” to all four questions. One major reason that people have bad experience with church is because they are missing one or more of these attributes.

Your spiritual life is too important to not properly evaluate a potential church home. The best churches will pass this test.

Here are the questions:

1) Does the church exalt Jesus and His Word?

Nothing is more important than Jesus and His Word. We’ve all had that experience where we stumble into church and feel directionless in life, only to be resurrected by a powerful message. This is the power of preaching: it provides clarity, vision, and direction, constantly pointing us back to God’s purposes.

The primary purpose of preaching is to exalt Jesus and His Word, ensuring we remain focused on the truth. You absolutely need this in a church.

2) Does the church encourage me toward a lifestyle of worship?

When I talk to people about visiting churches, worship style always comes up. But it’s important to distinguish between personal preferences and the true purpose of worship.

Worship, derived from Old English “worth-ship,” is about declaring the worthiness of Christ (as echoed in Revelation 4:11). True worship means bowing in reverence to the King of Kings, and it’s a lifestyle of reverence and obedience to Jesus, not just a segment on Sunday.

Rather than focusing on music style, seek a church that draws you into a lifestyle of worship in spirit and truth, as emphasized by Jesus in the gospel of John…

“A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23

3) Does the church foster intentional community outside of Sunday?

There’s a common misconception that finding a great church is all about the Sunday experience. If you have a captivating sermon and quality worship, that’s all you need, right?

Wrong.

This neglects a core tenet of biblical faith — fellowship with other believers. A Lifeway Research study found that people involved in church small groups are more likely to read the Bible daily, feel closer to God, understand the Bible better, and become more loving in their relationships.

In a lonely and disconnected world, it’s more important than ever to prioritize life-giving relationships. For sustained spiritual growth, seek a church that fosters authentic community beyond the walls of a Sunday service.

4) Does the church align with my values?

I recently had a friend who moved to a new city and quickly made friends at a local church, enjoying their company through various activities. However, he soon realized his spiritual walk was faltering because his new community didn’t share his deep values for prayer and missions. This disconnect impacted him more than he expected.

You will be shaped by the church community you choose, so it’s crucial to find one that shares your values and challenges you toward maturity. When evaluating churches, ensure they align with your values.

You might notice that this list excludes some factors people commonly use to evaluate churches. For instance, the greeting team or the quality of the coffee. Don’t let these things be determining factors.

Visiting a church for the first time can be overwhelming, but now you have guidance on what you should be looking for. One of these churches that you evaluate could become your spiritual family where you thrive for the rest of your life. Hang in there, and don’t give up on church!

For more information on the church shopping experience, be sure to check out my new book on the subject.