6 Things to Consider When Church No Longer Feels Like Home

Suppose God starts to ignite something inside of you regarding the topic of starting to find another church. In that case, we call it 'church shopping,' I encourage you to seek God with all of your heart and understand what he has for you on the other side of your eyes and obedience because sometimes churches are seasonal. I love the body of Christ and being plugged into the local community church. Sometimes, there are things you need to be mindful of.

6 Reasons to Start Church Shopping

1. Spiritual Maturity

The first one is spiritual maturity. Maybe you're still being fed milk when it's time for you to be eating meat. Maybe when you were first receiving this particular experience, it was just what you needed, but it's time to go deep, rich, whole, and fully have some protein alongside the message you're receiving. This means hearing scriptural context, Bible verses that are in full context, going to the depths of the Greek or the Hebrew understanding behind it, what's going on in the history of the society, or a prescriptive verse or a descriptive verse. So many things allow us to go deeper into our education, which helps us to further our relationship with Christ. 

2. Your Kids Are Not Being Trained Up

The second reason to consider church shopping is if your kids are not being trained up. Suppose Sunday to them is just a sugar high, a quiet game, or a babysitting encounter rather than getting to know Jesus and being trained in how they should live. Yes, that's a parental responsibility, but it also is the church's responsibility. I would encourage you to engage in what curriculum they are going through. Ask if they are worshiping. Are children having time in the scripture and the word? What are they actually learning as a way to develop that? 

3. No Connection or Community

Consider a lack of familial connection or community at this stage. Perhaps nobody knows your name. Maybe you don't know any names. When you walk into church, do you still feel like a stranger, unseen or unknown? If you've been going to the same church for years, sitting in the same pew or chair, and don't know the people in front of, behind, or beside you. I would encourage you to get plugged in. All of these things require ownership. God might speak something brilliant through your pastor, but are you taking that message and applying it to your life maturely throughout the week? If you have a tendency to be introverted or a tendency not to connect, engage yourself first. If you've been trying and feel like maybe there's a cool kids club or not meshing with that particular congregation, I would encourage you to start shopping.

4. Lack of Discipleship

Is there a lack of discipleship, or none at all? Some churches are very focused on membership and, hopefully, salvation. After the salvation and membership, they fail to come alongside to teach and help you to grow in your faith. Is there a Sunday school class you get involved in? Are there ordained leadership opportunities for you? Are they hosting events or conferences where you can go into those experiences for further discipleship regularly? This is so critical. If you have fully taken ownership in participating in any next steps, Bible studies or small groups provided, and it's still not effective or deep enough for where you are in this season of life, consider looking for another church.

5. Pushing Agendas from the Pulpit

This is a very politically charged season that we're in right now, and I believe that we can 100% incorporate church and state. Jesus spoke to this all the time from a governmental perspective. However, it is not agenda-oriented by preference or opinion. It is biblically sound on what we should be standing on, especially if it's coming from the pulpit. There shouldn't be pressure to adopt an agenda on one area or another unless it's from the Bible. If it's biblical, then all of us, if we're Jesus followers and we believe that the whole truth and nothing but the truth is in the word of God, we should be able to stand together as one voice on behalf of Christ. 

6. Unity and Communion

Does the church encourage the congregation to operate as the whole body of Christ? We need to be planted in places where we feel like we're unified and that communion is happening.

This list is exhaustive in a good way, and it should encourage you to go shopping. When my family and I went shopping for churches, we had to come and go to quite a few before we ever felt at home. Pause, analyze and have deep, rich conversations. What are your willing to sacrifice? What are you willing to let go of? Processing through these types of conversations are going to be what leads you home to new communion and community.

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