Finding a new church can be an overwhelming and scary task.  You may have just moved to the area, be looking into “religion”, or are just simply wanting to find a new church in your area.  But walking into a new church can be a daunting and lonely undertaking.  Here are some ideas for those first few visits to a new church:

1.    Ask Someone
A good review is a big plus.  Ask family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to name an church in the area that they would recommend for someone searching for a new church home.   What would be their top recommendations?  If one or two churches in the area are consistently suggested, start there.

2.    Set a Time Limit
Unless your search area is extremely limited, set aside a few weeks for your new church search.  Take those few weeks and try a new church every Sunday morning.  A good idea is to set a time limit on how long you will allow your search to take.  If you live in an area with at least as many options as there are weeks in a year, your researching will be counter-productive to your goal, which is to find a new church home.

3. Try out the “Extras”
If you have time during the week, try attending more than just the regular Sunday morning service.  Most churches have Wednesday night activities or Sunday evening service.  These other services are often a smaller and easier way to get to know the people at the church.  Finding a new church home is more than just agreeing with the doctrine preached on Sunday mornings.  It’s also about becoming a part of a community of people.

4.    Don’t Expect Perfection
Just like any other gathering of people, keep in mind as you search that you are not going to find a group of perfect people.  You know you aren’t perfect, so don’t expect perfection of your new church home either.  Yet, at the same time, don’t settle for becoming a part of a church family that holds beliefs that contradict your own convictions.  The idea of not expecting perfection has more to do with not requiring the people in your new family to be perfect, but you should agree with the church as a whole.