How to Pick (And Stick With) the Right Church

ThinkSquad, what do you love about your church? What are some things you would change if you were an elder? Or maybe you are an elder. But you didn't start out that way. At some point, you decided you were going to attend that church, get involved, become a member. How did you make those decisions? Maybe you joined as a single man, but today you've got a wife and kids.

As we talk about all the time on the ThinkPod, it's our responsibility as dads to lead our family in defending the Christian message. Of course this means we need to lead our family in learning the Christian message, and living out the Christian lifestyle, and that means being part of a healthy church—and making meaningful contributions to it. Now I don't advocate church hopping; I am a big believer in putting down roots in a church family. Rather than leave when things get tough, I like to see guys staying put and working to improve their church. However, sometimes a church abandons sound doctrine, or you have to relocate, or other factors happen and it becomes unavoidable: you need to find a new church. When that happens, you need to be prepared. The quest to find and join the right church is important enough when it's just you, but it becomes especially harrowing when there are others who are directly, and deeply, impacted by your decision.

Last year in 2020, my family went through this when Aliza and I moved from Chicago to the Tri-Cities of Illinois and joined Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles.

In today's episode I'm talking with my friend Tim Smith about how to find the right church. Tim is a longtime member at Redeemer. He's also a tradesman (you should see the work he's doing on his house right now), and an aspiring church planter. So he's the right man to have this conversation with, as he himself is considering what makes a church a good one and the right fit for a man and his family. I think our conversation is going to help you not just find a solid church (if that's what you need right now or in the future), but also to work to make your current church even more solid, biblical and thriving. And now, listen to this laid-back, informal conversation between Tim Smith and myself.

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Music Credits: 

Synthwave Intro 03 by TaigaSoundProd
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7299-synthwave-intro-03
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Synthwave Intro 04 by TaigaSoundProd
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7768-synthwave-intro-04
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Driving to the Night by Frank Schröter
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8085-driving-to-the-night
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license