What characteristics do you consider when looking for a local church to join? What characteristics help you decide to stay in a congregation or to leave and look elsewhere?
This morning I read a blog post designed for church leaders. According to it, research has shown that “members have ideas of what a local congregation should provide for them, and they leave because those provisions have not been met.” In other words, “the main reason people leave a church is because they have an entitlement mentality rather than a servant mentality.”
The way of Jesus is more than something we receive. It’s something we give.
It’s more than something we believe. It’s something we do.
Today my nation remembers a man who gave and did. He wasn’t perfect, but he preached and practiced justice and reconciliation through nonviolence. He saw and proclaimed the heart of God, a heart still aching from our ongoing brokenness.
Maybe a better way to choose a “church home” is to find a group that has a place for you to use your specific skills and interests to participate in that “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). If you choose a faith community in that way, you’ll be less likely to leave for self-centered reasons.
Don’t look for a show. Join a mission!
