I’m currently not attending church. I’ve visited many churches but I’ve not found one with which I’m happy. Do I need to become a member and attend a local church?
Without a doubt you should be attending a local church. God has established the local church to feed and spiritually equip Christians (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
You are also part of the body of Christ and have gifts and abilities that were deposited in you when you became a Christian (Rom. 12:4-8). God’s plan is for you to minister these gifts to those in the church body so that they can grow and be blessed (1 Peter 4:10-11).
You have to be part of a local church in order to do this. I also know that you’ll never find the perfect church.
However, there has to be a pastor to whom you can listen and respect, who will also help you grow spiritually. If you can’t find a pastor who is able to bless you spiritually, then I believe you may need to examine yourself.
You may be dealing with pride or an attitude problem. Perhaps you’ve been hurt in the past and you need God to heal you. I realize that not every Christian is going to be blessed or be comfortable at the church I pastor.
I always tell the people at my church, “If you’re not comfortable or you’re not being fed here, then you need to find a church where you are comfortable and where you can be fed.” I never mind when a person leaves my church, as long as I know I haven’t offended them and that they are leaving for the right reasons.
Continue looking. I believe God can lead you to the church in which you can be involved and be a blessing. Remember, no church is perfect because imperfect people like you and me run churches.
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Joe Cameneti Sr. is the lead pastor of Believers Church, located in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina, pioneered Believers Church in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School.
In addition to leading a thriving local church, Pastor Joe is the host of a weekly show called "BCTV." The program is aired locally on WFMJ, the NBC affiliate, reaching thousands weekly.
Pastor Joe is a gifted communicator, skilled in the art of building bridges to unchurched America. Transparent and authentic, you'll walk away challenged and encouraged to connect with God in a deeper way.