Decide what’s important.  God made us all different, and we have different tastes in everything. It’s no different with our church preferences.  Different people are looking for different things.  A logical place to begin your search is to decide what you are looking for in a church.  For some people, the friendliness and “feel” of the church is of primary importance.  For others the worship or preaching style is the main thing, while for others the church’s doctrines and beliefs are the main focus of their search.  You and your family should discuss in detail what you are looking for in a church before you start your search.

Do your homework.  Narrow your search by checking out churches on the Internet.  You can tell a lot about a church from visiting their website and by viewing or listening to their services online.  You can also talk to friends, neighbors and coworkers about where they go to church.  (You can type a city or state into Streaming Faith’s search box to find churches that are a part of Streaming Faith in your area.)

Don’t be totally consumer driven.  While it is important to discover what a church has to offer you and your family, you also need to look for areas of service where you can use your gifts, skills and talents to be a blessing to others.  Perhaps the most important question you can ask is not “What’s in it for me?” but rather “What’s in me for it?”

Most importantly, Pray earnestly that God will guide your search.  God wants to direct our paths, but too often we make our decisions and then ask God to bless them.  Pray that God will give you clear direction for where He wants you to invest your time, talents and tithes.