As you search for a new home church, you don’t want to waste your time attending services that do not line up with the Bible. Believe it or not, some churches do not take their beliefs from Scripture, but rather, what man thinks is important.
As sinful human beings, we fight between what the flesh desires and what God desires. Like King Saul, we often fear people more than we fear the Lord, resulting in our desire to delight in the opinions of others instead of the law of the Lord. Unfortunately, many churches fall victim to that desire, resulting in twisted doctrine and practices.
So, how does one find a church that aligns with God alone? If you visit the churches’ websites in your area, you should be able to find a page with their statement of faith. So what is a statement of faith?
Statements of faith, simply put, are lists of beliefs, a combination of doctrine and dogma supported by Scripture verses to show potential congregation members what they believe and why they believe it. These statements of faith are some of the critical foundations of the church (second to Jesus Christ) that can tell you exactly why that particular church exists.
Now we know that sometimes, looks are deceiving, and a church can say one thing but demonstrate another. This is where visiting the church and speaking to congregation members and employees is essential. You do not want to base your home church simply on their online statements. But, if those statements do not align with Scripture, then the church isn’t worth visiting.
Also, as a member of the body of Christ, you must have your own sort of statement of faith. You have to know what you believe and why you believe it. If you haven’t already, thoroughly read the Scriptures to see what they say about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, etc. Your beliefs and the church’s need to come directly from those pages and not from your own misleading heart.
All statements of faith can be separated into a few categories: God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and others. In no particular order, statements of faith should demonstrate what one believes to be true about God. For example, there is only one God, God exists as the Trinity, etc. Then, churches must back these statements up with verses. Make sure you thoroughly inspect the verses to make sure they are not taken out of context to fit some other agenda.
Other beliefs a church might include are how humans were created, if they are made in the image of God, beliefs about the relationship between man and sin, beliefs about Heaven, Hell, and Earth, the purpose of the church, and sometimes baptism. For an example of a good statement of faith, check out Realiy Church in Lancaster, PA.
Finding a church that aligns with your Biblically-based beliefs doesn’t have to take as long as you may think. With the internet, we can see precisely what a church is about without even visiting first. To save yourself time, check out the statement of faith (or beliefs) tabs on the sites of various churches to find one you align with.
If you are looking for Lancaster County churches and agree with the statement of faith from Reality Church, Reality Church might be a great place to start. They are a non-denominational church with a desire to bring the love of Jesus to everyone, no matter who they are. Reality Church is gospel-centered with a desire to bring the gospel’s truth to all ears. Pay Reality Church, Lancaster, a visit today, and feel the welcoming atmosphere of the congregation and staff.
