|
Is Church Shopping Biblical? Why It’s Best to Find a Good Church and Commit to It
If you spend enough time talking to folks about church, at coffee shops, little league fields, or neighborhood barbecues, you’ll hear the same story over and over. “I’m just looking for the right fit,” or “I’m still sampling different churches,” or “I go where the music really moves me.” In a world obsessed with choice, even church can become another consumer product: find the best worship team, the coolest youth group, the most dynamic preacher. If it clicks, you stay until the next best thing pops up on your radar.
But is this mindset biblical? What’s actually lost when we hop from place to place, never rooted, never fully invested? And what does the Bible say about belonging to a church family?
First, it’s absolutely right to seek a church that teaches the truth, upholds sound doctrine, and models integrity (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 3). If what’s being taught isn’t biblical or leaders abuse their position, it’s time to move on. But that’s not the same as perpetual shopping, never putting down roots and never committing. The difference is between searching wisely and avoiding all commitment.
Look at the examples of the early church. Acts 2:42-47 describes new believers who “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” They gave and received hospitality, served each other, and even sacrificed personal comfort for the community. Hebrews 10:24-25 urges believers not to neglect meeting together, meaning not just showing up when it’s convenient, but making church life a habit. The New Testament letters are packed with “one another” commands such as: love, bear with, forgive, encourage. You can’t live those out on the go.
True spiritual growth requires planting. A mature oak doesn’t become strong by being moved from soil to soil every few months. Stability, trust, and deep relationships are built through time, forgiveness, laughter, and working through conflict. If you leave whenever you’re challenged, upset, or bored, you forfeit the very process God uses to make you like Christ.
Let’s be honest: church is made up of imperfect people. Every church will scrape your pride, disappoint you, or let you down eventually. That’s not a bug in the system; it’s a feature. It reminds us that we’re all works in progress, and Christ is the only true head of His church (Colossians 1:18). Real maturity means staying, serving, seeking reconciliation, and contributing, not just consuming.
If you’re on the fence about joining The Crossings or another gospel-centered church, ask yourself: What keeps me on the sidelines? Is it fear of being let down? Is it a desire to be entertained, rather than equipped? The healthiest thing you can do for your soul is to stop shopping and start investing. Find a local body that preaches the Word, exalts Jesus, welcomes real people, and then say, “I’m in. These are my people.”
Pour out your time, gifts, and resources. Be known. Let others carry your burdens, and carry theirs in return (Galatians 6:2). It’s in the mess and the mundane that God grows something beautiful out of His church. At The Crossings, we believe deep roots yield deep fruit, so let’s commit, plant, and expect God to build something we could never accomplish bouncing from place to place.
Pastor Justin |
