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Picking a church can be a complicated process, especially because it is so important to find a solid Christian community. This week, John Bailey and Mark Renfroe walk through some things to think about when you’re looking for a new church.

Key Points from the Podcast

• Don’t pick a new church based solely on their online presence—websites, social media, reviews—as these may not be a true representation of the church.

• The health of a church is more important than how many people attend.

• Parents should always consider their children’s safety when selecting a church home.

• We all have worship style preferences but pick a church whose worship is Christ-centered.

• A healthy church should be involved in local outreach, global missions, and evangelism.

• Authentic church leadership will not only talk about all the good things happening at the church, but also address the challenges they are facing as a congregation.

• Look for a church where people are genuinely friendly, lives are being impacted, and people are being discipled to grow deeper in Christ.

• A good pastor will teach and preach the whole counsel of God, not just the pastor’s favorite topics.

• Does the church you are considering allow the Holy Spirit to move or are they on a rigid timetable?

• Remember that giftedness does not necessarily correlate with spiritual depth or maturity.

Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast

Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27; Amos 8:11; Acts 20:27; Galatians 5:22–23; 1 Corinthians 12–14

About John Bailey

Pastor John Bailey serves as the Chief Operating Officer at World Challenge. John came to know Christ in jail after some difficult struggles as a young man, and God has done a powerful work of transformation since! Spending 13 years in Next Gen ministry, he excelled in discipleship and helping young leaders discover giftings to serve God. John was called next to serve as a missionary and pastor in Western Europe. John and his family then returned to plant the Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, the church is a thriving body of believers excelling in outreach and missions. John has now brought his giftings and vision to World Challenge, accelerating the spread of the gospel in America and around the World.

About Mark Renfroe

Mark married his college sweetheart, Amy, with whom he has four adult children—one girl and three boys. The Renfroes have been involved in field missions work for 30 years. They served in the Arab community of San Francisco for four years before becoming foreign missionaries in 1995. Mark was asked to serve as the Area Director for Assemblies of God World Missions in 2007. As part of his role, he led missionaries and interfaced with national church leaders in the 18 countries of the Arab World. In 2017, Mark created Reaching Africa’s Muslims, an initiative to mobilize, equip, and deploy indigenous African missionaries to reach Muslims on the continent. Mark has graduate degrees in Intercultural Studies and Executive Leadership. He currently serves as the Chief Missions Officer for World Challenge in Colorado Springs.