Ever since I arrived in Louisville three weeks ago, I have been in search of a spiritual home and checking out different churches in the Louisville area.

So far, I’ve been to Sojourn Community Church, Clifton Baptist Church, as well as Louisville Chinese Christian Church–all of which are in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. (I have been a member of an ethnic, Chinese church all my life, hence I don’t feel called to join another one.)

I don’t want to be critical of all these local congregations, and have no intention of evaluating them for the sake of evaluating which is “better”, but I am trying various churches out in search of one in which I can become an active member in.

It came as a surprise to me that all of the churches I’ve been to so far are significantly different in their musical worship styles, even as all are baptist. It’s ranged from very contemporary to very traditional. Teaching and preaching at all churches are on par with what I expected of solid, biblical, Southern Baptist churches, and I am just trying to find a church where I feel the love of the body of Christ and where I can most freely express myself in musical worship. know how much longer this time of transition will take, but I am in no rush, though it would be easier on my heart if it were sooner!

In one sense, one could label me as church “shopping”, or in a better Christ-bride analogy, I could be considered “dating” churches.

However, I do consider myself a different breed of church daters, along with the numerous other new seminarians who are seeking out a church to call home. I am not one of those Christians who “date” local churches with no intention of really committing or investing long-term. I am specifically seeking a community of faith where I can be fed spiritually and where I also can feed others through mutual edification and service.

If you are one who is dating the church with no intention of committing to one, that is, jumping from one church to another (ie. going to one church for their music, another for their teaching, and another for fellowship) — I beg you to stop dating the church. Christ who purchased the church by His own blood commands us to be committed to one body–one local expression of the universal church–just as He Himself committed his life to one body.

What then should my criteria be in seeking a church to become an active member in? Christ’s command in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20 is threefold: (1) the church must strive to make disciples through evangelism & discipleship, (2) be comprised of a regenerate, baptized membership, and (3) be committed to teaching the body all that Lord Jesus has commanded.

These 3 components, therefore, should be our standard in finding a church to call home. While everything else is personal preference, these first and foremost should be our ecclesiastical measuring stick.