What to Look For in a Church
Your first visit checklist
Key Insight
Not all churches that call themselves "Christian" actually teach what the Bible says. Knowing what to look for will save you time and help you find a faithful church faster.
Before You Visit
1. Check Their Website
- > Statement of Faith: Look for a clear doctrinal statement. If they don't have one, that's a red flag.
- > What they believe about the Bible: Do they affirm it as God's Word, without error?
- > Sermon archives: Listen to a few sermons before visiting. Is the pastor teaching from the Bible?
- > Social media: Check for virtue signaling language like "safe space," "inclusive," or political activism.
During Your Visit
Good Signs
- + Bible opened and read during sermon
- + Sermon explains what the Bible means
- + Congregation brings Bibles
- + Friendly but not overwhelming
- + Reverence for God in worship
- + Children's ministry teaches the Bible
Warning Signs
- - Bible rarely or never referenced
- - Sermon is mostly self-help or stories
- - Pride flags or political messaging
- - Focus on entertainment over worship
- - Pastor speaks of themselves more than Jesus
- - "Affirming" or "inclusive" language
Questions to Ask
When you meet a pastor or leader, these questions will reveal their beliefs:
- 1. "Is the Bible completely true and without error?"
- 2. "What do you believe about Jesus - is He fully God and fully man?"
- 3. "What does the church teach about marriage and sexuality?"
- 4. "How are men and women's roles understood here?"
- 5. "What Bible translation do you use for preaching?"
The Sermon Test
The sermon is the most important part of evaluating a church. Here's what to look for:
Marks of Good Bible Teaching
- 1. Expository: The sermon explains what a Bible passage means, verse by verse
- 2. Christ-centered: Points to Jesus and the gospel, not just moral lessons
- 3. Adequate length: At least 30-45 minutes - you can't teach deeply in 15 minutes
- 4. Application: Shows how the Bible applies to daily life
- 5. Faithful: Teaches what the text actually says, even hard truths
How We Help
Righteous Fellowship evaluates churches based on these criteria and more. We check:
- Statement of faith and doctrinal positions
- Stance on biblical sexuality and gender
- Bible translation used
- Social media for warning signs
- Sermon quality and length
- Evidence of Holy Spirit fruit in leadership
Ready to Search?
Use our tools to find churches that pass these tests:
