What church background did you have? What did you enjoy about it? What didn't you like about it? Please include any comments you might have about both its teachings and its practices.
PERSONAL BELIEFS Do you believe that people get to heaven by faith in God alone or by doing good things or in a combination of both faith in God and doing good things? Please explain your opinion. No need to defend it.
THE PASTOR Do you want a pastor who is more of a teacher (instructional) or a preacher (inspirational)?
Is it more important to you that the pastor be a good speaker, caring in one-on-one encounters, or a good administrator?
CHURCH SIZE Would you feel most comfortable in a church of 0-100; 100-250; larger than 250 people in attendance on Sunday morning?
If you could design the perfect church (realizing all the while that it doesn't exist), what would it be like?
CHURCH PROGRAMMING How would you rank the following in importance to you? _________ Instruction _________ Fellowship _________ Ministry Opportunities
How do the following rank in importance to you? _________ Music _________ Sunday Morning Adult Classes _________ Home Bible Studies _________ Sunday Morning Services _________ Weekday Events _________ Youth Programming _________ Other _______________________ _________ Other _______________________
TAKING THE NEXT STEPS . . . 1) Using your local phone book yellow pages or http://www.switchboard.com, locate several churches in your area that you would like to further research. 2) On a weekday, call the churches and ask the secretaries to mail you:
3) As you look over this worksheet, don't be afraid to ask the secretaries other questions about the church. They are usually quite knowledgeable about the church's programming and practices. 4) When they arrive in the mail, use the printed materials and compare the information with your completed worksheet to determine which churches hold out the most potential for further exploration. 5) You can now either visit the churches on a Sunday mornings (one visit usually isn't enough to get a good feel for it). . . or you could call the church and ask for the pastor -- inviting him/her to come to your home and talk to you about the church before visiting the church. IF YOU WISH. . .
Click HERE to download the eBook that compares the top twelve Christian denominations in terms of history and beliefs. And/or fax this worksheet to 402-593-7655, and we will recommend specific types (denominations) of churches in your area to consider based on your answers. If you completed the information online, you can press the Submit button and send it to us right now.
If faxing this sheet, be sure and include your e-mail address: