6 Ways to Choose the Right Denomination For You

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Protestant denominations within the Christian Church. There are so many, in fact, that it is difficult for a newcomer to the faith to choose a path.

Many Christians view this division as a somewhat necessary evil, but in reality, denominations are good for us—because people have a wide range of personalities, leadership styles, and personal preferences, no one style of church can accommodate every individual. Some churchgoers praise God best through ornate ceremony, and so they enter the Catholic, Lutheran, or Episcopalian traditions. Others connect with God on a more emotional level, and find themselves a charismatic church.

There is also the problem of interpretation. We’re human beings. We’re fallible. And because of this, our understanding of scripture is imperfect—some will interpret scripture differently than others, leading to a wide variety of doctrines.

But as long as a denomination adheres to the core beliefs of Christianity, that’s okay! You get to go find a church that’s as unique and beautiful as you are! But this also means you’ve got a choice to make. Fortunately, we’re here to help by providing you with 6 ways to choose the right denomination for you.

Read, Read, Read

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Whether you’re a veteran believer hunting for a new church or a new Christian trying to decide where you’d like to lay down spiritual roots, reading is the best place to start when deciding to which denomination you’d like to belong.

You don’t need to go in-depth at this point—just briefly look over the major denominations. The biggest denominations in America are: Catholicism, Baptist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Fundamentalist, and various “nondenominational” churches that are affiliated with no tradition.

Each of these has its own flavor of worship and unique doctrine. Once you get a feel for these, you may want to do some of your own research—there are, literally, thousands of smaller denominations throughout the U.S.

But don’t stop there—we’re just getting started. Once you have a good idea of what each of these types of church is like, it’s time to move on to the second step.

Examine Your Personality

It’s time to move your search from the internal to the external.

Figuring out who you really are is a vital step in the process of finding a church. After all, if you’re a loud, emotional fellow, you might find an Episcopal or Lutheran church a bit too stiff for your liking. And if you’re the type who just can’t collect your thoughts around a lot of noise and excitement, you’re probably not going to enjoy any Evangelical place of worship.

One of the best free personality tests around revolves around Jung’s theory of personality, and you can try this test out here. Your results will tell you much about yourself.

You want to go deeper than favorite movies and fashion choices here—list out your core values. What do you feel your purpose is? What do you want to do with your life? What injustices upset you, and how would you change them?

List the answers to these questions out on paper and add any relevant traits that come to your mind. Keep that list handy, because you’re going to need it for the next step!

Form an Idea of What Kind of Teaching You Want

Once you have a good idea of who you are, you’re going to match that up with what you’d like to see in a church.

For example, if you’re into helping others, you’re going to want a denomination that’s known for community outreach. If you feel that things just work better under strong authority, one of the branches that features a central leadership might be for you.

Remember that long list of denominations you studied earlier? Here’s where you whittle that list down, dropping those denominations that you know would make you unhappy as you compare them to your own personality. Those that match up with your character traits and goals, keep in a separate “good” list.

Do you see any trends forming in the denominations that make that good list? Start writing those down! As you go along, begin describing your perfect church—you’re going to need that description on the next step, where you’re going to be doing a little leg work!

Talk to Existing Members

It’s finally time to head out and start visiting churches!

Take your list of churches that you think might be a good fit for you and your family, and find local branches of each, taking time to visit at least one per week.

You’re there to experience the service, but your best information is going to come from the church members, themselves.

Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. See what they think of their church. Get them to describe normal activities, as well as any outreach programs or charities the church is involved with. What does the social scene look like? Are there services multiple days a week?

Talk to a few people and get to know the general vibe of the place—after all, these are the people you’d be seeing every week while attending. If you detect a hint of gossip or an odious whiff of nastiness or unkindness, get out of there. Likewise, if everyone just seems uninterested and disengaged, this probably isn’t the best of churches.

You want a congregation that is excited about what they’re doing , and that’s active and involved. This kind of attitude is infectious, and speaks of good leadership and what would likely be a very positive experience for you.

Ask for Doctrinal Statements

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Asking a church leader for the church’s doctrinal statement is absolutely vital. Say, for example, that you find a church that seems absolutely perfect. The congregation is active and kind. The service suits you perfectly. The sermon is delivered in a way that touches you heart.

But then you notice something odd. Did the pastor just say that Jesus only metaphorically ascended to heaven?

Cue the gameshow buzzer sound. This church is out.

There are a few central tenets of Christianity that mustn’t be violated. They form the core of the faith, and every denomination more or less agrees on them. They’re what make a Christian church a Christian church.

Make sure that whatever church you attend recognizes that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and good, and that He exists in the Trinity as God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Make sure they embrace the idea of literal life after death. And finally, ensure they teach that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died and was supernaturally resurrected, and that He is the one through whom all are saved.

These are the bare essentials, and so if any of these ideas are twisted or violated, everything else will be, as well. So ask for a doctrinal statement, and ensure that the church of your choice truly is Christian.

Pray

While you’re working hard to find that perfect denomination, why not ask God for a little help? After all, the entire point of this journey is to find a community that will bring you closest to Him. He’s happy you’re trying!

As much as there is to do in the physical world to find a new church home, there’s just as much to do in the spiritual. Ask God to guide you on each day of your journey. Pray over every one of these steps—not only will you be asking the all-powerful God of the universe to help you find the right church, but prayer will put you in the right mindset.

Remember—this is about finding a church that fits you, but ultimately, this is just another stair step in your quest to grow closer to God. All the flashy worship services, excellent oration, and moving testimonies in the world aren’t going to help you if you don’t have God as your ultimate destination.