I look for a spirit filled group that isn’t involved in the toxic faith movements’ horse and pony show. (If anyone takes off their coat and starts hitting people with it….I’m outta there!!)
I look for misfits. Churches where everyone has biological family (especially that go to that church) will never actually include an outsider in anything other than church functions. It’s lonely…so I look for other groups that don’t have family….they need a spiritual family….and so do I.
I look at the nursery program. If they are blackmailing folks to keep the nursery and everyone HAS to keep the nursery, or else…then there is something wrong with the very foundation of the fellowship. Remember that what we do with the least of these is how we are treating Christ.
I look for at least a few individuals (preferably in leadership) that see the calling as fishers of men…not aquarium keepers. They both work with fish….but one is hard, nasty work; getting their righteous fingers dirty in other peoples broken lives and the other is caring for fish in a controlled environment.
I look for a music program that doesn’t manipulate the emotions of the people. Anyone can be manipulated through music to believe the Holy Spirit is moving. How a fellowship worships WITHOUT the band is an indication of what’s really going on. The band should be a perk….a means to an end….a training ground for real personal worship. If it’s only an emotional high and the fellowship doesn’t fall into the same kind of praise during the services where the band is absent….then the band has failed the people.
And last but certainly not least….I check out the pot lucks. You can learn a lot about folks at a pot-luck. So far, in my vast experience over nearly 30 years…..the Holiness Pentecostals have it…but the Baptists are a close second.
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