I’ve mentioned before that the life of a seminarian’s family (then, after graduation, a pastor’s family) is a rather transient thing by nature. And if the Lord should eventually call that pastor to be a military chaplain in employment under Uncle Sam, transience is is not just a likely outcome—it becomes a hard requirement every two to three years.
Moving around so much poses a host of challenges, as I’m sure you can imagine. As someone who has moved at least ten times in the past twenty years (during which time my husband went through seminary, served a decade-plus in pastoral ministry, and then joined the Navy), it’s safe to say that our family has been through the wringer on that front. And maybe you have too! Many life circumstances necessitate a family’s relocation, whether by choice or requirement. And anyone who has ever moved knows that the logistics, details, and necessity of starting from scratch in a new home are a headache, at the very least.
What Are You Looking For?
But what I really want to discuss is finding a new church in such circumstances. When you move to a new place, how do you go about choosing your next church home? In some ways, the decision is simple. In our church body, we have the benefit of the congregation locator function on the LCMS’s website, which is a fantastic tool. In other ways, complications may arise.
For instance, what if your new area is saturated with LCMS churches and you’re spoiled for choice? How do you choose? Maybe you only want a certain kind of pastor, a certain style of worship, or a certain demographic of fellow congregants. Or you prefer a church that does super-intentional community outreach or one with an amazing musical reputation. Or you hope to attend a financially stable church. One that’s close enough to avoid a long commute. A small church. A big church. A just-right church.
Important Things to Look For
I mean, there is nothing inherently wrong with having preferences, and we hope that the church we attend is a good fit for us and our families. But preferences that overcomplicate our relationship with the church and our brothers and sisters in Christ shouldn’t be the priority. We’re not entitled to find perfection (as though such a thing exists!). And, I think, we too often overlook what we’re actually supposed to be seeking in favor of what is, ultimately, a bit less important.
What are we supposed to look for, you say? I’m glad you asked! Let’s make it easy.
Luther expounds on this in greater detail at the end of his life in one of his many works and lists seven marks of the church. However, for our purposes here, let’s focus on what is said in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession in the Book of Concord. The way we first identify where we should worship is where we find “the pure teaching of the Gospel and the Sacraments” (Articles 7 and 8, paragraph 20). I would also add Jesus’ words: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). So—is the Gospel proclaimed? Are the Sacraments present and rightly administered? Is Jesus’ sacrificial work for each of us the focal point, both delivered from the pulpit and demonstrated by others through its fruit?
Let Service Guide Your Decision
In other words, where you find the Divine Service (in which each of these marks is present), you find the right church. And if you are still spoiled for choice, I think it serves our neighbor better to seek out the church that has the most need of your presence. Just as the Lord serves us through the gifts of salvation, forgiveness, and unconditional love as declared in the Divine Service, we, too, serve our congregational community with our attendance, gifts, life experience, and various areas of expertise.
The process can be so much simpler than we often make it, when what really matters gets clouded by outside factors. So if or when you move next (hopefully not as frequently as I do!), keep these tips in mind. Identify the church, the place where you are served by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Then choose where you can serve His Bride and your neighbor the best.
Scripture: ESV®.
Apology quotation from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, second edition © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
On the hunt for a new church? Join the fictional family of the Campbells as they do the same in Will the Real Church Please Stand Up?
