How Do I Pick a Church?

Connect with people as they are.

At a time when small churches are under fire from some who think small communities are not viable or they lack the ability to make good decisions, I was intrigued with Eugene Peterson’s advice to those asking, “How do I pick a church?

Peterson is the late teacher, author and pastor who is best known for his translation of the Bible, entitled The Message. In an On Being conversation with Krista Tippett, Eugene spoke about the church that he and his wife attended in their retirement:

Peterson: We go to a small church. When I was a pastor of a congregation, people would leave and say, “How do I pick a church?” And my usual answer was, go to the closest church where you live, and the smallest. And if, after six months, it’s just not working, go to the next smallest. [laughs]

Tippett: [laughs] OK, so what is it about small, rather than big?

Peterson: Because you have to deal with people as they are. And you’ve got to learn how to love them when they’re not lovable.

Go local. Go small. Connect with people as they are!

Geoff Pound

Image: Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash.