Choosing a Good Church

I recently vacationed in Hillsdale, Ontario, with my family. We rented a home through Airbnb. This was my first time in Springwater Township, and whenever I travel, I love to explore the local community.

Hillsdale was essentially a small suburb of Springwater Township, about a 20-minute drive from Barrie.

As far as amenities go, it had a local pizzeria that was very good and a corner store.

They also had an old United Church, which was converted into a home, and an old Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian church, formerly a part of the PCC, held its last service in April 2022. So Hillsdale was a churchless community.

About 15 minutes away, though, was the community of Elmvale. Which is why we stayed in this location, as we wanted to visit the Elmvale Zoo, which, by the way, I highly recommend! But ultimately, what struck me was that any Christian living in Hillsdale had to travel at least 15 minutes into Elmvale or over 20 minutes into Barrie to attend church.

As a Christian, this would not discourage me from living in Hillsdale, as commuting to church should not be a factor in whether one goes or which church one attends.

SO WHAT MAKES A CHURCH A GOOD CHURCH?

“If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if it maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in punishing sin.” (Belgic Confession, Article 29)

The three marks of a true church are as quoted above:

1.       True Gospel preaching

2.       Pure Administration of the Sacraments

3.       Exercise of Church Discipline

Obviously, when choosing a church, one should find a church that preaches the free offer of the good news. The Gospel, as delivered by the Apostles, teaches us that all are sinners. This means that if a church denies the doctrine of Original Sin, they are a perverted church. We are all sinners and deserving of God’s Just Wrath. But, Jesus Christ came as The Lamb of God (John 1:29), who came to take the sins of the world. God, through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, offers the gift of eternal life freely.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16-17)

I would suggest that, generally speaking, most Protestant churches preach the Gospel. This is of the utmost importance in choosing a church.

But a pure administration of the sacraments is where much of the protestant church divides. Here at Redeemer, we practise the biblical and historical practise of baptizing believers and their children. Many churches, however, will not administer the sacrament of baptism to young children. This blog’s purpose is not to argue for or against. You can see past blogs on this here and here

Furthermore, many churches take a memorial view of the Lord’s Table; we don’t believe this to be biblical at all and thus would suggest that any church that holds this view is lacking in a “Pure Administration”. Again, the purpose of this blog isn’t to argue that case.

I will, Lord willing, tackle that subject in a future post. However, you can read about the Reformed view here

But the last mark of a true church is the “Exercise of Church Discipline”. In many churches today, this is not practised. But Church Discipline is for the purity of the church and the protection of the flock from sin and division.

Obviously, Matthew 18 outlines how to carry out Church discipline, which implies that it is a necessary practice. Yet, so many Christians today will misquote the Bible and say that we are not to judge others, and that judgment belongs to God only.

Paul asks the Church in Corinth a rhetorical question, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?” (1 Cor. 5:12). This is why Paul instructs Timothy, “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear” (1 Tim. 5:20). A true church must discipline sin and as Jesus said in Matthew 18, that discipline can culminate in excommunication. Why? Because a little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Choosing a Church

In choosing the right church for your family, proximity should not be a factor, within reason.

For example, in the Reformed world, Reformed Christian families will not relocate to communities that don’t have a NAPARC church. In this case, proximity matters.

Generally, people are willing to relocate for a variety of reasons, and employment is usually at the top of the list.

But many Christians don’t factor in whether there is a good church into the equation. Biblical convictions rarely play into the decision-making; however, it should be the top priority for faithful Christians.

And Christians should be willing to relocate to find a good church, and if there is a good church within reasonable proximity they should be willing to travel to attend.

This means, we shouldn’t pick a church simply because it is close to our home.

Obviously, Redeemer is situated in Porcupine, which for many in Timmins means a 15 minute commute. But that distance should not factor in to their decision at all. But instead, does Redeemer meet the marks of a true church?

And for many, the subject of Infant Baptism might be their deciding factor. If this is something you are not sure about yourself, and you have been led to believe this is something that just Roman Catholics do, please feel free to drop in on the Lord’s Day and sit down with one of our elders to discuss further.

If you have questions, we would love to hear from you and disciple you in the Word of God. What's the worst-case scenario for us? You disagree and don’t join us. Worst-case scenario for you? You are persuaded by the Scriptures, grow in your knowledge of God and how He interacts with His people, and your convictions change. I’d say following after God rather than man is a good place to be:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6)