When you’re new to an area, you might struggle with finding everything you need. If you’ve been searching and you haven’t had much luck, you might not know what to do.

Not only is it important to find a Baptist church close to you, but you probably also want a welcoming congregation to become a part of. Plus, not every Baptist church is going to be the same.

If you’re seeking a Sunday service at a Baptist church, you might need a little bit of help. Let’s look at some of the ways you can find a good church to worship Jesus Christ in your area.

Finding a church to attend when you’re new to Christianity isn’t always easy. Maybe you’ve believed in Christ all your life, but you’ve never really been a church-going Christian. If you’re new to the Baptist religion, it’s a good idea to figure out what Baptists believe before you jump in with both feet. But remember, their beliefs may vary from one church to another.

Figure Out the Right Type of Baptist for You

All Baptists believe in Jesus Christ, but there are different types of Baptist churches.

The list of different types of Baptists is rather long. Commonly, there are Baptists and Southern Baptists. However, even within Southern Baptists, there are different types, including:

• Fundamentalists
• Revivalists
• Traditionalists
• Orthodox Evangelicals
• Calvinists
• Culture Warriors
• Contemporary Church Practitioners

Each of these groups shares some beliefs, but they are also different. It’s important to know the type of Baptist church you are looking for before you start your search. Even within regular Baptists, several smaller groups call themselves Baptists.

If you are just starting to learn about Baptist worship or, even more general, Christianity, you will find there are many different denominations. Within each denomination, except for Catholic, you will find the denomination has gone through some type of splitting over the years, even the Baptist church.

It’s important to find a local church that fits with your beliefs. Make sure you have a good idea of what you believe before you start searching for a Baptist church. If you are still trying to figure out exactly what you believe, that’s fine. Just be aware, you might have to do some research first.

Where can I go to find a Baptist church near me?

When you’re trying to find a church that you can attend, you want to know where to go. While a simple Google search might work to actually locate a local church with a Sunday service, it takes more research to figure out which church is the one for you.

You can often go to the church website to learn about what they offer. Some churches might have a Bible study, offer Sunday morning service times, provide different events and activities, and even have a youth ministry program. There are many different things each church community might offer.

Before you do deeper research, you might want to figure out what’s important to you. Some of the main factors in choosing a church to consider include:

The core beliefs of the church (Most Important) – If the core beliefs of the church don’t match with your core beliefs, it’s likely not a good fit.

• The church leadership team – It’s also important to look at the leadership team and ensure they are following/preaching the church’s core beliefs.
• Sunday morning worship service times – You might prefer a specific time for Sunday services, such as 9:30 am or 10:30 am.
• Ministry opportunities – Some churches will offer more ministry opportunities than others. It might depend on the size of the church or the focus of the church.
• Bible study groups offered – Many Baptists churches offer Bible study groups, but they might be split up differently. Some may offer a men’s group and a women’s group, but you may also prefer a couple’s group.
• Special events and activities offered – You might be looking for a church that offers regular festival-style events or one that has activities for kids. Look into what they offer throughout the year and regularly.
• Youth ministry options – Depending on the church, there might be some really good youth ministry options. If this is important to you, make sure to look at what is offered.
• The size of the congregation – If you prefer to get lost in a large church, you might want to find a mega-church or at least one with a larger congregation. However, if you like the feeling of a smaller church family, you might want to find a church that has only a few hundred members.
• Location compared to where you live – It can be helpful to have a church close to you, so it’s easier to access on Sundays and throughout the week.

Of course, you want to find a church that fits your belief structure and teaches biblical truth. If the church’s teaching isn’t what you believe, it probably isn’t the right choice for you.

What do Baptists believe?

While all Baptist churches will certainly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, there’s more to the beliefs of a church you should consider. Many Christian denominations profess belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, but the core beliefs of each church will vary.

You will want to become familiar with certain doctrines of each Baptist church. While they may be similar from one church to another, even a small change to these doctrines might not work for you. The core doctrines to consider when choosing a church are:

• The Doctrine of God – For Christians, this is a non-negotiable. More specifically, Baptists believe in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• The Doctrine of the Bible – This is a doctrine in which you might find some differences—but most Baptists will believe the Bible is God’s Word.
• The Doctrine of Salvation – This is obviously rather important, as the entire goal is to go to heaven. Most Baptist churches will believe your salvation is based on a belief in Christ alone.

While you will likely find that most Baptist churches hold true to specific core beliefs, you must be careful. Some churches will use a denomination’s name, but the core beliefs don’t match or they have been changed in one way or another.

Along with the core doctrines of the church you choose, you may also want to consider a few other beliefs of the church, including:

• How is baptism handled? Does the church believe in infant baptism or adult baptism only?
• Does the church believe in speaking in tongues and baptism in the Holy Spirit?
• What teaching does the church believe in for the end times?
• What role does the church believe women play in ministry and in the household?
• How does the church handle communion?
• Does the church teach creation or evolution?

These are very important things to figure out as you search for the right Baptist church for you.

How do I know what to look for in finding a new Baptist church?

If you’re new to the Baptist church, this can be a bit of a difficult question. Often, people will start with a church as they learn and might switch to another church if they find their beliefs have changed.

Those moving from one location to another might already have a set of core beliefs. Finding a church that matches with those beliefs might seem difficult, but you can do a few things to figure out what you’re getting into with most churches.

You can also check out the church website, call the pastor or even join a Facebook group (if the church has one). This can be helpful when you want to learn more about the church community and what they preach.

While the core beliefs and doctrines might be listed on the church website, you want to make sure they are being followed. With many churches today, watching a Sunday morning or evening service from the comfort of your home is possible. This can help you get a feel for what the pastor preaches and the style of the church.

Avoiding Church Shopping

One danger Christians encounter when they move or start looking for a church is church shopping. When someone is church shopping, it’s like grocery shopping. They go from church to church looking for something, which is often very surface-level or vain.

When Christians fall into the habit of church shopping, they might be looking for the right pastor that preaches the way they prefer and looks the way they like. It’s also common to find people looking for the best music or a style they really like.

It can be a bit like house hunting, where you fall into a trap of looking for specific features and amenities of the church. Some might even think they need to have a coffee bar that serves the right drink for them.

Before you fall into the church shopping trap, it’s important to understand, a church is like a hospital, not a hospice. It’s taught that a church is a hospital for sick people (sinners), while a hospice is a place that takes care of you until you pass away.

Don’t choose a Baptist church for things that can change, such as the pastor preaching or the music. A new pastor or music director will quickly change these aspects of the church.

Choose the right church for you based on the core beliefs and what the church stands for. Sometimes, a church will tell you everything you want to hear and “sell” the church to you. If you start searching for the perfect church home and fall into church shopping, you might end up a church member because they had the best sales pitch.

Attending Church Services isn’t About You

One of the best ways to avoid church shopping is to realize attending church services isn’t about you. The entire point of a church service is to worship Christ. It’s not about the music, the preacher, or the aesthetics. While all of those things are a part of it and important in their own right, the main focus should always be on the proper worship of Jesus Christ.

When Christians remember that the Bible isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, they can better avoid church shopping. The journey of any true Christian will come with pain, suffering, and struggle. It’s not an easy journey, and you cannot depend on the feelings a Sunday service gives you to bring you back every week. It has to be a deeper worship, and you have to know why you are there on a deeper level than, “I like the way the pastor preaches” or “The music is so wonderful.”

Another important part of avoiding church shopping is the willingness to hear things that are hard to take or cause you to want to change. Good preachers don’t say what you want to hear all the time. They speak the truth even if they know half the people in the audience will leave. Jesus wasn’t trying to please the crowd when He preached in the Gospel. He spoke the truth regardless of who walked away or flocked to him.

If you encounter a church that is just trying to fill seats with positivity and a generic message every Sunday, you will likely want to keep looking.

What if there is no Baptist church within my area?

The Baptist denomination is rather large, so chances are, there is a church in your area. However, it’s possible you can’t find a church that fits your beliefs in your area. When this is the case, you can look for online services you can watch from home.

However, if you rely on streaming your church service every week, you will miss out on fellowship and community. It’s hard to truly become a part of a church if you only watch online.

Online services can work great when you’re traveling or as a temporary option, but you really need to find a church home. If there are no good Baptist churches in your area, you might consider driving a bit further to a good or non-denominational church based on the same core beliefs as a Baptist church.

How can I integrate myself into the community of the congregation?

Once you find a church to attend, it’s time to become a part of the congregation and community. The first step is to start attending church in person. Even if it’s hard, you will feel much greater peace as you go.

Along with attending church on Sundays, you want to get involved in events and church ministry. Join a Bible study, take a class, attend a few upcoming events, or even get coffee at the worship center, if the church campus offers a coffee shop.

Integrating yourself into a new church community isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. Christianity requires fellowship and thrives on community. You want to get involved in what your new church offers and make sure you attend on Sundays in person.

How can Church.org help me?

When you’re struggling to find the right church for you, or you have relocated and need a little help, Church.org is a great option. This is a great website and app that can help connect you with the right community of believers in your local area.

You can use the “Find a Church Near Me” section of the website to search for the right Baptist church and Church.org for many other resources. They offer articles and resources in four different categories:

• Family & Personal
• Faith & spirituality
• Daily Worship
• Health & Wellness

You can also make prayer requestions and even listen to recent sermons on the website or the app.

Finding a Baptist church in your local community might not be difficult, but finding the right church might be. With the resources from Church.org, you can make your search much easier. Search for the right church for you based on service times, denomination, and more!