The Twelve Best Questions to Ask Before Going to a New Church

Half of those could be figured out by attending a service and reading a bulletin, website, etc.

Reynolds said:

Half of those could be figured out by attending a service and reading a bulletin, website, etc.

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True, but what is written is not always what is. Been through that many times when reading church documents and then going there to preach in view of call.

It's been about 2 years since I moved and about a year since becoming a member at the church where I now attend.
This is what I looked for:

1. Where are the Baptist churches in my area?
2. How close is the church to where I live?
3. What are the church's beliefs (usually found in a Statement of Faith on the website)
4. What are some of the unstated beliefs that you may be concerned about? (pastoral interview or membership meeting)
5. How many people attend? What is the age range? (attend a couple of services)
6. Do I like the preaching/teaching?
7. How can I connect to others in the church?
8. How can I serve Christ and minister in the church and community?

Rob

Some churches maintain an open book policy, allowing members to request a look at how funds are being allocated whenever they wish. Personally, that would definitely be one of my top inquiries.

Tea said:

Some churches maintain an open book policy, allowing members to request a look at how funds are being allocated whenever they wish. Personally, that would definitely be one of my top inquiries.

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There are churches that require you to show your W2 to make sure you are tithing,

OLD SARGE said:

There are churches that require you to show your W2 to make sure you are tithing,

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I would avoid those churches like the plague.

That is a bit too much.
God loves a cheerful giver. He is not in need of local tax collectors. God also has promised returns for houses and lands (possessions and wealth are not a stretch to include) that are given for His sake and the gospels.

Mark 10:29-30
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.


The real question is not whether or not churches have the right to ask for W2’s. But that does give you an idea of what they are most concerned about.
The real question is, have I made enough of my life about my Lord and the dispensation of the gospel that has been committed to me?

OLD SARGE said:

There are churches that require you to show your W2 to make sure you are tithing,

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1) I would ask them to show me in the NT where I must tithe
2) IF I joined, I would put in cash w/out an envelope (Mabey ask them about that)

Tea said:

Some churches maintain an open book policy, allowing members to request a look at how funds are being allocated whenever they wish. Personally, that would definitely be one of my top inquiries.

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If they would not allow me to take a look at the financial statement- probably not
But I would ask them why not.
And would not hurt to attend at least one business meeting.

Salty said:

1) I would ask them to show me in the NT where I must tithe
2) IF I joined, I would put in cash w/out an envelope (Mabey ask them about that)


If they would not allow me to take a look at the financial statement- probably not
But I would ask them why not.
And would not hurt to attend at least one business meeting.

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I have never been a member of a church where the business meetings were not held during/with the regular church meetings.
There have been varying degrees of transparency in the churches I have been a member of. I do think that transparency is a good thing in churches. It is generally understood that the church’s income belongs to the care of the interests and responsibilities of the church that gave it.
Examples of this would be that the early church had all things in common, and that outside offerings and collections were voluntary and only mentioned by Paul as a means of avoiding the embarrassment of Paul’s own testimony of the church’s voluntary liberality.

If there is a way to be more transparent than we are now, I am always open to suggestions in our church.
I do feel that it is the responsibility of the church office, especially the financial department, to provide receipts for every transaction that the leadership or responsible managers make. We don’t go as far as reporting how much paper clips cost, but it is reported in a general category in monthly business reports. If anyone has questions, everything is available to be inspected.
If churches spent less time worrying about how much money they have and whether or not it is healthy for their members to know about it, they would probably get more accomplished for the kingdom than they are presently. We are not called to bury our talents.

Salty said:

If they would not allow me to take a look at the financial statement- probably not
But I would ask them why not.
And would not hurt to attend at least one business meeting.

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I once found a study that showed on average, about 6-10% of all money donated to churches actually goes towards charitable organizations and other good causes. The rest is spent on salaries and building expenses.

If that's true, would you find that to be highly problematic?

Tea said:

I once found a study that showed on average, about 6-10% of all money donated to churches actually goes towards charitable organizations and other good causes. The rest is spent on salaries and building expenses.

If that's true, would you find that to be highly problematic?

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Pardon me for jumping in.
If it’s a small church, your own pastor’s salary should be counted towards missions. The first missionary a church is responsible for is the one in its own Jerusalem, so to speak.
Beyond that good cause, if you don’t want to count any supplemental staff, you might find reason not to.
If the church is only meeting the basic needs of the church with their giving, it is not a very problematic statistic. If the giving grows and the focus is inward, that would be problematic
But if the overhead is a problem, meet in houses. Don’t expect too many random first time visitors.
If you look at your own responsibilities as problematic, you might have missed something. What charities did the early churches give to?

We also have a comparatively small budget. Factor that into the response.

Ben1445 said:

I have never been a member of a church where the business meetings were not held during/with the regular church meetings.

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When I visited a church in Germany (English speaking - composed of US military) The business meeting was held after the morning service. What happened is that the men went into the back room for the church business meeting. Women, teens and visitors were not allowed in! After a bit of time - the constitution was changed to end all that. The reason for the policy was that was the belief of their mother church.
In addition there were only 2 SS classes - the Nursery and anyone over the age of 5 was in the adult class.

Tea said:

I once found a study that showed on average, about 6-10% of all money donated to churches actually goes towards charitable organizations and other good causes. The rest is spent on salaries and building expenses.

If that's true, would you find that to be highly problematic?

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Salaries and bldg expenses are properly part of the budget.
Buying SS literature is part of ministry as well as a host of other items.

So what items would you see as problem for a church to spend

Ben1445 said:

What charities did the early churches give to?

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As far as I can tell, the only acts of charity went towards helping the poor Christians in Jerusalem, as well as tending to the needs of the widows, orphans, the sick, and those facing famine or persecution.

Perhaps your threshold might be higher or lower, but for me personally, I would expect that at least 50% of a church’s budget should be used for those specific purposes.

Salty said:

So what items would you see as problem for a church to spend

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I think churches should follow the example set in the New Testament, where the priority was to help brothers and sisters in need. I'm not saying pastors shouldn't be compensated for the hard work they do, and the building should be properly maintained, but 6 to 10% is way too low in my opinion.

Tithing was not replaced by grace giving. The verses used against tithing are actually about giving to the poor in Jerusalem and can be applied in the same way today. Tithing preceded the Law so not changed in the NT. Cheerfully give to the poor, but dutifully give your tithe.

OLD SARGE said:

Tithing preceded the Law so not changed in the NT.

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Jacob gave a tenth to the Lord of what He blessed him with on his journey and Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek. I don’t see anywhere that says they were commanded to do so.

Tea said:

Jacob gave a tenth to the Lord of what He blessed him with on his journey and Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek. I don’t see anywhere that says they were commanded to do so.

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It is their example that establishes the principle. I don’t say it creates it. Clearly they both knew to give a tithe instead of a different amount.
But their examples serve us.
How much do you support your local charity (church)? Only 6-10%?
Why is that not problematic?

Ben1445 said:

It is their example that establishes the principle.

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Animal sacrifices predated the Law. I suppose we should bring that back too.

Ben1445 said:

How much do you support your local charity (church)? Only 6-10%?

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I don’t go to a dedicated church building, so I don’t know. We’ve mostly been gathering in our homes. I’m not so legalistic about that I take out a calculator like a lot of IFB preachers would have you do.

My pastor supports himself by driving a truck for a living and leaves it up to us if we feel like giving him donations. More importantly, he encourages us to follow the actual biblical example of giving to those who are less fortunate.