A community of believers? A place of peace and meditation? The one true way? A social support? An important tradition? No one answer will guide your course. Your faith, your family traditions, and your present needs will all affect how YOU define "church". Whether you already have a firm belief in God, or still long to know if there is meaning and purpose to life, these steps can be your guide.
Step 1
Begin with faith. OK, so you've heard this before. But you've already taken this step - you're here - you've asked the question.
Step 2
Pray! This is much harder for some people - it shouldn't be, but it is! A church should be built up unto God. Take God out of the equation, and you might just as well join your local service organization. It will give you the social involvement you want, and you can still take the kids to the movies for your Sunday outings. What I'm getting at, is using the faith you have from step one, to get down upon your knees and begin your search by petitioning the Great Creator to direct your search. Don't expect a pillar of light just yet - especially if it's been awhile since you've "called home".
Step 3
Search! For a blessed few, angels have come to the door bearing all things - for most of us, this step means study. Your search may include books, questions posed to close friends, the "net", or perhaps visits to prospective churches. If you have followed step two correctly, you may begin to feel little "nudges" from within, taking your search in a specific direction. The more times you repeat step two, the more likely these nudges will come during step three, and the more strongly you will feel them.
Step 4
Make a choice! Yes, that's right, life is all about choice. Review what you have learned, and choose what you are beginning to feel most comfortable with. Lay aside tradition, forget all prejudice and let your heart speak first. Then choose a direction.
Step 5
Repeat step two! For the prophets, long heavenly dissertations usually come after much struggle, and often require the ultimate sacrifice to confirm. God does not need to repeat what has already been said. Yes or no answers come much more easily from above. Ask The One who already knows the answer if your choice, is the right choice.
Step 6
Listen! Prayer is communication. That means when you speak, God listens, and when God speaks - you listen! Since God speaks with the Spirit, you will get your answer by the Spirit. You may feel a fulness of light, a sense of the dark, or nothing at all. The "light" will seem familiar to you, and doubt will flee. Repeating the first six steps will keep you on the right course until you have every answer your heart desires.
Step 7
If you have your answers, skip to step 9, if not, continue to step 8.
Step 8
Re-evaluate, Re-consider, Re-choose. You know what's right and wrong - it's called your conscience. If you know there is something in your life that makes you feel awful inside, get rid of it. The things that make us feel terrible about ourselves, get in the way of feeling the answers we might otherwise receive from above. Light and dark can never exist in the same place at the same time. Once you feel right about yourself, try your question again, if you still get nothing, change the question - that is, make another choice. Continue this process until you receive an answer confirmed by the Spirit as in step six.
Step 9
Live what you learn! Time and trial will dim the light you have received unless you daily add to it. Do not be afraid to ask for more answers using the above steps, and do not fear to share what you have learned with others. More will come after you asking the same questions. How will they know where to look, unless someone is there to tell them?
Warnings
- God has created much good. We recognize the source of that good by the way we feel inside. Many dark things exist upon the earth as well. We know by the way we feel inside that God is not the source of such things. If opposition to the good exists, then opposition to God must surely exist. That opposition will not want you to have your answers. You may face opposition from sources you never expected, but more likely, distractions will be sent to keep you from finishing your search. Do not end your search without receiving your answer!
