Church Shopping

My husband and I recently moved to a new area. It’s been exciting exploring the local farmer’s markets, best places to bargain shop, and backroads suitable for my afternoon runs. But the hardest part of moving has been finding a new church home. We loved our former church and that has made church shopping a little more difficult. 

I think many believers would agree that church shopping is no fun. I have found myself yearning for the days I could walk into a church and feel known. Each face would greet me with a friendly smile and small talk.  

“How was work last week?” 

“What did you do this weekend?” 

“Anything fun coming up this week?” 

As horrid as Sunday morning small talk can be for us introverts, I miss those welcoming tributes. Walking into a new church has felt a little less warm and inviting lately. Not a single person greeted us at the first church we visited. I remember searching the room for a friendly face and no one looked my way. We left the church that afternoon feeling defeated. Church shopping has been more exhausting than we anticipated. 

I have found myself hurting for my fellow church shoppers. I think of families affected by disability and wonder how hard finding a church must be. Some of the families with children who have special needs have told me that when their family was searching for a church, they chose the church that best welcomed their son who has a disability. After the service, a member of the church took this family on a tour of the building and asked how their church could make his family feel welcome—and that’s what made them decide to stay. 

Another family I encountered at a Banquet Network coaching meeting shared that her family is always late. She said the most embarrassing part of attending church for her family is finding seats. Having not only one, but three children who have special needs, locating seats in the middle of worship feels hopeless. One of her sons uses a walker to help with his stability. He desperately tries to see the lyrics and join in song with the congregation but cannot stand for long periods of time. And unfortunately, because her family is typically late, the aisle seats with more visibility are already taken. How discouraging. After the woman shared this with her church group, another church member offered to save a section of seats along the aisle for her family every Sunday morning. Her facial expressions shifted from dismay to hope. You could see the gratefulness in her teary eyes as she thanked the gentleman for his kind offer. Now, this church blocks off an aisle of seating for families that are new and may walk in late. 

Church shopping is no fun, but as Christ followers we can change that. I pray that stories such as these encourage you to seek out the new folks in your church, especially the families who have children with special needs. Invite them over for dinner. Search for the lonely faces looking for a smile. Engage those in the church you haven’t yet met and ask how you can make their family feel at home. Be the reason a family or an individual decides to make your church their home. 

By: Allie McCarty, Communications + Operations Manager