About 10 years ago, my uncle sent me to a town an hour away from our family farm to look at herd bulls to purchase. Our herd bull at the time was what cattle people call a meat box, short and filled out everywhere. He was very fertile (100% pregnancy rate) and hardworking (he impregnated the entire herd of cows during their first menstrual cycle post-calving). There was just one problem with Thor. He was temperamental, and we were nervous about handling him, which necessitated the need for a different herd bull.
When I arrived at the farm with the bulls for sale, the farmer showed me several and pointed to two he really liked. One was a short meat box with a big hump on his neck that seemed to be even-tempered. He looked the part! The other was a taller, skinnier youngster from an award-winning genetic line of bulls and cows.
My instinct was to take the meat box, but the farmer told me that his mom had a genetic issue that I should be aware of. I won’t bore you with the details. This one issue swung both my uncle and me, and we ended up picking the skinny bull from the award-winning genetic line. Unfortunately, we made the wrong decision!
The new bull, Thunder, only had an 80% pregnancy rate. Thunder did not consistently impregnate the cows on their first post-calving cycle. He produced fewer calves who did not gain weight as fast or as well as Thor’s dad. In short, he was not very fertile.
Finding a church home is just like finding the right herd bull.
Throughout COVID, I have had many conversations with people who were looking for a new church home. I was not immune to this search either. My wife and I left our home church of 10 years in January. We began sifting through many church websites and sermons to find a church community we wanted to try. Finally, we found a great church home and are officially joining this week.
The decision to leave our church home of 10 years was not one we took lightly, and in many ways, it was painful. Nevertheless, we studied scripture, prayed, talked to trusted friends and church leaders before deciding on searching for a new home. If you find yourself being led (for Biblical reasons) to explore a different church, here are some things I learned during the process.
First, think like a cattle farmer. The number one trait to consider in selecting a herd bull is fertility. Will this bull produce generations of cattle? This same logic should be applied to joining a church by asking does this church produce generations of Jesus followers.
For a church to produce generations of Jesus followers, they must preach the whole Gospel clearly, accurately, and often. A fertile church has pastors and elders that take shepherding and discipleship seriously. They are devoted to raising up future leaders and servants. Their leadership should not shy away from cultural topics but should thoughtfully engage them through the lens of historical Christianity. Thus, rejecting cultural influence when it threatens to corrupt the preaching and witness of the Gospel. They should not care about what will happen to donations if they remain biblically faithful to the message of Christ.
The church’s culture should be steeped in a clear understanding of the Gospel, scripture, and a discipleship culture. Members of a healthy church will understand how to make disciples who make disciples, who make disciples. Churches with these traits are humble, welcoming, and their members will seem to be trained in hospitality.
Should you find a church with these things, don’t get hung up on a single trait that has to do with preference. Don’t reject a faithful church for a church that seems more culturally acceptable. Instead, seek a church that is fertile and produces generations of Christ-followers that champion the Apostolic Gospel.
Think like a farmer and seek fertility.
