If you were involved in a ministry on a college campus you may have a dynamic experience of Christianity and what it means to be a part of a spiritual movement impacting the world around them.  If you were involved in a church near campus it could be that the church had a vision for this as well.

Unfortunately the idea of the church being a spiritual movement that infiltrates a city and even transforms it, does not seem to be a very pervasive philosophy among many churches in U.S. cities... particularly as it pertains to how believers integrate their faith and work.

For many churches the following statements are either the spoken or unspoken view of its leaders:

• The kingdom of God is something that will manifest itself exclusively in the future, on the other side of the rapture;
  
• Church is what happens in our building, on our campus or in our programs
  
• To stay spiritually vital  we must consistently stay out contact with the world
  
• The marketplace is dirty and is Satan or the worlds domain
  
• Success is unspiritual

As long as people believe that the church was born between four walls, people will always need four walls to have a church.  This misconception becomes ingrained in parishioners’ minds when they are exhorted to come to church, bring friends to church, get involved in the church, do your activities at church.

Instead, the biblical prototype is that the Church is happening all over the city multiple times a day, where the individual and/or community of believers are experiencing God, following the Spirit’s leading, being an ambassador/pastor to their place of work or wherever they are at in the city, and sharing the love of Christ as God provides open doors.  Now that is church!

It is interesting to note that of the 40 miracles that happened in the book of Acts, 39 of them took place outside the temple or synagogue.

The disciples knew that they were to be witnesses all over the city, and when they did, a church was planted.  They saw themselves infiltrating the fiber of the city. They never saw themselves as building a building and having church.

In looking for a church after college there are several things that you will probably have in mind:
· What style of worship do I most enjoy?
· What size of congregation do I like
· Does God use the preaching to get into my heart?
· Is there a place to experience community with others ?
· Are there people there like me ?  How important is this to me ?
· How is the word of God treated  ? With honor ?  As the inspired word of God ?
· Its about more than getting my needs met.  What opportunities do I have to use my gifts, talents, skills and desires to serve the Kingdom here?

Other questions that need to asked as well in light of the narrative above are these:
· Does the church have a vision for helping me be equipped for ministry ?
· Does the church view what I do and where I work as a ministry outlet ?
· Do I feel that church is more focused on bringing people to church events than sending people out?
· Are they serious about spiritual growth and accountability?
· Does the church see itself as “Christ against Culture” or “Christ transforming Culture”.
· Does the church desire to be relevant to the world it is reaching ?
· Has it sacrificed biblical truth in order to be relevant ?
· Do they see themselves as a movement of believers that can literally transform the city?

Wow, what a list.  If you find a church that can meet all these things,  you have found one of the best churches in the country.  Nevertheless, this list of questions and others you can think of can serve you well.

Whatever you choose, try and find a place that does not have the limited view, that church is primarily what happens for 1 hour on a Sunday morning when everyone is gathered.  But church is about equipping and sending believers to impact the world around them.