Looking For a Church in Santa Cruz County?
Look no further! We have built this website to help you in your search.
Discovering a ministry or a church to attend can be a challenging experience that takes time, energy, and patience, especially if you have relocated to a new city. Since you can only visit a church one time per week this process can take weeks, even months. You can search out the perfect church and discover them on this website. We have included every church and ministry in Santa Cruz County to be an “introduction.” There are a few practical steps that you might want to consider as you prepare your own journey of discovering a new church or ministry to call home.
Prayer?
Spending time in prayer to seek direction from the Lord is the best place to start the journey of finding a new church or ministry. Spending a few minutes in prayer will keep you balanced and focused as yo begin your search for a new church.
What Denomination Am I Drawn To?
There are many denominations that you can choose from in your search. Catholic, Foursquare, Baptist, Lutheran, and Charismatic are a few of the options that you can choose from when starting your search. There are also interdenominational and nondenominational churches that are interspersed throughout this community.
Doctrinal Beliefs?
It is very important to understand doctrinal beliefs when choosing a church that is right for you. Many people become disillusioned after spending a great deal of time in a church to find out later that they have different theological beliefs than the church they are attending. You can find doctrinal statements on church websites that outline what they believe about key topics such as salvation, the holy spirit, church membership, and other key issues.
Be sure that the church that you choose to attend is teaching from the Bible and that they have a clear understanding of the authority of scripture to avoid issues in the community.
What is a Sunday Like?
When discovering a new church make sure to ask yourself if you are more drawn to formal liturgy or to a more informal environment. If you prefer a formal liturgy you would prefer Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Orthodox churches. If you prefer a more relaxed feel at church then you might prefer Protestant, Pentecostal, or nondenominational churches.
How Do I Like to Worship?
Worship is how we live our lives and express our devotion to God. There are many different styles of worship in the different churches you can access that will allow you to show your devotion to God. I have always appreciated the acronym “ACTS” which stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Every ministry is going to do this in different ways, but most, if not all churches will offer some sort of variations of these responses.
Some of the options for worship music styles are hymns, traditional songs, contemporary, choir, and orchestra; some have a mellow acoustic style and some have full “rock” band styles of worship. Since worship style is a big part of the worship experience be sure to consider the worship style you are most drawn to.
Various Programs?
Different churches offer different ministries and programs. For example, you may be looking for a church with a singles ministry, a children’s ministry, or an addiction recovery ministry. These ministries and programs are normally on the church website with meeting times and locations. You will want to explore the different ministries that churches are offering as that will help you discover the kind of church you are attending.
Size of the Church?
Ask yourself if you are looking for a smaller intimate community or if you are looking for a church with more programs. Large churches will often struggle to create a “family” close-knit environment that you might be looking for. While large churches may have small groups to offer the intimacy you are looking for. Relationships may be harder to develop in a large church as there are so many people in the room and making connections can be more challenging.
What should I wear?
Every church is different in its culture so make sure to ask yourself what is more important, “dressy or casual.” Perhaps you would prefer both in the community you participate in. These are all things that you may want to consider before choosing the church you call home.
Youtube Videos, Websites, and Calling First!
Make sure to preview the church or ministry as much as possible before taking time to visit the church in person. Taking time to research the church online could save you a trip on Sunday. However, if you like the message and worship style of the ministry online then this may be a good indication that visiting in person is the next step. Keep in mind that not all churches have “professional” production teams; or even budgets for online production. So ask yourself, “did I like the overall message of the pastor? Did I like the worship style?” These questions will help you in previewing the church or ministry before attending in person.
*Also, while you are visiting the church’s website be sure to look over the doctrinal beliefs and programs the church offers.
How Many Times Should I Attend Before Choosing?
Some questions to ask yourself when choosing for this to be your church home. Do I feel like I am growing in my relationship with Jesus when I attend this church or ministry? Do I feel engaged in the musical worship on Sundays, or is it too distracting? Is there a place for my children or spouse to be plugged in? Is there a reverence for the Word of God when the teacher is teaching? Do I feel like the community is healthy and people are friendly? Try to visit the church at least 3 times before making your choice to make this your church home.
Finally, if you still cannot find a place to worship talk to friends in town. What churches are they attending?
Don’t give up on your search to find a healthy church community to attend regularly. Local churches are incredibly important and finding community is vital to every believer!
