Another, from a retired pastor:

When we retired we visited a number of churches, looking for one to become involved with. This experience was a bit of a shock.

The following are the matters that were somewhat of a measuring stick of things we were looking for. These are not in any particular order. We were not looking for the “perfect” church, but a place to give and receive.

Were the Bible messages related to real life situations.?

Was the church user-friendly.?

Was the welcome at the door an indication of the atmosphere of the church.

Did the leadership have people skills? (very important)

Was prayer a natural part of the church life.?

Were the facilities user-friendly?

Was the mandatory cup of coffee afterwards a pleasant experience. (It was frightening in some places)

Were missions and outside ministries on the church agenda?

Was the volume of the music bearable. and assisting the worship.

Who was the target audience of the church? (it comes out in many ways)

We asked ourselves how would a complete outsider to the faith would feel if they came here?

Disabled facilities were important.for us.

Was there an atmosphere of freedom evident in the church?