Whether you’re off to college for your first semester this fall or returning, finding a church can be a challenge. If you grew up going to one or two churches, odds are you weren’t the one making the primary decision on where you were going. Now that the decision is in your hands, what do you do?

Well, I’m not sure if I have all the answers, but as a college minister of a local church I want to help! Life moves fast in college, and your starting habits in a given semester get locked in before you realize it. No matter what you’re aiming to do in college, I know that you’re looking for a place to belong, make friends, and find support in this season. A church can be a great source for that!

While these 5 tips are fairly general, if you put them into practice, I believe you’ll have an easier time finding a church home this school year. Let’s get started!

Tip 1: Think about what you’re looking for in a church first

Sounds obvious, right? Well, if you’re anything like me when I was searching for a church in college, my first step was googling “Baptist church in Arlington TX.” After getting a bunch of results and looking over a lot of church websites that all melded together, I just felt more confused. What I needed to do was have at least some kind of criteria that could help filter through all these results.

Maybe you got this blog from searching something similar to the above. Welcome! At this pit stop in your searching, take a few minutes and consider: “What am I looking for in a church?” When I ask visiting students this question, often their answers include:

• Community
• Truth
• Small groups
• A college ministry
• Impactful worship
• Good preaching

While First Baptist Arlington has all these things, maybe you have different things on your list. Before picking a church to visit, filter your results with your goals in mind. While it can be hard to get a clear sense from a church website, your list will also help you when you physically visit the church.

Alongside what you’re looking for, consider this question: What do I believe? That’s a super broad question, but it’s good to have some basic ideas in place so that when you go to the “about/what we believe” page, you can actually look over it with a goal. This has helped me rule churches off my visit list in the past and helped me feel confident in the places I was visiting.

Tip 2: Research your church options and do a bit of homework on them

Again, maybe feels a bit basic, but hear me out here. With your list and basics in mind, refine your search. In DFW, there are SO MANY CHURCHES. How do you find the right one? When I was in your shoes, after I made my list, I refined my search to “Baptist church near UTA” and dived into the results.

Church websites can be helpful and frustrating at the same time. I say this as someone that used to design them back in the day. The front page usually has the basic info on it and some photos to communicate a vibe. But, where you should go first is the “what we believe” page or whatever they call it on their website.

Once here, give it a decent look. It is important that before you get drawn in with production value or design, you know where they stand on key matters of the faith. Once they pass your test, then take a look around site. Check if they have a college ministry or small group. Maybe check out a live stream from the last week or two. Check out the Instagram.

While it is second nature to start searching for churches with google, I’d argue that you get better results by asking people. If you have friends in the area or meet some Christians after you move in, ask them where they go to church or if they’ve visited any of the places you’re looking at. They’ll be able to help give you some suggestions!

Tip 3: Arrive 10 minutes early

You’ve considered and researched, now it is Sunday morning and you’re off to church. If you can, aim to be about 10 minutes early to either the Sunday Bible study or the service. This will give you some time to find parking, navigate the building, and maybe even meet a couple people.

At First Baptist Arlington, we’ve got a team at the main entrances who will greet you, give you a gift for visiting, and help you find your destination. Many churches have similar teams, so be on the look out and connect with them. They’re there to help make the morning easy for you, so take advantage of that!

Tip 4: Ask the magic question

If you like the experience, try asking someone, “How can I get connected here?” The great thing about asking this question on your visit is that you could ask it of a church member or staff member and get helpful information. They’ll be able to tell you how they found community or give you some insight on how that works at the church.

This isn’t you making a commitment. Nor is it a request to serve. Instead, this will give you some helpful information as you consider which church to call home in the coming weeks.

Church leaders do their best to meet new people and help them get connected, but if you ask this question, it makes life easier for you and for us. Helps us as leaders know that you’re seriously looking and helps you because we can give you resources and info you need.

Tip 5: Visit the college ministry or Sunday Bible study (if they have one)

Some churches, like First Baptist Arlington, have college ministries specifically designed for students like you to find community and grow in your faith. We have a Sunday morning Bible study that meets at 9:30am. Alongside that, we’ve got a college service that meets on Thursday nights for a meal at 6:30pm and worship at 7:30pm. It’s a great place to meet people your age, make Christian friends, and find support for your walk with Christ.

If the church has a college ministry, the details will likely be on their website, and you should check it out before making a decision about the church. Odds are, this is where you’d find community. Going to a Sunday service is good, but it’ll be a challenge to find community if that’s all you’re attending at a given church.

Then What?

After doing all this, prayerfully consider the churches and communities you’ve visited. If I can offer a challenge, I recommend picking at least one of your church options to attend for a few weeks by the 3^rd or 4^th week of the semester. That may seem fast, but bear in mind that a semester is only like 16 weeks long.

You might not be ready to formally join, but if you hop from church to church or ministry to ministry, you’ll likely feel like you aren’t making connections. And that’s because relationships and community take time to take root. So even if you’re not 100% on board at the start, give it a bit of time!

Know that you’re being prayed for as you read over this! If I can be a resource for you as you search for a church in Arlington or the surrounding cities, feel free to shoot me an email.