Birds of a Feather

Modern people imagine themselves so individualistic, they can hardly believe that their beliefs and lifestyles are mostly copies of the people around them. We are imitating creatures and easily take on the mannerisms and attitudes of other people. We even tend to imitate other people’s desire—if they really want or care about something, we will pick up that desire; desires can be thought of like viruses; we catch them by being around other people.

Since we can’t evacuate ourselves from an unbelieving world, we need a place to anchor ourselves, and that place is the church. Finding a good church and committing yourself to it is probably the most important decision you will make whenever you move to a new community. After being a part of a church for some time, you will pick up the attitudes and desires of that church, and that should be a good thing.

A church will change you in countless ways, but this article explains some current attitudes and why it’s important to find a church with intentional priorities. BBC is far from getting everything right, but the elders do strive to be intentional in our priorities, not letting pragmatism lead the way. We are all far too easily led by crowds and influencers, and we must have leadership that is thoughtfully engaged with the Word.

You will be changed by your church. That’s a fact. But also consider your role in the life of the church. If your desire is for faithfulness, for whole-hearted discipleship, and for evangelism, then that desire will be caught by others. If your desire is for Christ, you will see that desire catching on. If your desire is for comfort or the world, that desire will also catch on. None of us live alone. We are all members of one body, his body, the church.