"Go where I can make the most difference" is the criteria I use. Hence, I'm now currently at a relatively small church (less than 100) and helping out in the youth group and worship team.

you could call it a God thing...

basing myself in one church I wanted to see what God was doing in the community because I knew God is big and that He moves in other place not just where i go to church but that He somehow involves Himself in other places because He is big like that so 2 friends of mine and I decide to visit other churches around our area...

one of the friends who decided to make this trek w/ me suggested we go to this one church who "conveniently" had 3 services with which I could do my ministry back at the home base then check out this other service at this other church and so we go... needless to say the place was packed with people and the worship was grand... the teaching I felt could be better because the church i based myself on taught verse by verse so it was more baby food nonetheless... but still... a pretty rockin place....

well... my tenure at the home church i went to was dwindling because of creative differences, spiritual squelching, and what I believed was wrong worship theology which made me wonder if I needed to leave... needless to say I couldn't just stop... but sensed God sending me out to another area (the church I visited)... well... before making the move... i had to have personal confirmation before I make the step...

prayed and sensed God telling me to read the Book of Joshua... obviously being the lame brain I am I ask, "Sweet, what verse?".  God, being patient as He is by grace said, "No little buddy, not a verse... read THE BOOK..."

so I spend a few weeks reading the book of Joshua... where Joshua is all about frontiering a new land filled with new opportunities promised by God...

Easter of 2004 rolls around and I knew as Jesus' resurrection was celebrated, I left... phased myself away from the circle of people i associated w/ save for 3 or 4 close friends, stepped down from the ministry there and plugged straight into this other church I've called home now for about a good 4.5 years... and love each second i'm involved in there...

BUT... i say look for a church w/ good sound doctrine and theology, believes the Bible for all it's worth, understands the mode of worship in the sanctuary, and does all it can to spur believers to reach out to the world in Jesus' Name.

They hired me as the youth minister... ha ha

ZING! 

We heard the chapter by chapter verse by verse teaching on a Christian radio station called HopeFM. We loved that all Calvary Chapel Churches go verse by verse chapter by chapter through the bible. So we started going to  a Calvary Chapel

Here is my criteria:

1. How friendly are the people? Beyond the greeters, does anyone else say hi to me on their own, without being told to do so? In a smaller church, someone should recognize you are new. In a larger church, do they have some kind of welcome for visitors?

2. The sermons. They don't have to be all flash and pop, but are they theologically sound, in context, and applicable to our daily lives? Has the pastor been to seminary and if not has he had some kind of biblical training. Just being another pastors assistant isn't enough for me. 

I started out as an intern in the character building program for school kids and my/our church involvement and membership came though that..

I go to my father's church but I'm actually in the process of finding a new church home...it can be quite scary when you've never belonged to a church apart from your parents...so reading other ppl's responses actually helps me...thanks for posting this topic!

I was going to say I've attended the same church my entire life, but that's not quite true as the pastors changed and we've a new name and new 'identity' as it were.

I've always attended church due to my ma.  The people I go to church with are like family, as they've all been part of church since I don't know how long.  They've moved locations a few times and in recent years the entire move, direction and feel of church did a complete u-turn.  In the mid nineties things started changing and the church, I suppose you could say, had a revival.  I guess at the time I never looked at it that way, though certainly looking back that's what it was.

Before the church was very 'traditional', and I doubt if it had continued on the course it was I would still be attending.  There seemed to be no life there.  Then  my pastors started a change, the church seemed to be splitting in terms of people wanting to stick to the old routine, fire and brimstone kind of preaching and a lot of negativity.  There's only so much 'you're wicked people, unless you repent and live by these strict rules or you will burn in hell' you can take, week in, week out.  I know some people can thrive in that type of church, but it's not for me.  My pastor were bringing in life, had a new vision, and certainly the youth of the church were behind them.

So the new church was born lots of us followed, it was revival which certainly kept me in church.  I couldn't imagine having to look for another church, it's beyond my thinking to consider going elsewhere.  I know some people who've looked at other churches, seen the 'mass' of attendance and have been envious.  But looking at the ministry team, my pastors are amazing people with such a vision that I want to be part of what they are building.

I can imagine the hardship people have finding a church, it's not a concept I've ever had to face.  I've been to other churches, sort of visits when my pastors have went to 'guest speak' and such but have never felt as comfortable as attending my own, small as it is, it's home.

@Pariahtich@xanga - Sounds like you should come to my church! I believe it has most of the qualities you described. It's warm and welcoming. First thing you would notice is that when you walk in would be someone to greet you with a smile and handshake and a handout. Every Sunday after the first worship song and before the sermon, we have a time to walk around and say hello to each other and to new comers. Our senior pastor teaches right from the word and it isn;t all just fluff and such..it's deep, it's provocative and it's meaningful, even when it's pointed toward areas we should be working on AND it's straight from the Word. We support missions, both at home and over seas and the body overall is very active in engaging others be you a new Christian, a mature Christian or simply someone searching....

Are there issues within our church? things I might change if I were in charge...Yes, I suppose there are, as there would be in any church..We are after all God's imperfect children....

But overall our church is filled with love and support and encouragement all in Jesus' name....

Come visit sometime

I went from church to church on Sundays till I found the one that I felt most accepted.

Still hunting...

We're looking for a church that is biblically sound, of course.  We have been to churches and learned lessons about what to look for, unfortunately.  It's important to us that the pastors are well-trained and formally educated, a solid eldership and deacon presence in the body, and a place where you are encouraged to strengthen your gifts and use them in service to others.  I  used to not care about the well-trained and formally educated concept, but after being under the leadership of a "pastor" who didn't know what he was doing and ended up hurting a lot of people with his arrogance and lack of counseling wisdom, we changed our minds!  Sure, Paul didn't go to seminary, but he was well-educated in Jewish law and history...  And a big thing - a church where there are no secrets!!

Our family was at a church where we were half the congregation - there's 11 of us all together - but still. There was really no fellowship there and we truly needed some. We went to this church a couple of our friends had recommended but only to cross it off our list (last time my parents had gone - a while ago no one even welcomed them.) So we went one Sunday to early service and then went to our church for it's regular service. We did that two weeks in a row and then just kept coming only to this one. When we started going only 900 people attended and now 4 years later 1300-1500 people attend every weekend. We have many pastors of different areas - the senior pastor remembered my mom and dad's name the 2nd time we had been there. They're so welcoming and we've gotten really involved with everything from missions, childcare for Bible studies, Sign language class (one of the services is entirely interpreted by people in the church for the deaf), and lots more. It's my home away from home.