How do I know when it's time to transfer to another church?

There is a reason why God designed Christians to exist in communities, and that's because we grow best when we are surrounded by a group of believers who build us up in the faith. Nowadays, there are so many churches that Christians can be a part of and the issue is no longer "Should I go to church?" but rather "Which church should I go to?"

There is nothing wrong with transferring to a different church if done for reasons that do not involve offence, hurt and unhealthy disagreement with leadership. In fact, sometimes God calls believers to a new season to be a blessing in another church.

How can we know when it's time to transfer to another church? Here are just a few cases that I've encountered that could be signs that it's time to move to a new church community.

1. When God is calling you to

Whether God calls you to move to a smaller church to share your skills there, transfer to a closer church when God gives you a new job opportunity in the other corner of town or marry someone from a different church and attend his or her church, we must trust and obey that God knows where He wants us to serve and grow. Often it's hard to let go of existing friends and cultures in your current church, but when God says "Go" believe that He will give you the strength to do so.

2. When the calling of the church is not your calling

The church I attend places a high and strong emphasis on discipleship, and that's how we grow as a movement. When someone in my small group feels God is calling him or her to be part of a congregation that is called to something other than discipleship, I don't tighten the leash. Instead I release the person to find a church that can help that person fulfill what God is calling him and his family to do.

3. When your community is in a different church

I was once engaging a student who got saved in our church. After He received Jesus, he transferred to a different church that his family was attending. You see, his parents were Christians already, and he wanted to be a part of the church that his family already attended. When your friends, family members or colleagues are part of a different congregation and you want to join them so that you can help each other grow more in God, feel free to move. After all, church is about building a community that leads you to Christ.

4. When you are no longer growing in your church

Sometimes, our growth just stops in one church. Often that can be a sign that it's time to get fed somewhere else or be a blessing somewhere else so you can grow in your ministry skills. God is all about growing churches, and to do that people must grow as well.