This may be one of the most controversial and critized subjects. If you hang with me for just a moment, you may get a different perspective. While I agree that church hopping can be dangerous, I am also a firm believer that there are real reasons to make a change.  You will never find the perfect church or even a church where you fit in. The reason for that is, God did not make us to fit in, in this world. I Peter 2:11 says “Sojourners and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly love which war against your soul”. (NKJ) The same scripture in Passion translation calls us, “resident aliens and foreigners in this world”. Those terms alone indicate there is a reason we don’t fit in.

However, you may find a place where you feel God has called you to and that is the place you should be planted.  Now for the reasons God may direct you to change the place where you worship; 1) you can no longer grow in that environment because Holy Spirit has shown you  some things the Leadership at that church do not believe. 2) The environment is toxic, such as Leadership uses the pulpit as their soap box, control and manipulation is in full operation or worse yet the “Word of God” is being compromised by erroneous teaching. 3) If you have children, your current church has no children ministry and/or the children are not learning the word of God.

All of the above are valid reasons to make a change. The first time my husband and I had to change churches if was painful because my Father and many people we loved and felt connected to were in this church. However, I had been baptized in the Holy Spirit at an Aglow meeting and I was being introduced to the gifts of the Spirit and I was in a church where I got a solid foundation (which is a good start) but they did not believe in moving in the gifts of the Spirit. This was a painful move for my husband and I but a necessary one.  We truly are sojourners and have to walk out our pilgrimage, so if the Lord tells you to change churches it is not a bad thing as long as you are not trying to find some where you will fit in.  When we get to heaven we will all fit in because that is our “true home”.  If you are in a place where your anointing is being squelched, where the worship team has to be conformed to a certain sound because Leadership feels that only a certain sound is conducive for ushering you into the presence, or you are being told what you can And can not do….examples they get upset when you go to a conference that is not in your church, they give words as a form of manipulation, they try to cause division between a husband and wife, or you feel bound, you probably need to run out that door. Jesus came 100% man and 100% God so that we could be free from bondage. God is good and He loves us. If you have young children, please do not torture them by making them sit in adult church. They will be bored and they may even begin to loath church. It is more important for them to be in an environment where they can learn about God in age appropriate ways.

Always seek his direction when making a change.  Pray about it and then listen for an answer.  Check to see if  what you are hearing lines up with His word. If you can find scripture to back up what you believe you have heard it’s a good indicator, that  is indeed God speaking.  Sojourners will sometimes have to move, that is not a bad thing.  Just remember to get planted and there will be times you won’t feel like you belong but if God’s Spirit is in the house……stick it out. You will grow when you become faithful and immovable.