On the June 6, 2009 Battle Lines broadcast we discussed what to look for in a church. We began by discussing the need to be in church. According to Barna’s research, a full 17% of people who attend church less than once a year are born again Christians. About half of the overall population of the U.S. does not attend church on a weekly basis and a significant portion of those skipping church are believers! A lot of people are wondering, particularly young adults, why it is important to be a part of a local church. While it certainly is a good thing to attend church on Sunday morning, we are talking about more than just sitting in a pew for an hour once a week. The Christian is a member of the body of Christ and the family of God. Sometimes we call that the universal church; and the universal church finds visible expression in the local church. A Christian connected to a local congregation is part of a community, involved in ministry, submitted to biblical leadership, and regularly under the teaching of the Word. Most Christians, at least once in their lives, have had the experience of looking for a local church to call home. What should you look for in a church? We discussed six characteristics of a good church.