how we ended up picking FBC Navarre as our home away from home?

Since FBC Navarre was the result of Nicole's research, I'll just share with you the process she followed. Two weeks before we left Houston, she was already checking out local church options on-line. Here was the argument she brought behind her suggestion as she rolled it out to me:

First, they affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 on their website. Very good. NEHBC belongs to a network of like-minded local churches, the SBC, who voluntarily cooperate together in ministry. There are more than 40,000 churches in the network. So no matter where we travel stateside, we first look for an SBC church. One of the requirements for belonging to the SBC is that a local church affirm a shared statement of beliefs called the BFM 2000 (no, not the 1963--that one is obsolete). This is NEHBC's statement of faith. One of the many advantages of belonging to a SBC church is that when you are on the road, you can easily identify other local churches that share NEHBC's positions on the key doctrines of Scripture. Like we do at NEHBC, other SBC churches also require all who teach the bible in their church to teach in accordance with and not contrary to the BFM 2000. So, the fastest and most effective way to identify a local church where your family can worship with a sense of spiritualy security and safety is at a church who affirms the BFM 2000. Look for it on their website. Another way would be to go to the SBC's website and do a church search based on the town where you will need a place to worship. The churches listed on that website affirm the BFM 2000. Most of the time, this is probably enough for identifying a local church while on the road.

Second, she checked out the pastor's training and noted he received his formal education at one of the SBC's six seminaries. Since a healthy percentage of the money you tithe to NEHBC in large part funds these seminaries, and thus makes you part owner, you should at least familiarize yourself with the names of these schools: Golden Gate (San Franscisco/West Coast), Midwestern (Kansas City), Southwestern (Fort Worth), New Orleans, Southern, (Louisville, KY), and Southeastern (Wake Forest, NC,--no, not the university, the town.) If a pastor has graduated from one of these schools, it is very likely a good indication that the local church you are considering is sound.

Third, it was close. Proximity matters. To be sure, we would drive an hour to worship if it was the only viable option, but close is better. This particular church is only five minutes from where we are staying.

Next time you are on the road looking for a local community of believers with whom you can worship on your sabbath day, consider following this process Nicole used.