Church In Nashville
Are you looking for a church in Nashville?
Maybe you just moved, or maybe you haven’t been to church in a long time and you’re interested in visiting one. Whatever your reason, this blog post is designed to help you learn a little more about how to find a good church in Nashville!
Before we start, there’s one important distinction. There’s a difference between the Church and a church. The Church refers to the whole body of believers. In the Bible, the Church is often used to talk about everyone who follows Jesus, regardless of where you live or what building you go to on Sundays. Sometimes you will see the Church capitalized to denote this.
A church is a more specific, localized body of the Church. A church meets together on Sundays and might fall under a number of different Christian denominations (or non-denomination!).
Finally (bear with us!), the Church can also be used to describe a collection of believers in a specific location. For example, the Church in Nashville refers to all the believers in Nashville, whereas a church in Nashville refers to a specific congregation.
Phew!
Alright, let’s get into it.
About Nashville and The Church
Nashville isn’t called “Music City” for nothing. The self-proclaimed city of dreamers and storytellers is famous for its songwriters and pop stars, yet it maintains a friendly, down-to-earth vibe that starkly contrasts with other music hubs like Los Angeles and New York.
The Church in Nashville shares the city’s desire for vibrant creativity and excellence without sacrificing humility and hospitality. Congregations have an unusual amount of musicians, writers, and singers, but of course there are also doctors, accountants, plumbers, teachers, delivery drivers, and so on!
So while the heart of the Church in Nashville is the same as the heart of the Church anywhere – to love God and love our neighbor – we like to think there’s a unique spin on church in Nashville. There’s no other city on earth like it!
What to look for in a church
In today’s day and age, picking a church can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of denominations with slightly different ways of practicing Christian faith. It can be hard to decide which one is doing it best!
Our recommendation? Stick to the basics.
Jesus didn’t come to complicate religion, he actually came to make it easier for us to know the Father! Here are some important things to look for in a church:
- Believes Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to eternal life
- Believes that Jesus died and rose again for the forgiveness of sins
- Believes that Scripture is God-inspired and the final authority on all teaching
- Emphasizes community and building up the body of believers rather than entertainment on a Sunday morning
- Strives to love God and people! No church is perfect, but this is central to the Christian faith.
- Transparency from leadership in finances, conflicts, beliefs, etc.
- Good music! Now obviously the heart behind worship is much more important than the sound quality. But here in Nashville, it’s not too hard to find both!
- Feels like home. Just because a church is doing all the right things doesn’t mean it’s the right place for you to invest in. God calls each of us to a specific place, so seek His heart for you! A good test is: does this church feel like home?
- Honors God above all else. Does the pastor get more attention than God? Does the worship music feel more like entertainment than an offering of praise? These are red flags.
What are YOU looking for?
We wouldn’t recommend ignoring the above recommendations when looking for a church, but there are some factors that aren’t necessarily wrong or right – they just come down to preference:
- Church size
- Some people love the energy of a thousand people in a room shouting praise songs! Others would prefer a quiet home church gathering of 10-20 people. There are pros and cons to both! Most churches agree that meeting in smaller numbers is valuable, so many larger churches also provide opportunities for small group meetings throughout the week.
- Church demographics
- Some churches are very trendy, attracting a younger crowd. Other churches are a bit more traditional, attracting an older crowd. Different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds also affect the “style” of a church service. Again, there isn’t necessarily a right and wrong here. If you’re like us though, you recognize diversity can be valuable for learning from one another!
- Worship styles
- Some churches have bright lights on stage for worship. Other churches might stand in a circle and sing hymns.
- Preaching styles
- Some pastors preach with energy, gusto, and creativity. Other pastors might try to avoid emotion, allowing the Scripture to speak for itself. Some sermons may be topical, or about a specific subject. Others might be expository, or about a specific passage of Scripture.
About Cornerstone Church
There are many great churches in Nashville, but of course we would love to invite you to visit Cornerstone! Here’s a little bit about us:
- Mission
- The ministries of Cornerstone Nashville are designed to attract those searching for meaning and purpose in their lives, introducing them to the saving power of Jesus Christ.
- We want to provide a path to living victoriously through Him, empowering individuals to serve the kingdom.
- Our overall goal is to share the love of Jesus to the world.
- History
- 1983 – Cornerstone has its first worship service in someone’s house!
- 1997 – recognized as the seventh fastest-growing Assemblies of God church in America.
- 2000 – worship center completed
- 2006 – 3 story ministry center completed
- 2015 – largest addition with dedicated multi-level kids center, commons area, coffee shop, and renovated Student Center all focused on the Next Generation
Come visit Cornerstone
- Service times
- Join us @ 8:30am & 10:30 am
- Our address is 726 W. Old Hickory Blvd Madison, TN 37115
- What to expect
- When you visit us, expect to meet a diverse community of people committed to sharing the life-changing presence of Jesus Christ in their lives.
We are believing God that our best days are ahead of us as we experience fresh vision and a new drive to reach out to our community in new and exciting ways. God is accomplishing great things through Cornerstone Nashville.
But remember, the church is not a building. The church is you—it is all of us together. Beyond creating a place for His plans to be carried out, God is creating a people who will carry out His will. He is intimately interested in you and in your becoming the person He has destined you to be.
Our prayer is that He will reveal to you the part you will play in this amazing victory! You can pray that prayer, too.
We hope to see you soon!