.jpg)
Are you seeking a church? Rev. Antonio Clinkscales, founder and CEO of Restoring Souls Ministries, has written a guide to aid you in your search. In How to Find the Perfect Church: Testing the Spirit, Clinkscales uses personal testimony, scripture and powerful prose to create a spiritual instruction book. In Part One of this interview, Rev. Clinkscales answers questions about his book. Then, he provides some challenge questions for the readers to answer. So, please read on, think about the challenge questions and post a comment. Here is Part One:
Richmond Books Examiner: What inspired you to write this book?
Rev. Antonio Clinkscales: For a long time I looked to the world for pleasure and fulfillment but was unsatisfied and disappointed. One day, as I was riding in my car listening to a talk show concerning the condition of churches today, the outpouring of frustration and anger toward the church and some leadership was heartbreaking. I, like the callers to the show, pleaded to the host, but really towards God, “is there a church where I can go that meets all of my needs?” Immediately, God began to show me how to find what I was looking for and pointed me in its direction. God pointed me towards the church; but not just any church – the perfect church!
RBE: In the first part of your book (pgs. 13-14) you talk about how you realized that all of your hopes shouldn't be placed in a church building or in humans, but instead through building a personal relationship with God. In your opinion, what are the first steps required for building a personal relationship with God?
Clinkscales: I, like many people, within our own personal church experience, place a greater value on the place of worship and/or its leader than on God. Either intentional or unintentional, this is very dangerous because the word of God declares in Deuteronomy 6:15 “For the LORD thy God is a jealous God.” Often, because one may be busy working in the church by serving in various capacities, one may easily confuse service with having a personal relationship with God. In addition, when one puts their trust solely in the leader, then the leader blocks the view of God.
As outlined in the book, the beginning process of finding the perfect church and building a relationship with God, one must eliminate the problems and hindrances of finding the perfect church and then to test the spirit. As readers draw closer to the perfect church, in actuality they are building a closer relationship with God.
RBE: Your book states that, "church is not a social club, but rather a revolution in the making." Would you like to go into more detail about this statement?
Clinkscales: Through salvation, one is called into action; meaning, we, as individuals, are commissioned to go out in the world to present salvation through Jesus the Christ to others. If accepting Christ into our life is good enough for us; then why isn’t it good enough for others? The answer is that salvation is good enough for all that confess and believe Jesus Christ in their heart. The revolution begins when one person shares Jesus with someone who doesn’t know Him and then that person accepts Jesus into their life and in turn that new convert shares Jesus with another person. Through one single act, quickly the message of Jesus is multiplied as a result of our obedience and effort. Somehow, throughout time, parishioners have forgotten their responsibility to present Jesus Christ to others and therefore many churches have become more of a Sunday morning social club for the invited. When a select few people within a congregation make a conscience decision to fulfill the will of God by ministering to others about Jesus outside of the four walls of the church, then the revolution begins; ultimately, the church, family dynamics, communities, and schools will evolve into something powerful and great for generations to come.
RBE: Would you like to share an excerpt from How to Find the Perfect Church?
Clinkscales:
The part that I feel captures the essence of the book comes from the Introduction, Beginning the Search:
The search to finding the perfect church actually begins with the individual. One has to make a conscience decision to locate that which seemed beyond reach far too long. When one determines to do whatever is necessary to find what has been missing and what is needed in life to make life complete, nothing can deter the search to achieving the goal.
Challenge Questions for Readers (from Rev. Antonio Clinkscales)
- How do you differentiate between which church and denomination to attend?
- In choosing a church or denomination, how much of a factor does your childhood church up-bringing factor into your decision making process?
- In choosing a church or denomination, do you apply a particular system or process in making your decision or is it solely based on how you feel?
Other Challenge Questions
- For those with a church home, what do you love about your church?
- For those seeking a church, what do you look for?
This series is designed to be interactive, so please comment on one or all of the challenge questions listed. Also, feel free to post other questions and comments. Then, return for Part Two where Clinkscales will discuss his youth mentoring program and upcoming events.
For more information: To learn more about Rev. Clinkscales or his book, please visit his website, visit the Kingdom Publishing Group website, or post a comment for him to answer. This article is part of the Reading Religiously series.
Comments