In our consumer society, where prevailing wisdom says we should be loyal to products or brands only insofar as our needs and tastes are satisfied, it can be easy for churchgoers to have a very low threshold for leaving a church. The slightest mismatch of preferences or the smallest amount of discomfort can lead a churchgoer to become a church shopper, scouring the "market" for the elusive perfect church. But there are no perfect churches. Every church will at times cause us to feel uncomfortable. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

We often leave churches too quickly, for the wrong reasons. When the discomfort level rises and the going gets a bit too tough, we give up. Sure, there are valid and important reasons why we should leave a church (heretical teaching, corrupt leaders, etc.), but there are also bad reasons. What are some common, but ultimately bad, reasons why we might be tempted to leave our current church? Here are seven:

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstockphotos.com

Discerning the Good from the Bad

In our consumer society, where prevailing wisdom says we should be loyal to products or brands only insofar as our needs and tastes are satisfied, it can be easy for churchgoers to have a very low threshold for leaving a church. The preaching loses some luster. The children’s ministry isn’t as fun as it could be. The worship leader’s hairstyle becomes bothersome. There are lots of bad reasons for leaving a church. But what are some legitimate reasons for leaving a church?

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/FluxFactory

Here are seven: