In discussing people who select a college and then ask him if he knows of any good churches in the area he says...
What would you think of someone who told you that they had made arrangements to move to a new planet, and then asked if you knew if the atmosphere was breathable? Or that they were on their way to a new country, but they were not sure if there would be any food there that they could eat, and did you have any recommendations? You would look at them as if they were mad! Air to breathe and food to eat: surely these are your first considerations when planning such a significant step, not the questions that you worry about once the business of getting there has been accomplished!He goes on to discuss how selecting a school (or potential job) may include having a list of school/work possibilities and a list of good churches and then looking for where there is overlap. Not a bad idea (try 9marks.org church search feature to get you started in locating potentially good churches).
So why is it that year after year, professing Christians students (and their parents) plan their intellectual, academic, professional or social development (or invest in the development of their offspring), and only subsequently ask whether or not their souls will receive faithful and loving care in the only environment on earth that Christ has ordained as the normal means for the lasting health of his people?
He also notes that it is true that God sovereignly works through our failures and at times thwarts even our best plans. So, a lack of planning will not thwart God and all the planning in the world will not force his hand of blessing. However, God's sovereignty is never a reason to shirk the God given responsibilities of wise decision making.
In case you are wondering if Christians have to go to church, or why church is such a big deal, check out this video from Crossway:
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