What should you look for in a church?

It is the season when supermarkets and Ikea are filled with young adults and their parents doing ‘the university shop’.

Journalists begin rehashing their annual articles: '24 tips for starting university', filled with sage advice about starting freshers with plenty of cold remedies and bringing chocolate brownies to share with new housemates. Parents are advised to 'let go and remember that their child is an adult'.

It is also the time of year when Christian social media feeds are filled with these questions: ‘Can anyone recommend a church in ….?’ (Fill in the university city of your choice here). This will be followed by a list of churches in the town - the larger the city, the more extensive the list. Often, the person asking the question is not the student themselves but a church leader or parent.