But the spiritual tourists (ST's) are another breed altogether. They are on a restless merry go round looking for the perfect church and (just in case you are wondering) yours will almost certainly be just another disappointment. They may stay for a service or two; they may linger for months or even years. Even if they do stay for a while, it will not be with any clear statement of long term commitment.

There are a number of common traits:

* Their view of what the church should be and do is based on a narrow focus. This will vary from a rugged conservatism, to chandelier swinging Pentecostal hype, to a longing for liturgical grandeur. There are almost always private, predetermined doctrinal "hobby horses" which are used as benchmarks to determine if the church is truly spiritual. These may include fixed views about the Lord's return right through to whether certain spiritual gifts are being exercised or not.

* Tolerance for alternative understandings of church and ministry is minimal. Your average ST is heavily into the making of judgements, usually snap ones based on little evidence. Their self appointed role of judge and jury all too often demonstrates a critical spirit and an absence of grace is coupled with an overt righteousness displayed with great fervour. This incapacity to be tolerant and understanding of other views of church marks a rigid people for whom flexibility is a sign of weakness and an absence of biblical certainty.

* Behind their travels from church to church there lurk pressing ego needs and a desire for power and influence often associated with a thinly veiled hostility, if not arrogance. This unhappy bundle is directed towards the Christian community at large which they see genuine devotion to the Lord to be in short supply. This means that the pastor is in immediate trouble since ST's usually believe they could outperform most pastors. It is all part of an emerging vendetta against the congregation, a preoccupation which defines them as wolves roaming among the sheep.

* In essence ST's are all too often spiritually disturbed, mostly unhappy people whose desire for control and perfection is a profound handicap. Sadly their families are often in pain and are dysfunctional in one way or another. Their bitter spirit signals internal confusion and a monumental lack of real peace. It is not too tough to wonder at times if they are truly redeemed people given the obvious lack of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Joy is notably absent.

* Their inability to love and tolerate their brothers and sisters in Christ suggests much about their own personal relationship with God which they clearly profess but which increasingly appears as a delusion given their angst directed towards the church. Coupled with this is a tendency to gossip and deal lightly with the truth.

* It is not at all uncommon for an ST to announce that they have at last found a church where the Gospel is faithfully preached and the pastor is duly affirmed. It will be but a short time before a perceived heresy emerges and the dust will be shaken off their feet as they depart for a new congregational destination.

* The extraordinary characteristic of many ST's is their uncanny inboard radar system which leads them unerringly to others in the congregation who may also be less than happy with the way the church is functioning. ST's, especially those who stay around for a while, are then able to destabilise and discourage with economy size impact.

* Do not assume that the ST's are converted people. It is easy to be deceived by an encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible and a wonderful facility to navigate the church culture with all the right turns of phrase. They can often pray like angels and at great length in prayer meetings. But their powerful albeit subdued push for doctrinal perfection signals that they have never known for themselves the generous grace of God.

* Don't be surprised when they arrive. Some you will not recognise straight away. Since Jesus warned us to be on the lookout for the wolves among the sheep, we are foolish indeed to imagine that we will not have to deal with them. Remember that some will arrive solely to keep the pastor honest and vet the sermons to ensure biblical purity.

* Be clear in your own mind about the vision, direction and theological stance of your church. Be able to explain with clarity, precision and brevity what you and your people are about in your worship and witness. Be competent in describing your church in terms of its understood mission, not in terms of where your stand on specific issues which can quickly become points of unexpected tension. These latter include: dispensationalism, creation science, tongues, healing, inerrancy, women in leadership and many others.

* Take care when differences do emerge particularly in regard to the issues identified above. ST's generally love a debate; they feed off it and are good at it. They have also marshaled a formidable array of bible verses to support their view. This reliance on the Bible (to be commended, of course) does not, however, always leave room for other interpretations which will probably be described as liberal or misguided. If there is no give at all on their part, the value of continuing engagement is suspect.