For many people, one of the first steps to making a new community feel like home is selecting a faith congregation to join.

Finding a place to worship in an unfamiliar city can sound daunting, but there are plenty of helpful resources out there to help you get started.

One of the most comprehensive tools for finding a congregation is the Internet. A number of denominations offer sites with search tools. www.Quakerfinder.org, for instance, allows users to search for meeting places by city, state and ZIP code. (The nearest silent-worship Quaker meetings to Pearland are 19 miles away in Houston and 35 miles away in Galveston).

The Islamic Society of Greater Houston, www.isgh.org, features a listing of its centers, including a Pearland location at 6057 Broadway (281-412-0478).

Researchers will find a broader base of information at www.worshipquest.org,
which allows users to find churches under 22 denominations by location or ZIP code.

General search engines such as Google and WebCrawler can be productive, too. A search under “Jewish Pearland” reveals The Chabad Pearland Jewish Center, www.jewishpearland.com, and searching under “Hindu Pearland” brings up Sri Meenakshi Temple, www.emeenakshi.org.

Armed with a list of possibilities, you can return to the Internet to visit congregations’ individual Web sites.

“People are so connected to the Internet,” said the Rev. Sonny Foraker of First Baptist Church Pearland. “Churches, if they are wise, will build a very good Web site, one that is easily navigated.”

These Web sites help prospective members look for specific programs that interest them, such as children’s ministries.

“When they begin to visit churches, they’ll look for the one the Web site draws them to,” Foraker said. “Then it’s the responsibility of the church to always have their best foot forward.”

Church listings also can be through the chamber of commerce. The Pearland Chamber of Commerce features a list of area congregations at www.pearlandchamber.com. Click on “Life” and select “Churches and Temples.”

Listings are organized by denomination and include addresses, phone numbers, contact people and, when available, Web sites. If you can’t find a church under a denomination you have in mind, look under “Non-denominational” and “Other,” which both have long listings.

Keep in mind, the chamber’s list is not all-inclusive, information specialist Nancy Dalton said.

“There are a lot of new churches springing up all of the time, and they don’t always know that service is available,” Dalton said.

A print directory with the chamber’s newest listings is expected to be released soon.