Why Church Attendance?

I am a fan of the local church. That’s no secret. I have regularly attended church since my boyhood, except for the times I had no ride. Church services have always fascinated me – the hymns, the clapping, hand raising, testimony services, preaching, altar calls and even the offering segment! At church, I experience the love of God as expressed through worship and people I love. When I accepted Christ as my personal Savior at age fourteen, I was completely sold out to the mission of the local church. During that service, I also felt the call to full time ministry, even though at the time I did not one-hundred-percent understand the pull on my heart. The only thing I knew was that my life would be devoted to Christian service as expressed through a local church. 

Now, fifty-three years and six pastorates later, my mind remains firm. I still love the local church! By the same token, I have been often misunderstood and accused of placing too much emphasis on church attendance. I’ve heard repeatedly, “The church doesn’t save you. One can be a Christian and not go to church.” Technically, this may be correct, but it’s not the whole truth. You know what? Church is God’s idea! The Church (God’s people) goes to church. In other words, Christians – Christ followers – are to gather together. We don’t have to go to church, we get to go! Hebrews 10:25 says, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as some are doing, but all the more as the day of his coming approaches.” The Lord desires that his people find community and spiritual sustainability in a local house of worship. 

Admittedly, many Christians have become churchy. Even entire denominations! Service structures, buildings, boards and other governing bodies, quint essential committees, controlling mindsets, policy makers, and a host of nonessentials have become more important than matters of the heart. Church hurt is common. Offenses abound over things that in the scheme of life and eternity simply do not matter. I personally believe that God yawns over some of the silly idiosyncrasies that arise in churches. Have we allowed the “Little c” to override the wonder of the “Big C?” Have we forgotten that the Church goes to church? Do our buildings, policies, committees and ways of doing things take priority over winning the lost to Jesus? Would we rather debate the small things? Has position overridden
passion? These questions beg a response! There’s perhaps a lot wrong with local churches, but I believe there’s a lot more that’s right! To this belief, I cling!

When I began pastoring in 1978, we attended church three times a week – Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening; and we held extended revival meetings at least two times each year. We conducted summer Vacation Bible Schools, offered Sunday School, enjoyed fall festivals, Christmas programs, work days, potluck dinners, and so much more. Today, it is not uncommon for local churches to meet only once weekly. For this reason, it becomes paramount that believers refuse to fill their Sunday mornings with anything but church. I’m sounding the alarm! 

We often hear, “Those who continue to miss church, eventually do not miss church.” The enemy subtly and deceitfully draws many away from Christian community into a life of spiritual mediocrity and even total disdain for the house of God. Not only do communities need solid Bible-preaching, Christ-honoring churches; they need gathering places where the hurts and brokenness of humanity can experience healing. The church must never become obsolete or deemed as nonessential. 

Heaven will be populated by those who found salvation and community in a local church. Life on earth will become better lived as we allow the local church to bring instruction and healing to our broken places. I agree with the psalmist who wrote, “I was glad when they said to me, let’s go to the house of the Lord” (Ps 122:1 - NLT). See you in church!