Why Go to Church?

Since we have arrived back in California, Kathy and I started looking for a church. The search for a place to learn and worship on Sunday mornings has been somewhat frustrating because we haven’t gone to a place and received a “BOOM!” feeling, like this is the place we should be. To add to the confusion, at the same time we started looking for churches, I got into a discussion with a friend about attending church and he rattled off many logical points to explain why he no longer attends church. Perhaps an easier blog topic would have been on the reasons why not to attend church - I can mention many different things, but I’ll echo my friend’s points:

1. The American church is, as a whole, dead and not passionate about Christ (this point can be argued, keep in mind this is coming from someone pessimistic about the American church)
2. Christ says that where two or more people gather, He is there – so why go to a service at a specific church at a specific time just to be offended and/or disappointed by the church leadership?
3. People that attend the church gossip too much, are hypocritical and judge too quickly
4. All churches want is your money! (again, this is coming from a pessimist who has been burned)
   

All are valid points and are not easily argued or proven wrong; but let’s spend some time discussing positive points on church before coming to any conclusions.

1. The benefits of gathering with a diverse group of people that share your beliefs, hold you accountable to your morals and enjoy the same activities you do are too many to mention.
2. Sitting back in your chair and listening to someone give a motivational speech to improve your life is great. Throw in some conviction to change and you have a weekly “shot to the arm” to get you through the week.
3. We are commanded to praise God, so by worshipping on Sunday morning we are obeying and we get to listen to some beautiful music by talented volunteers.
4. Many churches offer services for their members such as counseling for the broken and baptismal services for those that wish to make a public proclamation of their faith.
5. Christ commands us to give Him a portion of our finances; giving to the church you attend regularly could be one way to give back to Him.
   

There are many other good reasons to attend church, but I want to expand my five main points above. There are positives with gathering with a group of people and sharing your heart with them; but there can also be traumatic negatives such as broken trust and betrayed friendships. One thing we must keep in mind when considering whether or not to attend church (and picking a church, which is an entirely different discussion) is if you want to open up to other Christians. Opening up to Christians is different than being transparent to your non-Christian co-workers and friends; because Christians are commanded to keep each other accountable for their actions. If you are vulnerable with your Christian family, you run the risk – no, the promise – of being judged based upon your actions.

My friend knows the Bible much better than I do; his recollection of Scripture astounds me. But there’s something about going to a gathering of those who believe like you and hearing a sermon from someone who has studied the selected topic for an extended period of time. A good preacher will convict you, stretch you, challenge you and get you thinking about your faith. Without a regular test to your beliefs, how can you be solid in your faith or be able to defend the Truth to the skeptics (or even your own inner demons)? Note: Please never just accept a sermon’s theology; make sure you’re getting fed the Truth!

We are commanded to praise God; and part of this praise is through singing to Him. While I enjoy praising Christ during the week through my words and actions, it’s an experience to sing to the Creator with other believers and just worship Him for who He is and for what He’s done for you.

The church is not just there for you on Sunday mornings, many churches offer other services to their members (some do not require membership) like counseling, baptisms, Bible studies, classes on Biblical and extra-Biblical (finances, parenting) topics, addiction recovery programs and other benefits that can prove to be invaluable when you need them.

Lastly, one of the most controversial topics in the Church today is tithing. God commands us to give back a small portion of what we have been given, so by not giving back to Him in some fashion would be considered a sin (according to my interpretation of the Scriptures). Many churches or individual pastors seem to be constantly asking for your money; I understand and echo any unease this gives churchgoers and those that are considering whether or not to attend. I would encourage you to not give to that particular church if you do not feel like your money would be “wasted.” However, many churches do a lot of good things with the money! They need to keep the lights on, pay the staff, support their social programs, supply the classrooms, maintain their equipment, pay the rent, etc. If the regular attendees of the church do not contribute to the church fund, the church will shut down.

I hope this post was encouraging to you.