Shepherd Notes April 2024
Why Attend Church?
In a culture that minimizes commitment and maximizes self-indulgence, I have learned the precious gift of church attendance or, more specifically, the church gathered. I do not see church attendance as a burden or legalistic commitment. I view it as joy—a place where I can give and serve, a place where I can focus more on others rather than myself.
I could name many, but here are ten reasons to attend church.
Attend church to serve others. There is so much greater joy in serving than seeking to be served. we have many opportunities to serve when the church is gathered. Those opportunities are your gifts from God. Attend church to encourage others. We live in a world of incredible digital communication. But there is still something irreplaceable about gathering together. When we encounter someone in person at church, we have an opportunity to encourage him or her in person as well. Attend church to encourage your pastor. I doubt many of you know how much your pastor serves you and loves you seven days a week. The least you can do for your pastor is to be there in person when we gather as a church. It encourages your pastor, and he needs to have that gift of encouragement every week. Attend church to state your priorities. If you are able to go to work, to go to school, to go on vacation, or to watch or be involved in a sport, you can attend church. Desire to have a “no excuse” clause in your life for attending church. Attend church to participate in worship. There is something special and Spirit-filled about worshipping together with other Christians. It is both an opportunity and gift you should not take lightly. Attend church even if it doesn’t meet all your needs. If you say, “I am not getting fed spiritually,” it likely means you are not hungry spiritually. If your church does some things a bit differently than your preferences, realize you are there, not as a consumer, but as a giver and one who has been called to put others’ needs before my own. No church is perfect. No worship style is perfect. No pastor is perfect. And neither are you. Attend church with frequency, not on occasion. It should be your prayer to be in church every Sunday. When you are out of town, you can find another church to attend. Never say, “I need a break from church.” you certainly don’t want God to take a break from you. Attend church to set an example for my family. Couples have healthier marriages when they attend church. Children grow up with countless benefits because their parents took them to church. You need to show the importance and priority of church attendance to those you love. Attend church because the Bible tells you to do so. Two-thirds of the New Testament is about churches, specifically gathered churches. The words of the writer of Hebrews in 10:24-25 are powerful: “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and more as you see the day approaching.” Attend church because you love your church. You love your church. You love your pastor; you love the members of your church. You love the community your church serves. Be there for them.
It is becoming common to see church attendance as just another activity, an option among many, a place to get consumer preferences met. It is has become popular for some to argue that church attendance is not a high priority because the building is not a church, the people are. God’s people are supposed to gather. Indeed, they are commanded to gather.
Pastor Brian