Walking in the Valley A bi-weekly column, featuring one Christian's (a)musings on life's journey by Barbara Dahlgren

Why Go To Church Column for the weeks of September 16-30, 2006

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With the decline in church attendance over the past decade, more and more people are becoming disillusioned with the concept of “church” as we know it. George Barna’s book Revolution shows us the trend is toward a more entrepreneurial Christianity. Some are coming to recognize “…that we are not called to go to church. We are called be the Church.” This is biblically sound.

Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and left his followers on earth to communicate his message of salvation. This they did by worshipping him, serving him, serving others, growing in a relationship with him, and sharing the gospel. So in essence, each individual was “the Church.” However, the analogy might go awry when people use this philosophy as a license for not meeting together with other Christians. For not only was this group of believers “the Church” independently, they were “the Church” collectively, as well.

The Biblical Church Model

The “church” we have come to know with its traditions, formalities, and idiosyncrasies is not modeled in the bible. As cities were proselytized in biblical times, Christians would gather together regularly in homes. When groups grew larger, several houses would be designated to become “house churches.” (Romans 16:5, 10, 11; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2) It wasn’t until after Constantine converted to Christianity that official “Christian church buildings” were constructed.

Just because “house churches” were the norm in those days, does not mean this model was set in stone in heaven as the only way to meet to worship God. Some of these house churches met every day. Does that mean it is mandatory that we meet together seven days a week? In theory this is a great idea; in application it would be hard to do.

The key is not where they were meeting, but the fact that they were meeting together. This is the constant throughout the New Testament. Like-minded Christians were meeting together often to worship God, to discuss how to serve others, to pool resources, to learn about spiritual growth, to share the love of Christ, to build friendships, and to connect.

Getting together was paramount in the eyes of New Testament Christians. All the believers met together. They prayed together. They worshipped together. They ate together. (Acts 2:42-47) The indication seems to be that Christians should be meeting together with other Christians. So whether or not you view “the Church” as an individual Christian or a group of Christians, one requirement appears to be getting together with others. This get-together would qualify as a church meeting whether it’s at someone’s home, a warehouse, a school, the Holiday Inn, or a little, white, steepled building in your neighborhood.

 Why People Don’t Attend a Church

Today, we do not lack for innovative churches. In addition to the average denominational listings (and their spin offs) there are cowboy churches, coffee drinking churches, and drive-in churches, to name a few. There are small churches, house churches, neighborhood bible studies, and mega churches. It’s hard to believe one can’t find a place to attend; although some confusion over the abundant selection is understandable.

Some are disillusioned with organized religion all together and rightly so. Pharisaical approaches to salvation have muddled the message of preaching Christ. People are no longer enamored with pomp and circumstance. They yearn for the substance of Christ-like teaching. Yet, there are plenty of churches that have biblically sound teaching.

Others feel they need a time of healing. Maybe they are sick and tired of people or need to do some private bible study to decide where God is leading them.

The majority just make up limitless excuses like “I don’t like the music,” “The speakers are boring,” “Parking is too difficult to find,” “My spouse doesn’t want to go,” or “The pews are too hard.”

The most popular reason for not attending church is our busy lifestyle. Life is definitely busy! However, it’s not too busy for watching football, shopping at the mall, or surfing the Internet. Church is just not a priority.

Why Go to Church

Should attending church be a priority for Christians? After all, don’t we have lots of T.V., radio, or Internet options where we can be spiritually fed? These ministries offer a service, especially for those who are house bound or perhaps taking a respite to reevaluate where God is leading them. However, if one uses these programs as an alternative to actually spending time with other Christians, they may be isolating themselves and forfeiting what God intended. Consider the following:

1. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states that “two are better than one.” Life is designed for companionship not isolation. A cord of three ropes together is harder to break than one alone.
2. God has called us to be part of a community of believers so we can learn to work together and get along. We are many members but a part of one body. (Romans 12:4, 5)
3. Sharing thoughts and ideas about scriptures with fellow Christians, gives us a different perspective – an iron sharpening iron process which can provide checks and balances on how we conduct our daily lives.
4. Private worship is essential for a Christian, but much is gained by corporate worship as well, singing and praising God with others who love God as you. Psalm 95 says, “Come let us worship…” The pronoun is plural.
5. Church is like a large support group. We are uplifted but we support others, as well. Listening skills can be honed and empathy developed. Praying with others, pointing them to God, and letting them know they are not alone is part of the Christian journey, too.
6. Striving to live a Christian life sends a powerful message to those around us. Attending church reinforces that message. It’s says, “I think meeting with other Christians is important. I try to practice what I preach.” (Philippians 5:9)
7. Going to church each week reminds us of who we are, people struggling to follow Christ. Attending church can strengthen our resolve to make staying close to God a priority in our daily lives.

Isolation is Not an Option

Isolation for the Christian is not a viable option. Christians should be coming in contact with non-Christians so they have someone to share the gospel with, but they should also be meeting regularly with like-minded believers for encouragement and edification.

For years we’ve heard the argument that going to church will not make you a Christian anymore than going to a garage makes you a car. It’s true. A local church is only as good as the Christians who attend it. But if you want your car fixed, take it to a garage; if you want to find other Christians – a church might be a good place to start.

Be sure to visit this page often to read the next edition of Walking in the Valley. You can write to the author at bdahlgren@wcgsouthbay.org.