Regular church attendance continues to decline, so is church membership. According to data from Statista, as of January 17, 2020, 29 percent of Americans never attend church or synagogue, compared to 23 percent of Americans who attend every week. According to a 2019 Gallup Poll study, only 42 percent of millennials attend church – the lowest generational percentage. Even more generation X individuals attend church, at 54 percent, down from 62 percent in 2000 and traditionalists at 68 percent, down from 77 percent. The same Gallup study also revealed 19 percent of Americans do not have a religious preference, up from 8 percent in 2000.
Even though the statistics might make it seem like fewer people are attending church or more people are walking away from Christianity, there are still many Christians who seek the joy and comfort of a church family. They still find church essential to their lives because it is where they live out and share the Gospel and ministry opportunities that enable them to use their spiritual gifts to touch other lives.
But really, what is church? Do we really need it? What can we get from the church?
In The VIP Christian, a book by Ajenifuja, Abraham Joseph for The VIP “New Wealth”, the author defines church as:
God manifests His glory in the church, which is the body of Christ. Followers of Jesus are living stones, the building blocks that have the Spirit of Christ in them. As the Spirit cannot be separated, the body of the Spirit is one body that includes all people all over the world who have confessed Jesus as Lord and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. It is this Body, whether locally as a church that meets regularly or as the invisible global Body of Christ that is the manifestation of the glory of God in Christ.
The church is the lamp of God on earth because the glory of Christ is in her. When the church is being truly faithful to her call to love and accept people so they can be rescued and redeemed through the blood of Jesus, she will manifest the glory of God. The Bible says “Christ in us is the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This means that Jesus, the glory of God in us, will only shine as each follower of Jesus Christ works out their salvation as a faithful witness of Jesus. The church is the visible expression of the eternal glory of Christ in the world, calling all people from all nations, color, culture, language, ages, gender, and socioeconomic status into the beauty of His eternal glory in Jesus and asking people to “turn from godless living and sinful pleasures . . . and live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God” (Titus 2:11–14).
As Christians, we all need a place to meet with fellow believers who will help us grow spiritually, and what better place would that be than the church. We should value the need for church, which is dedicated to our spiritual and moral growth.
What can we receive from the church? Here are four things:
- Teaching of God’s Word: While it is possible and important to grow in knowledge of the scriptures from individual study and reflection, we need to come into fellowship with others to study God’s Word and receive encouragement, as well as encourage others, to live life in turn with His Word. The need for fellowship with others to study and receive God’s Word cannot be better emphasized in Acts 2:42, “… they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
- Friendship: “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” Proverbs 27:17. Our faith is shaped not only by our own knowledge of scriptures but also our relationships with fellow believers. Our friendship with fellow believers will help us grow in Him and understand what His Word really means with others.
- Accountability: Through the church, we are rooted in our accountability to God. The church itself is a community of believers and part of the larger society. Depending on our relationship with and/or standing in the church, we get help in identifying moral issues. From the church, we seek counsel and intercession to avoid sin before it consumes or ruins our lives. We share our lives with the church to keep ourselves rooted in God and far from sin.
- Encouragement: Why we need the church? Because the scriptures say, “… let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near” Hebrews 10:25.It is through our relationship with fellow believers in the church that we receive encouragement and support of others to abide by God’s Word, as well as the calling and opportunity to fulfill His Commission.
Whether you regularly attend church or struggle to attend (maybe because you feel disconnected or isolated because of certain churchgoers’ perceptions), know that your spiritual life will become richer as you worship God and study His Word alongside others. If you are an active churchgoer, step up your game and get involved in ministry or mission. If you have been out of church for a long time, you could be simply looking for a new church to call home. Why not visit a few churches and ask God to show you home?
The Happy Hammock 