Why Should I Attend Church?

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:24-25

Do you attend church regularly? As we can see from the scripture above, God considers getting together with other believers important. He tells us not to neglect it. 

Why?

What good does it do?

Well, the easy answer to "why" is because God said so.

The longer answer to "why" is the answer to "what good does it do?."

The Benefits of Church Attendance (as I see it)

• It gives me a place to belong and a spiritual family to belong to.
• It gives me a chance to spend time in worship with other believers.
• I learn more about God by hearing His word and the message that He has laid on the heart of the Pastor.
• I am encouraged to greater love for others and to good works as I serve those around me (and not just in church).

These are all great reasons to attend church, but I've left one very important reason out. You see, all of the above is focused on what I get out of church, but what's more important is what I give to others while I'm at church. I'm not talking about money, although, giving the tithe (10th of my income) is a part of my weekly worship. I'm talking about helping others to experience the benefits I've listed above. How can I help others to get the most out of coming to church?

I can...

• Welcome them with a hug or handshake and a sincere, "It's good to see you this morning. How was your week?"
• I can enter fully into the worship time by singing the songs, clapping my hands, raising them to God. This may encourage others to worship God wholeheartedly, too.
• I can listen intently to the message, taking notes and jotting down scripture references. After church, I can share briefly a highlight or a scripture that particularly spoke to my heart and ask others what spoke to them.
• I can show real love by being attentive to the needs of others and by serving in some capacity in my church.
• I can be part of a small group that meets during the week to go over the message again and dig a little deeper into the topic, so that we all can grow in our relationship with God.

God wants us to stir one another up. 

Sometimes that takes a negative form. Some use the time after church to criticize the Pastor, the message, or another believer. They might complain about the music, the temperature in the room, or any number of things. That will stir things up, for sure, but that's NOT what God meant. We are to encourage one another, refresh one another, even challenge one another to take the next step in spiritual journey. 

Daily life - problems, busyness and stress all tend to weary us through the week. Sundays give us the chance to revive, refresh and renew. Not just for ourselves, but to be a part of building others up. We were never meant to do life alone. We are better together.

So, I leave you with this; how will you strengthen others this Sunday? How will you "stir up one another to love and good works", this week? How can you give as much as you get?

As you put this into practice, you will find that the more you give to others, the more you will be blessed by great friendships and support, yourself. Go on, give it a try this Sunday and let me know how it works out.

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Ministry Burnout - Are you doing someone else's part?

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:4-5

photo courtesy  weirdvis, rgbstock.com

I've heard this verse used many times to remind us that each of us have a part to play in the church (the body of Christ). Each of us is blessed with gifts, talents and abilities that qualify us to fulfill specific needs in the church and if each one of us will use those gifts, the body functions just as it was meant to function. That's the usual application of this verse and it's spot on, but today I saw a different side of it.

Not only do members not all have the same function, no one member has everything it takes to do every job in the church and yet, it's common to see one person filling several rolls within the church, just because there's a need, just because they're available or just because no one else has stepped up.

There's so much wrong with that picture that I don't know where to begin. First, that "do-it-all" person is going to burn out. Second, that person will do their best, but probably not do as well as someone who has been gifted in a particular area would do. Third, if they keep stepping into the roles that others were meant to fulfill, they are thwarting the will of God.

Now, that's a shocking statement. Most of us (yes, I'm including myself) think that if we volunteer (willingly or out of guilt or need) that we are doing God's will, but that's not so. It's not God's will for one person to be stretched so thin that ministry becomes drudgery. It's not God's will that some people don't step up because they are lazy, or because the position seems to already be filled.

I can hear what you're saying..."but if I don't do it, it won't get done." I know because, that's what I've said, but really, God is capable of bringing others in to do the work, isn't He? If it's something He wants done, He will provide the worker. Maybe we just have too many projects going.

As for me, I have learned when to say no and when to say yes. I've learned to identify those things that God wants me involved in and those things that are not where He wants me. That doesn't always make others happy, but I believe it makes God happy when I'm not overloaded and angry about doing way more than my share of work while others just sit.

So, what are your thoughts on this matter?

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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)