The Benefits Of Church Attendance

I don’t know about other countries, but in the United States church attendance over the past few decades has declined. People are staying home from church or watching it online. That is justified for people who are unable to attend church because of physical limitations, but for others, it has become a replacement for physically being a part of a local congregation. Covid-19 contributed to this, but some have not gotten back into the habit of  getting out of the house and attending a church. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Do not forsake the assembly of yourselves together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

You probably have heard the saying, “No man is an island.”  No person can go it alone in life. No Christian can endure in their spiritual walk without the support of other believers. Show me a loner Christian and I will show you one who is not growing in their faith. This is why being part of a local church congregation is so critical.

First of all, you identify with a group of people who are part of the universal spiritual body of Christ. Are you looking for ways to use your abilities and gifts to help and encourage others? Do you want to participate in social programs like helping the homeless or food distribution? Being a part of a local church can provide opportunities to do these things? By not being there someone else may not be able to benefit from something only you can uniquely give. And you are missing out on singing and praying together.

One of the biggest advantages of being part of a local church are prayer chains. If there is a need in your life for a prayer, it can be shared with the congregation and people will be praying for you. This could also lead to others helping meet that need in a physical way. I will give you a personal example.

After seeing three doctors with no diagnosis about leg pain I was experiencing, I was on paid time off from work, but the time was running out. I asked the church to put me on their prayer chain, because I needed some answers quickly. Two women said after the church service that I needed to see a chiropractor that they recommended. I made an appointment, and my problem was identified as a joint in need of adjustment which was causing nerve pain. Now I just needed several weeks of physical rehab. My prayer requests led to a referral from other members of the congregation to a doctor who took care of my problem. What if I had stayed home from church? What if both of these women had not been there or had not known about my condition? None of this would have happened, and I still could have been walking around with pain in my leg for who knows how long, unable to go back to work and losing income.

A local church can be a team coming together to meet the needs of others. You don’t need to go it alone as a Christian. If you have developed a habit of staying home and watching church online and are able to physically to get out, find a good church in your area that preaches the gospel and uses the Bible as their only source of spiritual truth. (I say this because some denominations use another source alongside the Bible. This is not good.) You will be part of a body of believers that will provide companionship, encouragement, prayer chains, and helping others with practical needs. (On a side note, if you have a job that requires you to work on a day of worship, seek out a church that has small groups meeting in people’s homes during the week. That way, you will still be identified with a local congregation).