The church, as described in the New Testament has nothing to do with a building and it has nothing to do with a group of people who are identified by a particular brand name. Rather the church is described as “those who were being saved”. So I take this definition to be the correct one and if you have been saved then you are part of Jesus’ church, or ‘The Church’.

Given this approach you may have never darkened the door of a physical church, you have never even met a Christian and you could still be part of The Church. Conversely, you may be a Baptist, or a Catholic or any other name brand and still not actually be part of The Church.

But the purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of being part of ‘A Church’, that is, if you have been saved it is really, really critical that you find a local group of believers and regularly meet with them.

The Bible says, “do not forsake the meeting of the saints, as many have done”. I think there are at least 5 vital reasons for attending ‘a church’ and participating in group study.

First is, as already noted, we are commanded to do so. A common theme throughout the New Testament is our love for God is reflected in our obedience to him. If he has told us to make church attendance a regular thing then that is what we should do.

Second, we get in the habit of worshipping God. It is very easy for us to get wrapped up in the hustle and worries of this life, periodically we need spend time with our full attention on him. This will help us maintain a proper perspective of our lives as we remember it is not all about us. It also helps renew our spirits to regularly ‘cast all our cares on him’ as worship helps us do.

Third, worship and group study is possibly our best avenue for spiritual growth. The biblical phrase is iron sharpens iron and we can draw from the wisdom and knowledge of others to grow our own wisdom and knowledge.

Fourth, by the same token we also have the opportunity to help someone else to grow by sharing our wisdom and knowledge with them. A primary goal in our life is to make a difference for Jesus Christ and this is a perfect avenue to do so.

Finally, church is a way we can affect the world around us in positive ways. Whether it is supporting a missionary who is spreading the gospel or contributing to the local food bank, church provides a way that we can make a bigger difference together than we would ever be able to make on our own. As it is written, “…a cord of three strands is not easily broken”.

Scripture tells us that our salvation is NOT determined by how often we attend church services, but don’t you have to wonder how real the saving faith is of someone who does not value these reasons enough to attend one? “Lord, I know you died for me and I ask you to save my life, but don’t ask me to actually make any changes in the way that I choose to live” is not a recommended salvation prayer.

Note that none of the reasons to attend a church is because you find it entertaining. In today’s world churches tend to be full of loud music with smoke and blinking lights, and there is nothing wrong with those things, but this is not why we go. If a church isn’t comfortable in any way for you there are plenty of others to choose from, just don’t make the entertainment value a driving factor. The focus is on him, not on us.

Find a church that loves people, respects and teaches the Word of God and has active ministries where you can get involved, and join that church so that you may worship, grow and make a difference with them.