Why Is Church Important For A Christian? 

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to overlook the importance of attending church. With countless commitments and distractions pulling us in different directions, many people ask, "Why is the Church still important today?" This article delves into the heart of this question, looking at the biblical foundations and practical significance of corporate worship. By examining Scripture and real-life experiences, we will uncover how church attendance is an essential component of the Christian faith, fostering spiritual growth, community, and a deeper connection with God.

While the popular Christian catch-phrase “You do not go to church, you are the church” is a good sentiment in some ways, this view can often be misconstrued by pitting “being the church” and “going to church” against each other. If we are truly “the church,” we will surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot “be” the church if we do not “go” to church. Not fully anyhow. The church never connotes single, individual, lone ranger Christians just going about their duties and never gathering to worship together with other believers.

Going to church is more than just a physical act of attending a service. It signifies a commitment to being part of the body of Christ on earth. According to 1 Peter, the church is the bride of Christ, and every Christian is called to be part of this divine union. This section explores the spiritual and communal aspects of attending church and what it means to be a part of the church community.

Being part of a church means participating in the life of the congregation, engaging in worship, and growing in faith through biblical teachings. It is through the church that we experience the power of the Holy Spirit, guiding us to fulfill the Great Commission and turn the world upside down for Christ. This community becomes a family of God where believers support and uplift one another.

The Bible provides numerous references that emphasize the importance of gathering together as believers. Hebrews 10:25 warns against forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, highlighting the need for Christians to meet regularly. The Bible teaches that church is not just a physical building but a gathering of believers, a place where we can call on the Lord and grow in our faith together. The church today continues to serve as a sanctuary for worship, prayer, and communal support

God has ordained the church, a fellowship of the flawed, to carry out His will and purpose in the world. When we consider the biblical teachings of the church, we become aware of its vital importance for growth in Christ. As a branch grows through its connection to the tree, so do we thrive when staying connected to the church. If we are to explore this issue, it is necessary to consider what the Bible says about the church. However, before we can look at what the New Testament teaches about the church, we first need to see what the Old Testament says about life and worship.

God had instructed Moses to build a tabernacle—a portable tent representing the presence of God dwelling amid his people. The Tabernacle, and later the temple, were the places that God had ordained where sacrifices were to be carried out and festivals were to be celebrated. It functioned as the central location of instruction and teachings about God and His will for Israel. From the tabernacle and temple, Israel sang forth loud and joyful hymns of praise and worship to God’s glory. Instructions for building the Tabernacle required for it to be at the center of Israel’s encampment. Later, the site of the temple in Jerusalem was seen as a representation of the center-point of the land. The temple and tabernacle were not only to be viewed as the geographical center of Israel but were intended to be the spiritual center of Israel as well. Like spokes of a wheel fanning out from the hub, so were the occurrences at these worship centers to affect every aspect of Israelite life.
 
Although we do not find the word “church” written in the Old Testament, that only holds for the English translation of the Bible. However, the Greek translation of the word “church” is “ekklēsia,” which is used in the New Testament for describing a specific gathering of Christians or all believers together. The same word (ekklēsia) is used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, to translate the Hebrew term “qāhāl,” which means “assembly.” The word was used as a description of when Israel gathered together to appear before God or as a general reference to all of Israel. “Sunagōgē” is another Greek word used for translating “qāhāl,” and also used to translate another word for Israel, ‘ēdâ, which means congregation. In the New Testament, “sunagōgē” is most often used for a synagogue or its members but is used as a gathering of Christians in James 2:2. The terms used in the New Testament for the church are not new but rooted in the Old Testament. Israel was thus, in at least some sense, the Old Testament church-assembly-congregation!

The Book of Acts serves as a dynamic roadmap for the church's purpose and mission. Its portrayal of the early Christian community as a vibrant, united body of disciples, marked by radical generosity, fervent prayer, and miraculous displays of God's power, offers a compelling model for believers today.

Acts 2 depicts a church characterized by extraordinary unity and shared resources. Believers lived in close fellowship, supporting one another's needs and experiencing a profound sense of community. This "turn the world upside down" approach to faith-based living challenges contemporary Christians to re-evaluate their priorities and consider how deeper connection and shared resources can transform their communities.

Central to the early church's impact was their unwavering unity and dependence on the Holy Spirit. Their boldness in proclaiming the gospel and their capacity for miraculous acts were direct results of their unified spirit and divine empowerment. This historical account serves as a powerful reminder that the church today, when united in purpose and yielded to the Spirit's leading, can also experience transformative power and witness.

Since the very beginning of God’s dealings with his people, the Bible has stressed community. Biblical discussions of godly living are nearly always set in the context of growing together, in community, as God’s people. For Christians, dating back over 2,000 years to the present, God has established the church as the vehicle for that community. Some current movements are seeking to adapt or replace more traditional understandings of the local church, often seeing a smaller group of friends meeting together, for instance, as Church. However, that is not quite the picture we see in the New Testament.

In the New Testament, we see young and old mixing, as older women and men are to teach younger women and men. We see people who come from different stages in life, occupations, and backgrounds coming together to worship God. Paul stressed that the social splits typical of most societal groups have no place in the church, as it should be a place of diversity, where each individual can contribute to the whole. Limiting oneself to a small circle of peers is not sanctioned by Scripture and does not cultivate or promote spiritual growth.

Unfortunately, there are many modern-day churches in which church leaders attempt to dominate their congregation rather than shepherd them into the model of the selfless love of Jesus. However, those bad examples do not take away the biblical command to gather and worship as a church. Local churches undoubtedly have their flaws, as they are made up of sinful and flawed people. The Apostles’ Creed refers to the church as a “communion of saints.”

Coming into the church, we often imagine there to be no problems, no conflicts, and no frustrations among our community of saints. However, we tend to forget the fact that we are a community of flawed individuals, still burdened by our imperfections, sins, and failures. It is, in fact, precisely because of all our flaws and faults that we need each other.

There is a great deal of uncertainty for many a person regarding the reasons why a Christian should become a member of a local church. A common misconception people often believe is the warped view that membership is merely a technicality, not seeing much of a difference between attendance and membership. Membership is about making a commitment. It is a commitment to the body of doctrine, the body of people, and to the body of Christ. Becoming a member means joining arms with others of like faith and joining God in His redemptive work in this world. God’s word teaches us the importance of active participation in a local church. Perhaps it is time for God’s people to recommit themselves to regular and active involvement in a local church. Here are four reasons why believers should prioritize church attendance in their personal and family schedules and put going to church ahead of other seemingly beneficial activities.

If you want to know what you believe, just listen to what your friends have to say. The more time we spend around those who ridicule God, the more we allow their attitudes to affect our own attitudes and thoughts (Psalm 1:1-2). In contrast, the more time we spend with God’s people and in His presence, the more like Jesus we will become. That is why the writer of Hebrews encouraged Christians not to give up meeting together. If we want to hold to our faith unswervingly, we need to surround ourselves with people who will motivate and encourage us to follow Jesus even when it is difficult, to have faith even when everything seems hopeless, and to rely on God even when we think we can handle everything on our own (Hebrews 10:23-25).

We need fellowship and Christian community found in the church. We all yearn for community and connection with others. God has rendered us this gift in gathering together for church. It fulfills something inside us when we do life with others, encourages one another, and are authentically involved in each other’s lives. While Christian TV, podcasts, books, and conferences are all wonderful additions to our spiritual lives, nothing can take the place of the consistent Christian community through the local church.

Each person has a unique skill that God wishes to use in us with the purpose of reaching others so that they can come to know and follow God. These skills are called spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12). We discover our spiritual gifts in the same way as we discover any other special talent. Kobe Bryant only realized he was great at basketball when he started playing basketball. Katy Perry only discovered that she could sing when she began singing. And just as a prima ballerina would never have known she was good at dancing had she not gone to her first ballet class, so too will we never uncover what the Lord has equipped and called us to do if we do not get involved.

The Church is God’s avenue for Christians to utilize and practice our God-given spiritual gifts. Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12 highlight that every believer is the recipient of one or more spiritual gifts as God-given enablement for serving Him in the church effectively. God never intended His church to be for spectators who only show up for attendance on a Sunday morning. He designed it as a place for believers to take part in church functions by utilizing their spiritual gifts.

We do not have to believe anything anyone tells us about God at face value. He has appointed leaders in the church to guide and to teach us (Hebrews 13:17). God has given us the Bible and the Church so we can know what is from Him. Through the church’s authority structure, we can test and see what is of God and what is not when we cannot discern on our own. When we have prayed, read the Bible, and are still unsure what to do, the church is where we go for advice. To lead his Church, God appoints elders as leaders (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The leaders of the local church never possess absolute authority. Whatever authority they have is delegated by God. According to the Bible, Christians are commanded to submit to their local church’s leaders (Heb. 13:17; 1 These.5:12-13).

The concept of submission has negative connotations, and many Christians may balk at this assertion, but submitting to the leaders of your local church is good for you, for the church, and it brings glory to God. Submitting to Christian leadership is integral to New Testament Christianity. The ‘going it alone’ approach might work just fine in the short term. However, eventually we err if we believe we do not need structures and human authority. God’s provision of order and authority in the church is his realistic way of helping us. (See Titus 1:5; Hebrews 13:17.)

Church people are not perfect people. Although we are forgiven, we are still sinners. No matter how long we have been following Jesus, we are bound to slip up, fall short, and sin. And when we do, we need a place where we can come to be healed, restored, and renewed. That place is the church. We grow more spiritually when we gather together in a church environment than we can by ourselves. It can get messy when we step into each other’s lives. We are all human, and no one is perfect, so it requires much effort, intentionality, and grace from God to do life together, even as believers. Gathering regularly together with other believers becomes a refining process whereby we help, pray for, and encourage each other to follow Christ more wholeheartedly.

Children and teenagers are at a crucial stage in their lives where they are forming their beliefs and values. Regular participation in church activities helps them build a strong faith foundation that will guide them throughout their lives. They learn about God's love, the teachings of Jesus, and how to live a life that honors Him. This foundation becomes a source of strength and guidance as they face various challenges and decisions.

Children's ministry and youth church provide a nurturing environment where young people are introduced to essential spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, and worship. Learning these practices at a young age helps them develop habits that strengthen their personal relationship with God. As they grow, these disciplines become integral parts of their daily lives, providing them with the tools they need to navigate life's ups and downs with faith and resilience.

Do not let excuses stand in the way of what God is calling you to do. God will strengthen and empower you to do what He has called you to do. He will bring healing and grace to you as you seek to follow Him and love His Church. If you would like to call Grace Church Plano your home church, contact us today to become a member.