My husband and I have always regularly attended church together. Even though we’ve moved five times in the first three years of our marriage, we always did what we could to find a home church in the states we found ourselves in. Until this summer.
We knew God had called us to North Carolina, but once we moved in, we found it hard to find a home church we both felt comfortable in. And so, amid moving stress and the chaos of becoming business owners for the first time in our lives, we stopped going to physical church services and we started listening to online sermons from our home church back in Minnesota.
A few months into our at-home church stint, I was incredibly relieved when my husband looked at me and said, “I think it’s time we pick a church here in town. Even if it’s not perfect, it’s time.” We both knew in our hearts we didn’t want to miss spending another Sunday in a physical church setting. And since that Sunday, we haven’t.
If you struggle to make attending church a regular habit, or you’re wondering how going every Sunday might benefit your life, my prayer for you is that this post can encourage you to give church a try again. Here are 10 reasons to never miss a Sunday:
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1. Time with Jesus
Many of us lead busy, hectic lives. Making church a regular part of our weekly routine guarantees time in the presence of Jesus. We need that undistracted time to refocus our hearts on the One who matters most. While I realize church does not have to take place within a formal building (there is definitely a time, place and purpose for at-home viewing), what I learned this summer is this: There is no substitute for physically gathering together under the name of Jesus on Sunday.
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2. Corporate Worship
I love singing praise to God in my car, but there is something incredible about worshipping together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When the piano, guitar, drums and vocals all come together as one, barriers come down and we can give our full attention and praise to the Father.
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3. Corporate Prayer
In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says, “where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Knowing this, we can be confident that when we come together as a church to pray, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in our midst, and ready and able to make a move.
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4. Time to Reflect
When was the last time you took a step back and evaluated your relationship with Jesus? Church offers us a unique experience to do just that by giving us a dedicated time to reflect and check in with God.
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5. Stronger Relationships
As soon as my husband and I returned to a physical church service setting, our marriage was strengthened. I remember holding hands in prayer at the end of our first service back and what a precious moment that was. I felt closer to him than when we were tuning in at home.
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6. Opportunities for Community
We are called to live in community, and attending church every Sunday gives us the opportunity to do just that. But beyond making friends and getting plugged into small groups, church also gives us opportunities to reach out and serve in our own communities. Our churches will never be perfect. That’s just the reality of living in a fallen and broken world. But when we come together as the body of Christ — as God intended us to — I believe amazing things can happen.
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7. A Chance to Give Back
Jesus was as generous as generous gets. And I don’t know about you, but I want to be like Jesus. When my time on earth has come to pass, I hope that Jesus will say, “well done good, faithful and generous servant.” But here’s the thing: we can’t give back to our communities if we aren’t investing in the church and giving our money back to God regularly. Not missing a Sunday allows us to stay humble and generous before the throne as we take time to remember that it’s not really our money in the first place — it’s God’s.
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8. It’s Essential for Growth
The enemy loves when we don’t attend church. Why? Because every service missed is an opportunity missed for spiritual growth. However, when we make a choice to attend church regularly, we can be motivated and challenged in our faith journey.
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9. It Will Bless You
I can honestly say I don’t think I have ever left church on a Sunday morning regretting that I went. Even if the worship or sermon didn’t directly speak to me, I still leave feeling refreshed and full of peace and joy. Because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17), and the Spirit is always present at church!
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10. A Chance to Encourage Others
In Hebrews 10:24-25, Paul reminds us to be an encouragement to others: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” When we make the commitment to go to church every Sunday, we give ourselves a chance to spur one another on in the faith — a chance we wouldn’t have if we would have just stayed home.
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Lauren Gaskill is an author, speaker and host of the Finding Joy podcast. She writes at LaurenGaskillinspires.com and is in the process of publishing her first non-fiction inspirational book. When she’s not writing, Lauren loves to cook, bake and go on hikes with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who is affectionately named Reese after Lauren’s favorite candy — peanut butter cups.
Originally published Thursday, 26 October 2017.
