“I do not have to go to church to be a believer.”
This was a statement I heard in a Bible study I was in. My reply to this person was, “You are exactly right, you do not have to go to church to be a believer. Faith in God is a personal choice and decision.”
The Bible says that we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. Just you and God are part of that moment. It might happen in the midst of other believers or it could happen when you are alone, the place doesn’t matter, the heart does. So why go to church?
To put it simply: to grow.
Church is where we are encouraged, challenged and equipped. Singing together with other believers is an uplifting time, and one of my favorite parts of church. Hearing other people’s testimonies of their challenges and how God worked through those challenges builds my faith. Giving part of my finances allows me the privilege of giving back to God a portion of what he has blessed me with. Hearing the word challenges me to change and grow to be more like Christ. And, if all that were not amazingly enough, churches are full of people who will give us opportunities to work out what we have learned about love, patience, forgiveness, kindness and self-control.
For some of us, the people in the church are the reason we do not want to go to church. There may be a person there who has offended us in the past. There may be a gossip, someone who has their own agenda, someone who is always sad, someone who is always happy, the couple whose marriage is in trouble and the couple who, it seems, have been married forever. There may be single people, parents with children who are exemplary and parents with children who are struggling. There may be addicts and people in recovery. And there may be you and me with our own gifts, talents and yes, shortcomings. But it’s an amazing place to grow in every area of our lives.
If we choose to not be a part of the church then we can become stagnant, believing only what is comfortable. We need to be challenged and equipped to grow in our capacity to love, and church is where that happens. The writer of the book of Hebrews says it this way, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (10:24-25). See you there!
• Dana M. Walter is the liuetenant Juneau corps officer for the Salvation Army.
