I know everyone has their own ideas on this and I am not interested in starting an argument or convince you to think like I do. Just wanted to share this read I found on why I think it is important. I don't expect many to read all the way thru this but if you do let me know your thoughts...
It was copied and pasted so the formatting isn't the best.
Belonging to a Faith Community
LoriJoinerMinistries.org
Being a part of a faith community, or local church family, is vital to the
walk of a growing believer in Jesus Christ. It is here that we gather
together corporately to worship and give praise to God. Within a church
we find encouragement in hard times in our lives and give
encouragement to others in their lives. It is within a passionate church
community that we together serve the poor and needy, unite to spread
the gospel, and are involved in the Great Commission together. This is
not only a great idea, but a teaching found all through scripture. This
lesson will explore how believers in Christ are strengthened by regular
fellowship and worshiping God together.
Passage Background
The book of Acts was written by Luke a close companion of Paul. It
begins where the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) leave off and
chronicles the spread of Christianity after Jesus ascended into heaven. It
is a book rich with Christian history and amazing events as the Good
News of Jesus Christ traveled to other parts of the world.
Beginning in Jerusalem, the church is established and grows quickly.
However, because of intense persecution, many of the believers in Christ
flee to surrounding areas. Through this dispersion, other people hear and
believe in Jesus Christ. Chapter two of the book of Acts is a phenomenal
place to see how the early believers met regularly and cared for each
other during this time period. It serves as an incredible example for us
today.
Acts 2:42-47
42 “
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe
at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the
believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold
property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day
they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke
bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the
Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Digging Deeper
1. In verse 46, how often did these Christians meet together?
2. In verse 42, what are some of the activities these Christians did to
together?
3. In verse 45, what did these Christians do if they saw someone with
a need in their community?
4. In verse 46, how often were people being saved?
What an incredible picture of the early church and what the community
of believers should look like today! People meeting together, praising
God, sacrificing, and caring for one another. Note how God added to
their number daily of people being saved! How amazing! This early
example is still our example today.
Just to be Clear
1. Does this passage of scripture list a particular church or
denomination you have to be a member of?
2. Does this passage mention you have to be a member of a church to
be saved?
There is no particular church you have to belong to in order to be a part
of the body of Christ. Further, a person does not have to be a member of
a church or any particular church to be saved. Placing your faith in
Christ and trusting Him for the forgiveness of your sins is what saves a
person-not church membership or attendance.
For Further Study
Read in your Bible Hebrews 10:23-25.
1. What does verse 25 warn us not to do?
2. What are some things this passage wants us to do?
This passage has a hit of urgency in it. The author of this book is
wanting us to hold our ground in our faith in Christ, help others and not
give up meeting together. Why? Well, the passage tells us-The Day is
approaching. ‘The Day’ refers to when Christ will return, and we will
give an account of our lives to God. Anti-Christian forces will grow in
strength as the end draws near and we should make an even greater
effort to be meeting together for fellowship and encouragement
Reasons and Benefits of Belonging to a Local Church
The church is often called the ‘body of Christ.’ The totality of people
who call Jesus Lord and have been saved by placing their faith in Him
constitutes the ‘church’. The members of a local church meet together
on at least a weekly basis for numerous reasons. Here are a few:
1. Jesus went to church. While it was not called ‘church’ at the time,
rather it was the Jewish temple, he none-the-less attended. When
he was a young child, he called it his Father’s house.
Luke 2:49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you
know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
Then in Luke 4:16 it says, “He went to Nazareth, where he had been
brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as
was his custom. He stood up to read...”
Did you notice it says it was his ‘custom’ to go to the synagogue
(temple) on the Sabbath? If we desire to emulate Christ and follow
His example, then having a regular time of meeting with other
believers and hearing teachers preach from the Bible and worshiping
God together should be a part of our lives.
2. Early believers when to church. Numerous letters from Paul
were written to churches all over the region. Most of these
churches were simply people, meetings in groups of all sizes, in
one another’s homes. Look at how he addresses some of his letters
to churches in different regions.
1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified
in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those
everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord
and ours...”
Galatians 1:1-3 “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but
by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and
all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia...”
3. Believers need each other. Jesus gave each of us, gifts, talents and
abilities. The “body of Christ,” the church, operates best when we
are each using our gifts to help each other. You and your gifts are
needed to help the church function as it should.
Ephesians 4:11-12 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the
prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people
for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until
we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of
God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness
of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by
the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by
the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful
scheming. 15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become
in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is,
Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does
its work.
So, we see in these verses that people and their gifts are used to help
each other, as each part does its work. You are needed in the body of
Christ to accomplish the work of Christ.
4. Believers will not mature in Christ without each other.
Christians were never meant to live in isolation. Each of us are
crucial to the larger body of believers for fellowship, growth, and
maturity. Most of the letters in the New Testament were written to
local bodies of Christ followers (local churches).
To understand this concept better, read the verses listed here and circle
the words ‘one another” each time it is listed and underline in each
verse what we are to do or learn as we interact with other believers.
Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another
above yourselves.”
Romans 12:16 “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but
be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be
conceited.”
Romans 14:13 “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.
Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle
in the way of a brother or sister.”
Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in
order to bring praise to God.”
Romans 15:14 “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that
you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and
competent to instruct one another.”
2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for
full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in
peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be
free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one
another humbly in love.”
Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing
with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving
each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Colossians 3:12-13 “12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and
dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive
one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each
other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
We were meant to live in community with other believers in Christ-
with ‘one another.’ This is how we learn to forgive each other, love
each other, encourage and teach each other. This is how we learn to
bear with one another, be patient with one another, and accept one
another. This cannot be accomplished without regularly, in a committed
way, being with other believers. A person’s spiritual maturity depends
first and foremost on the work of the Holy Spirit in their life and regular
fellowship and service among other believers.
Which of the verses stands out to you the most? Why?
Can you think of other reasons it is beneficial to be plugged into a faith
community?
A Few Pitfalls
From time to time some people encounter pitfalls when it comes to this
topic. Three are addressed here.
1. Believing you are too busy to go to church.
Travel plans, kids on sports teams, busy frazzled work weeks, etc., can
really crowd a person’s schedule leaving them feeling like Sunday may
be the only day to sleep in, relax, and catch up on our to do list, yard
work, and errands. But consider the example of Christ. He also had a
busy demanding schedule of discipling 12 people, preaching to crowds
of upwards of 7,000 in attendance, and facing hostility from religious
leaders, however He still made time to go to the temple (as was His
custom). If He determined it was important to attend, shouldn’t we?
Prioritizing our relationship with Christ will have tremendous spiritual
benefits in our lives. We will gain His wisdom as we hear the Word
taught in church, we will gain encouragement for our weary lives from
likeminded believers, and we will gain an eternal mindset (as opposed to
a temporal one). Those things are always worth more in our lives in the
long run than pushing the lawnmower, running a few errands, and hitting
the snooze button. Further, when God and fellowshipping with other
believers, is a priority in our lives we will see that, somehow, He helps
the other things get done as well.
2. Church members have let you down in the past.
Being let down and hurt by a church member in the past can really pose
a barrier to people feeling emotionally safe to attend church. They often
wonder if they will be hurt again, or they feel in order to protect
themselves they never want to go back. However, when we are hurt at
work, the gym, at school, the neighborhood-we still go back. We know
that there are other benefits we still need-like a paycheck, to be
physically fit, to earn a degree, to have a place to sleep.
Churches are not perfect because they are filled with imperfect people
that make mistakes, sin, and hurt others. But there is still a reason to go
back (or perhaps to find a new church to plug into). To assemble
together with others who follow Christ, sing praises to Him, participate
in the Lord’s Supper, baptism, tithing, missions are all regular parts of
church services that should not be absent from a growing Christian’s
life. Pray for reconciliation and for God to work in the person’s heart
that hurt you, but don’t let that keep you away from the many benefits of
plugging into a faith community.
3. Feeling like you won’t understand everything and will feel out
of place.
The feeling of not knowing what to expect, not feeling confident in your
Bible knowledge, not knowing the songs or traditions of a church can
make a person leery of going at all. While it is true, you probably won’t
know all the songs, when you first begin attending a church don’t let that
stop you. The benefits of plugging into a faith community far outweigh
the initial learning curve.
Many churches have robust websites where you can watch a live
worship service online, read their statement of faith, and request more
info from a staff member before you ever go the first time. And to be
honest-we will never know it all! That is the joy in the Christian life-
learning and growing deeper in our walk with God and sharing those
things you are learning with others in your church family.
Can you think of other pitfalls people encounter when trying to plug into
a church?
Do you currently attend a local church? Why or why not?
In Your Own Words
The new insights I learned about plugging into a faith community are...
The main message I gained from this lesson is...
This new information will affect my life this way...
Actions Steps for Next week
o Prayer: Pray for the courage to attend and even commit to a local
church. Ask God to lead you to a place where you can plug in and
grow in your walk with Him and help others as well.
o Attend and Serve:
If you are not currently plugged into a local church:
• Read Appendix: “What to look for in a good church.”
• Research online local churches in your area you would like to try
out.
• Ask a trusted Christian friend where they attend church and ask if
you could accompany them this week!
If you are currently plugged into a local church:
• Ask the staff leadership in your church where there are areas of
need and seek to be a participator in your church, not simply an
attender.
• Ask your church if they administer a Spiritual Gifts test so you can
see more clearly where God has gifted you and where you can
specifically serve with your unique abilities.
o Memorize: Recite Acts 2:42-47. Review past scripture verses you
have memorized.
o Bible: Continue in your Bible reading in the book of Mark. This
week read and journal chapters 7-8.
o Others: If you already attend one, pray for the courage to invite
someone to go with you. Many people just need to be invited
personally to begin to receive all the benefits of belonging to a
church family.
Personally Speaking
Being a part of a church family has hands down been one of the biggest
blessings in my life. I have felt loved and cared for immensely over the
years and am so glad I have made the effort to plug in! At each stage of
my life God has used other believers (remember the one another verses)
to help mold and shape me into the woman I am today.
I recall being a part of a singles class where we regularly served our
community together. One morning we decided to put on a free carwash
at my apartment complex. Together we reached out with God’s love to
people by washing their cars for free and taking time to pray for them if
they wanted. These same friends helped me move multiple times. They
showed up to help me move my many boxes and furniture in and out of
storage units and in and out of apartments.
As a married woman I was blessed that our church offered a special
weekly class for newlyweds that spanned our first year of marriage. It
was so helpful for Alan and I to learn how to get our marriage started on
the right path. We also met many other couples in our same stage of life
to talk with and relate to.
I will never forget giving birth to my first child. He was straight up
colicky for 4 months. It was some of the most tiring days of my life. I
recall the women of my Sunday school class bringing food, gifts and
supplies to my house three times a week for 6 weeks! They carried me
through those months in such an encouraging way with their food,
prayers and helpful advice.
When I have faced great heartache (sadly at the hands of people within
the church) I found my deepest comfort from fellow church goers. I am
so thankful that even though other people within the church made bad
decisions that broke my heart; I did to allow that to keep me from the
loving community I had always known.
I would strongly urge you, even if you have been disappointed or hurt by
someone in a church, to try again. While people will let you down, there
is just nothing like the family of God helping you and loving on your
through the ups and down of life.
It was copied and pasted so the formatting isn't the best.
Belonging to a Faith Community
LoriJoinerMinistries.org
Being a part of a faith community, or local church family, is vital to the
walk of a growing believer in Jesus Christ. It is here that we gather
together corporately to worship and give praise to God. Within a church
we find encouragement in hard times in our lives and give
encouragement to others in their lives. It is within a passionate church
community that we together serve the poor and needy, unite to spread
the gospel, and are involved in the Great Commission together. This is
not only a great idea, but a teaching found all through scripture. This
lesson will explore how believers in Christ are strengthened by regular
fellowship and worshiping God together.
Passage Background
The book of Acts was written by Luke a close companion of Paul. It
begins where the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) leave off and
chronicles the spread of Christianity after Jesus ascended into heaven. It
is a book rich with Christian history and amazing events as the Good
News of Jesus Christ traveled to other parts of the world.
Beginning in Jerusalem, the church is established and grows quickly.
However, because of intense persecution, many of the believers in Christ
flee to surrounding areas. Through this dispersion, other people hear and
believe in Jesus Christ. Chapter two of the book of Acts is a phenomenal
place to see how the early believers met regularly and cared for each
other during this time period. It serves as an incredible example for us
today.
Acts 2:42-47
42 “
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe
at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the
believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold
property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day
they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke
bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the
Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Digging Deeper
1. In verse 46, how often did these Christians meet together?
2. In verse 42, what are some of the activities these Christians did to
together?
3. In verse 45, what did these Christians do if they saw someone with
a need in their community?
4. In verse 46, how often were people being saved?
What an incredible picture of the early church and what the community
of believers should look like today! People meeting together, praising
God, sacrificing, and caring for one another. Note how God added to
their number daily of people being saved! How amazing! This early
example is still our example today.
Just to be Clear
1. Does this passage of scripture list a particular church or
denomination you have to be a member of?
2. Does this passage mention you have to be a member of a church to
be saved?
There is no particular church you have to belong to in order to be a part
of the body of Christ. Further, a person does not have to be a member of
a church or any particular church to be saved. Placing your faith in
Christ and trusting Him for the forgiveness of your sins is what saves a
person-not church membership or attendance.
For Further Study
Read in your Bible Hebrews 10:23-25.
1. What does verse 25 warn us not to do?
2. What are some things this passage wants us to do?
This passage has a hit of urgency in it. The author of this book is
wanting us to hold our ground in our faith in Christ, help others and not
give up meeting together. Why? Well, the passage tells us-The Day is
approaching. ‘The Day’ refers to when Christ will return, and we will
give an account of our lives to God. Anti-Christian forces will grow in
strength as the end draws near and we should make an even greater
effort to be meeting together for fellowship and encouragement
Reasons and Benefits of Belonging to a Local Church
The church is often called the ‘body of Christ.’ The totality of people
who call Jesus Lord and have been saved by placing their faith in Him
constitutes the ‘church’. The members of a local church meet together
on at least a weekly basis for numerous reasons. Here are a few:
1. Jesus went to church. While it was not called ‘church’ at the time,
rather it was the Jewish temple, he none-the-less attended. When
he was a young child, he called it his Father’s house.
Luke 2:49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you
know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
Then in Luke 4:16 it says, “He went to Nazareth, where he had been
brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as
was his custom. He stood up to read...”
Did you notice it says it was his ‘custom’ to go to the synagogue
(temple) on the Sabbath? If we desire to emulate Christ and follow
His example, then having a regular time of meeting with other
believers and hearing teachers preach from the Bible and worshiping
God together should be a part of our lives.
2. Early believers when to church. Numerous letters from Paul
were written to churches all over the region. Most of these
churches were simply people, meetings in groups of all sizes, in
one another’s homes. Look at how he addresses some of his letters
to churches in different regions.
1 Corinthians 1:2 “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified
in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those
everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord
and ours...”
Galatians 1:1-3 “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but
by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and
all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia...”
3. Believers need each other. Jesus gave each of us, gifts, talents and
abilities. The “body of Christ,” the church, operates best when we
are each using our gifts to help each other. You and your gifts are
needed to help the church function as it should.
Ephesians 4:11-12 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the
prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people
for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until
we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of
God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness
of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by
the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by
the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful
scheming. 15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become
in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is,
Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does
its work.
So, we see in these verses that people and their gifts are used to help
each other, as each part does its work. You are needed in the body of
Christ to accomplish the work of Christ.
4. Believers will not mature in Christ without each other.
Christians were never meant to live in isolation. Each of us are
crucial to the larger body of believers for fellowship, growth, and
maturity. Most of the letters in the New Testament were written to
local bodies of Christ followers (local churches).
To understand this concept better, read the verses listed here and circle
the words ‘one another” each time it is listed and underline in each
verse what we are to do or learn as we interact with other believers.
Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another
above yourselves.”
Romans 12:16 “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but
be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be
conceited.”
Romans 14:13 “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.
Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle
in the way of a brother or sister.”
Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in
order to bring praise to God.”
Romans 15:14 “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that
you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and
competent to instruct one another.”
2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for
full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in
peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be
free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one
another humbly in love.”
Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing
with one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving
each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Colossians 3:12-13 “12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and
dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive
one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each
other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
We were meant to live in community with other believers in Christ-
with ‘one another.’ This is how we learn to forgive each other, love
each other, encourage and teach each other. This is how we learn to
bear with one another, be patient with one another, and accept one
another. This cannot be accomplished without regularly, in a committed
way, being with other believers. A person’s spiritual maturity depends
first and foremost on the work of the Holy Spirit in their life and regular
fellowship and service among other believers.
Which of the verses stands out to you the most? Why?
Can you think of other reasons it is beneficial to be plugged into a faith
community?
A Few Pitfalls
From time to time some people encounter pitfalls when it comes to this
topic. Three are addressed here.
1. Believing you are too busy to go to church.
Travel plans, kids on sports teams, busy frazzled work weeks, etc., can
really crowd a person’s schedule leaving them feeling like Sunday may
be the only day to sleep in, relax, and catch up on our to do list, yard
work, and errands. But consider the example of Christ. He also had a
busy demanding schedule of discipling 12 people, preaching to crowds
of upwards of 7,000 in attendance, and facing hostility from religious
leaders, however He still made time to go to the temple (as was His
custom). If He determined it was important to attend, shouldn’t we?
Prioritizing our relationship with Christ will have tremendous spiritual
benefits in our lives. We will gain His wisdom as we hear the Word
taught in church, we will gain encouragement for our weary lives from
likeminded believers, and we will gain an eternal mindset (as opposed to
a temporal one). Those things are always worth more in our lives in the
long run than pushing the lawnmower, running a few errands, and hitting
the snooze button. Further, when God and fellowshipping with other
believers, is a priority in our lives we will see that, somehow, He helps
the other things get done as well.
2. Church members have let you down in the past.
Being let down and hurt by a church member in the past can really pose
a barrier to people feeling emotionally safe to attend church. They often
wonder if they will be hurt again, or they feel in order to protect
themselves they never want to go back. However, when we are hurt at
work, the gym, at school, the neighborhood-we still go back. We know
that there are other benefits we still need-like a paycheck, to be
physically fit, to earn a degree, to have a place to sleep.
Churches are not perfect because they are filled with imperfect people
that make mistakes, sin, and hurt others. But there is still a reason to go
back (or perhaps to find a new church to plug into). To assemble
together with others who follow Christ, sing praises to Him, participate
in the Lord’s Supper, baptism, tithing, missions are all regular parts of
church services that should not be absent from a growing Christian’s
life. Pray for reconciliation and for God to work in the person’s heart
that hurt you, but don’t let that keep you away from the many benefits of
plugging into a faith community.
3. Feeling like you won’t understand everything and will feel out
of place.
The feeling of not knowing what to expect, not feeling confident in your
Bible knowledge, not knowing the songs or traditions of a church can
make a person leery of going at all. While it is true, you probably won’t
know all the songs, when you first begin attending a church don’t let that
stop you. The benefits of plugging into a faith community far outweigh
the initial learning curve.
Many churches have robust websites where you can watch a live
worship service online, read their statement of faith, and request more
info from a staff member before you ever go the first time. And to be
honest-we will never know it all! That is the joy in the Christian life-
learning and growing deeper in our walk with God and sharing those
things you are learning with others in your church family.
Can you think of other pitfalls people encounter when trying to plug into
a church?
Do you currently attend a local church? Why or why not?
In Your Own Words
The new insights I learned about plugging into a faith community are...
The main message I gained from this lesson is...
This new information will affect my life this way...
Actions Steps for Next week
o Prayer: Pray for the courage to attend and even commit to a local
church. Ask God to lead you to a place where you can plug in and
grow in your walk with Him and help others as well.
o Attend and Serve:
If you are not currently plugged into a local church:
• Read Appendix: “What to look for in a good church.”
• Research online local churches in your area you would like to try
out.
• Ask a trusted Christian friend where they attend church and ask if
you could accompany them this week!
If you are currently plugged into a local church:
• Ask the staff leadership in your church where there are areas of
need and seek to be a participator in your church, not simply an
attender.
• Ask your church if they administer a Spiritual Gifts test so you can
see more clearly where God has gifted you and where you can
specifically serve with your unique abilities.
o Memorize: Recite Acts 2:42-47. Review past scripture verses you
have memorized.
o Bible: Continue in your Bible reading in the book of Mark. This
week read and journal chapters 7-8.
o Others: If you already attend one, pray for the courage to invite
someone to go with you. Many people just need to be invited
personally to begin to receive all the benefits of belonging to a
church family.
Personally Speaking
Being a part of a church family has hands down been one of the biggest
blessings in my life. I have felt loved and cared for immensely over the
years and am so glad I have made the effort to plug in! At each stage of
my life God has used other believers (remember the one another verses)
to help mold and shape me into the woman I am today.
I recall being a part of a singles class where we regularly served our
community together. One morning we decided to put on a free carwash
at my apartment complex. Together we reached out with God’s love to
people by washing their cars for free and taking time to pray for them if
they wanted. These same friends helped me move multiple times. They
showed up to help me move my many boxes and furniture in and out of
storage units and in and out of apartments.
As a married woman I was blessed that our church offered a special
weekly class for newlyweds that spanned our first year of marriage. It
was so helpful for Alan and I to learn how to get our marriage started on
the right path. We also met many other couples in our same stage of life
to talk with and relate to.
I will never forget giving birth to my first child. He was straight up
colicky for 4 months. It was some of the most tiring days of my life. I
recall the women of my Sunday school class bringing food, gifts and
supplies to my house three times a week for 6 weeks! They carried me
through those months in such an encouraging way with their food,
prayers and helpful advice.
When I have faced great heartache (sadly at the hands of people within
the church) I found my deepest comfort from fellow church goers. I am
so thankful that even though other people within the church made bad
decisions that broke my heart; I did to allow that to keep me from the
loving community I had always known.
I would strongly urge you, even if you have been disappointed or hurt by
someone in a church, to try again. While people will let you down, there
is just nothing like the family of God helping you and loving on your
through the ups and down of life.
and that’s your reason for never darkening the door of a church since? But, you specifically said nothing can change your mind so ...
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