All In: Post Baptism ResourceSample

Gather with the Church

What thoughts come to mind when you think of gathering with the church? This may be a new idea for you that comes with uncertainties and questions. On the other hand, this may be a familiar concept to you. If you’ve had past church experiences, they can cause you to approach your new church family with those past experiences in mind. Whether they’ve been positive, negative or maybe this is all new for you, you can be assured that God created His “Church” (the global gathering of Christ's followers) for a great and mighty purpose.

When the early church began, they didn’t have the buildings we have now. Early on they would meet in people’s homes. But it didn’t matter where they met. All that was important was that they were meeting together regularly and encouraging one another in their faith. And that continues to be our goal today. When we gather with our church family, we get to collectively celebrate all that God has done in us and also what He’s doing for those around us. We get to be encouraged by our church family, strengthened in our faith, and challenged to pursue God’s truth together. It’s an opportunity for us to share our story with others who are on the same journey to a better way of doing life - a launching pad into our daily lives as we live out our faith to those around us.

Gathering as a church is an opportunity to experience God’s presence collectively so that we can grow and not become stagnant in our faith. Just like the parts of a body make the whole body strong and healthy, so God has designed His church family to work together with the unique gifts He has given us. God needs each of us to be a part of His church body so we can be a powerful force that brings His hope to the world.

We all need encouragement, whether you’re beginning your journey or you’ve been on the journey for a long time. Gathering with your church family can be a tremendous gift to you in that way. Don’t discount it. God knew what we would need, and He knew there was power to be found in a group of believers coming together. No matter the persecution that the early church felt, they still came together and pressed on to advance the name of Jesus in ways only God could orchestrate. Still today, God is using His church to advance hope all over the globe. Not even the gates of hell can stop the power of the church! This is Jesus’ promise to us!

Reflection

Pray and ask God to show you how you can play a part in helping His local church grow. Make it a priority to gather each week and worship with your church family. You don’t have to be perfect to be part of God’s church. He just asks you to be willing.