The Big Questions About the Christian LifeНамуна

Why Should You Go to Church?

For most people, this isn’t a big question at all. They can’t see any reason why they should go to church.

Some may have gone to church as kids and grown out of it or left because they didn’t like what they saw in church. Many other people have never been churchgoers because their parents weren’t either. It’s quite a challenging thing to make a case for going to church in a culture where most people don’t think it’s important.

I believe it’s important to go to church regularly. Plenty of studies have shown an increased life expectancy and reduced mortality risk for those who regularly attend worship services.

That might sound strange to people who don’t think there’s any point in going to church but let’s consider this, taking perhaps the least important reasons first.

Church gives us regular social connections. In a society in which we are more and more physically disconnected from each other and more connected to our mobile devices, this is a huge bonus. It’s vitally important for our health and emotional well-being.

Church gives us regular opportunities to reflect on gratitude. Grateful people are happier people, period. Lots of research has demonstrated this. The church is a place uniquely structured to allow people to reflect on, experience, and act on gratitude.

Related to this idea is that the church gives people many opportunities to give back to others. Church provides a social group of diverse people who learn what it means to grow together. It teaches us what it means to forgive. Church also helps us get through life’s tough times and support others experiencing problems.

These benefits are so clear that there are even atheist “churches” set up in various countries so people can have these benefits, but of course, in a non-spiritual context. They run somewhat similar to normal churches but without God.

However, none of these are the best reasons you should go to church. The single most important reason is that the church provides experiences that connect us with God. The church becomes a catalyst for finding the deepest and truest meaning in our lives.

We need to remember there is no perfect church, just as there are no perfect people, but there’d be no point to church if we were all perfect. The church is where we grow together in Christ.

I know that the church has failed to look after people in the past, and it has often given Christianity a bad name. Of course, I don’t know where you are on your journey. But I do know that the Christian community is really important. If you’re not connected to one, it’s worth taking another look.

– Eliezer Gonzalez