Why go to Church?

Christians find Church is irrelavent

From the decline in Church attendance and the growth of believing without belonging we know most Christians in the UK do not go to Church. They find that siting in Church for 2 hours on a Sunday is not to their liking. To them Church is often old fashioned in its approach on so many things. Consequently it is often unable to retain older children, teenagers, and young adults. The growth in the gender gap also points to the problem being much greater with men.

De-churched reasons for attendance

Source: Tearfund report on Churchgoing April 2007 Fig 4d

A recent Tearfund report surveyed de-Churched Christians and found that 64% could not think of a single reason why they would go to Church. Not even a Tsunami, war or bareavement would cause these folk to cross the threshold of a Church. Do you sense how deep their dislike for the Church is?

Why do we need Church?

The Church Jesus promissed to build can be summed up by the five activities or purposes found in the words of Jesus:

Purposes of Church

Mission
Fellowship Worship Discipleship
Ministry

 

These were given by Jesus in the Great Commandment ( worship and ministry):

The Great Commandment

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbour as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Matthew 22:34-40 NIV

and the Great Commision ( mission, fellowship and discipleship):

The Great Commision

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:16-20 NIV

As most of these are group activities, its difficult to see how you can do them on your own. To live them requires a Church, however, most Churches in the UK today focus on one of these and may leave out others altogether. As Rick Warren said in his book the Purpose Driven Church, a healthy Church comes from a balance between all five and those Churches that leave out one or more are not Churches but Christian clubs.