Published by Being a part of a church is an ongoing source for argument. Should you join one or should you just worship in the privacy of your own home? Many pastors, of course, are adamant that church membership is the only way to go. They quote the bible that fellowshipping is one of the ways we must please God. However, there are people who will argue that you don’t need to be a part of a church to please God.
How is Church Like a Club?
In some ways, being a part of a church is like belonging to a private club. You must abide by the rules, be involved in their events, regularly attend services (club meetings) and/or Sunday school, and pay your dues (tithes) faithfully. Although it is open to the public, and must be as a form of advertisement (so to speak) to gain new members, church is also similar in that you don’t enjoy the “gold” benefits unless you are a practicing member. The key word is “practicing”. (The gold benefits should be that you are heaven-bound.)
Yes, it is true that you can find plenty of fellowship outside the church. You can also find people of similar interests outside a club. Attending Christian events is easy. The trick is staying active in your search. Many people just won’t maintain an active search for spiritual enrichment unless they are a part of the church group. The moral support, the Christian love, the constant and regular supply of positive reinforcement, and the positive and decent atmosphere are a necessity for many people to keep their ongoing relationship with God on a high level. There are always exceptions to the rule, of course. A few people are able to do it on their own, without the constant reinforcement from a group of other believers. But, for others, staying out of church is just an excuse, and they do fall behind in their worship and spiritual diet by trying to manage without the group. Being in a club is the same way in that you don’t attend meetings regularly and stay active in your club, you fall behind on what is current and are left out of the loop. The main difference is that being active in a church is part of your commitment to God and to your own spiritual growth. A club may or may not have anything to do with spiritual growth.
Understanding Commitment
Fellowshipping should be uplifting and encouraging. It is a challenge at times to find a church that you can feel comfortable joining. This in itself is what keeps many believers out of church. If you have a bad experience, it can make a person reluctant to return to try again anywhere else. Still others will just “church hop” as a front that they do attend church, but they won’t make a commitment to any one place. Being commitment shy is yet another way to avoid tithing, which can be a controversial issue in itself even among church members.
Greed in the Church
If you are struggling to find your place of worship, it can be a serious battle as you fight what you feel inside to find peace within yourself. When you finally do find a church, sometimes it can feel right at first, but soon you discover it isn’t what fits you after all. Many pastors and members of the congregation can be relentless as they push to reel in the new fish!
Some churches thrive on just having the most members and are not sincere in their efforts to maintain the spiritual quality of the church. The financial mis-management causes turbulence. Someone becomes greedy. Money is a necessary evil. It is needed to run the church and provide the services, but it can also scare away newcomers if the atmosphere is one of selfish greed.
Church Should not be a Status Symbol
Some people will only join a church for the right to say they are a member of a certain place. It’s a status symbol for them. The sad part is, once again, this ruins the quality of the worship center. People who are seen as less-than-worthy members are forced out somehow, only allowing the ones that are profitable and of a certain class to fit the idea of what the congregation feels to be acceptable. If you aren’t wearing the right clothes, driving the right car, or rubbing elbows with the right people, you are ostracized.
Belonging to a church can be a wonderful, loving experience. It should be a way to help you grow in your spiritual needs and fulfillment. But some people grow discouraged when they realize that the church members are just regular people with a mixture of good examples and bad examples. Should this keep you from joining? No. You may be the good example that is needed to help turn things around. This doesn’t mean that you should join with an arrogant attitude. You should join with the right frame of mind. Live like you feel you are being guided by God. If you are unsure of whether or not God is guiding you, wait until you are sure and pray about it; seek the advice of others in whom you trust. But do what you feel you are being led to do, not what anyone else thinks you should do. Resist being just another part of the status symbol.
If your church environment is keeping you from maintaining your spiritual relationship with God, make a change. If you aren’t able to maintain your spiritual needs on your own, seek a church to join or at least find others who are without a church and worship together. The importance is not which church you attend, but your own personal relationship with God that matters.
“How Do You View Church?”
The place where the suckers gather.