Discipleship Lesson 6: Church

Man was not created to be alone. We were created with a need for fellowship and community. God said in Genesis 2:18, “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” He created Eve to be the helper and companion that God knew Adam needed. This shows us that we are not meant to be alone. We need people. We need community. And the best place we can find community and fellowship is at church.

In church we not only meet other believers who can encourage us and hold us accountable, but we can worship and learn about God. We will talk about worship in a later lesson. We have the early Church as an example of why we should go. In Acts 2:42 we see that the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.” They came together to learn and fellowship with one another. They knew they needed community, and they met regularly with each other.

At that time in history the church was not a building where everyone met once or twice a week. They met in one another’s homes (Acts 2:46), and later, when they faced persecution for their beliefs, they met in secret locations (they met in the catacombs under the city). But regardless of where they met, they made the point to meet often. They knew firsthand the benefits of regular fellowship.

And God WANTS us to be together. He tells us that in Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” He tells us through the author of Hebrews not to give up the habit of meeting together like some have already done. Why? Because when we are together, we learn more (Romans 15:14). When we meet together, we can love one another (1 John 4:12), encourage each other (Hebrews 3:13), serve each other (Galatians 5:13), and so much more.

Do you HAVE to attend?

Nothing says you MUST go. There are no Bible verses or commands from Jesus that tell us we must go to church regularly. But why wouldn’t we want to go? Just like reading our Bible, the more we read, the more we learn. The same is true in church. The more we attend, the more we are fed into, encouraged, uplifted. We make more and more friends who help us grow, encourage us in our walk, and help hold us accountable.

As believers, we are the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). As a Body, we each have a job to do, a role to play. If you have ever broken a bone, you know firsthand how the body must adjust to accommodate the weakness. Other body parts must work harder to make up for what is missing. And the same is true of the church. Each person is a member of the body and as such has a place and a role (1 Corinthians 12:14-20).

So no, you do not have to attend, but you should want to. You should feel a desire to go because you are being fed spiritually and growing in your faith. You learn new things about God and the Bible when you are attending regularly. Church is a place where we gather to publicly show our love for God.

We are also told by the Apostle Paul that we should bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). That cannot happen if we are not together. People will not be vulnerable with one another and share their burdens if they do not have any type of relationship with you, and those friendships cannot be established unless you are present and engage with them. If we want to support our fellow believers, we need to be there.

How do I find a church?

Finding a home church can be challenging at times. Unless you have already attended a church when you became a believer, you probably have asked this question and are not sure where to begin.

The following are some tips to help guide you in your search.

1. Pray for God to lead you to the church He wants you to attend. You want His will in this decision, and He will help you find the right church for your needs.
2. Ask friends who are believers where they attend and why. Find out what they think about their church and then try it out. Meet them for a few services and see how comfortable you are with it.
3. Google it. Search online and see what churches are near you. Look on their websites or social media accounts and find out when they meet, beliefs, and programs they offer. Find one that meets your needs and then try it out.
4. Don’t let denominational differences stop you from visiting. Just be sure you are attending a church that is bible based and rooted in the Word. And know that some churches are more traditional, some more contemporary. You will probably want to try a few different styles to get an idea of what you prefer and which denomination meets your needs.
5. Evaluate how it went. After you attend a few times, really think about how it was. Did you feel welcome and comfortable? Did you like the worship music and preaching? Did you learn anything from the message? These are all things you want to think about. They will help you form a view of the church and whether it meets your needs or not.
6. Test the teaching of the message. We talked about the importance of looking up things in the Bible a few lessons back. This is a prime example of when you should do that. The message being shared from the church you are trying out should be biblically based. It should come from the Word and you should be able to find it in the Bible.
7. Ask yourself if you can see yourself serving in this church? Could you see yourself working in the children’s ministry or greeting people as they enter? We will talk more about service in another lesson, but a church that encourages people to serve is more likely going to help you grow than a church where you are just there to sit and listen.

There is no sure-fire formula to help you find a church. It is a lot of trial and error and testing things out. Some people will find a church the first time they attend, while others may visit 5 or more churches before they find one that meets their needs. Just don’t give up. God has the perfect church for you. It just takes some work to find it.

Study Questions

1. Why is church attendance important?
2. Do you have to attend church? How often should you attend? Why?
3. Why is finding a home church a process of trial and error?

Think About It

What can you do to help someone learn more about the church you are currently attending? How can you help a visitor feel more comfortable at your church?

If you are not attending a church currently why not? What can you do to find a church for yourself?

Discipleship Program Index | Lesson 5 | Lesson 7

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Discipleship Lesson 1: God, Sin, & Salvation Discipleship Lesson 5: Studying the Bible Discipleship Lesson 7: Prayer