Why should I go to church?  A lot of people are asking that question.  Many aren’t getting satisfactory answers.  Some of the answers are legalistic, and legalistic answers never help or motivate anyone other than those who are legalistic.

Why should I go to church?  We should deal with that question in a loving, honest and realistic way.  Those of us who want people to come to church should also make sure that what they receive from church is meaningful and valuable. 

Donald Whitney in his book, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ, gives twelve helpful and Biblical answers to that question.  I will only address one answer which is hinted at in the subtitle of the book – Participating Fully in the Body of Christ.  People are hungry for community.  It is a frequent topic of conversation and a determining factor in deciding what a person will participate in.  Oddly enough, many of the choices people make on a regular basis are anti-community in nature. 

Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching,” (NIV).  Said another way, we should keep getting together with other Christians because we need encouragement.  It’s a community thing. 

One of the great things about the LIFE youth conference is that students from all over the nation gather with thousands of other Christian students and realize they are not alone.  They worship with students who are excited about their faith and that encourages them to be more excited about and committed to their own faith. 

The same thing happens when we come together at church.  We see others who are excited about and growing in their faith.  We form a community with people who support and encourage us.  We see that we are not alone.  We are challenged by their growth and that spurs us on in our own. 

Whitney writes, “New Testament fellowship involves the sharing of the Christian life with other followers of Christ.  Talking about the things of God with each other, telling and hearing testimonies of the work of the Spirit of God and praying as one people, extending to and receiving from one another the love of Christ – these are the fibers of the fabric of fellowship.  The best way for it to be woven into our lives is through involvement with a church family…  We can be encouraged by the perseverance of other believers who are buoyant in their faith despite discouraging circumstances, by the example of more mature believers, by other church members who struggle successfully with some of the same daily issues we face, and by praying and singing the praises of God with others.”  That’s one reason I should go to church.