What is the point of church? Do we need to do it in a certain order? Do we need to all be together or kids in one room and adults in another? Do we pass an offering plate or allow people to support the church via online website? Do we sing a certain type of song or sing a certain number of songs?
The point of church has nothing to do with any of those questions, in fact when we say church, in truth, we aren't even talking about a building.
The Christian church is in fact, God's people. Those who have chosen to accept Jesus as their Savior and work together as a body of believers. We are the church. I hear people all the time say something and either precede it or finish it with "I probably shouldn't say this in church," as we stand talking in the building we call "our church." Obviously, its okay to still call the building church, but its important we know that we are the church. Our bodies are temples for God's dwelling so the question should be about what we should do with our lives no matter where we are.
The point of church is really connection, worship of God and growing in Him. That comes through songs and a message, but it also comes in a Bible study or small group setting.
This is an important distinction as we seek to make our "churches" places people in 2019 (soon to be 2020) will attend.
When we hold to tradition more than content, we are failing ourselves and those around us. The content is what is important.
I recently had a discussion with a few different people on kids in church. Many older than me feel kids need to be sitting in church with their parents during the service, and quite frankly, if a parent feels that way about their child, then I am not going to disagree. That is their right as the parent, but I actually have a different perspective. I want my kids to fall in love with Jesus. I want them to learn about him, but also connect with him. My relationship with him is not theirs' so to expect them just to carbon copy my experience is not only ill-informed, its naive. For my kids to continue going to church, they don't need to see how I do it, and watch me sing along with worship songs or take notes, during a sermon. They will see my faith every other day in real life. That is what makes the impact. I want them to learn as little kids on their level and build on that, so when its time to be in a church service next to me or in their own church as adults, they have the foundation to build on and can be seeking to grow on their own because it matters to them.
I have a relationship with God because I learned the basics, studied the Bible on my own and because I talk to God as an active part of my life. I talk to God throughout the day and that was because I learned to as a kid.
I don't want my kids to get good at sitting in a pew (or row of chairs), but I want them to be good at going to God and knowing who he is and who he made them to be.
We do need each other and that is why church is so important. We need to be solid on the foundations of Bible knowledge, and we need to be acting like the body of Christ, all working together as we each do our part, but how that is accomplished on a Sunday morning, really is more about the people gathering than it is about tradition.
We live in a different world than the one I grew up in, and we need to do things differently to reach and care for those around us.
If you go to church, why do you go? Have you ever asked, "what is the point," in connection with the aspects of your worship service? Are there things that have become more important to you than the point? If you don't go, and you consider yourself a Christian, do you know why you don't go? It is important that we go deeper and ask the questions. We need to understand the patterns of our daily living and choices. Only then can we grow.
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