Do you need to go to church?

Quick Answer: Do you need to go to church? Hebrews 10:25 instructs us not to “neglect” meeting together. This does not mean we must meet with other believers for a formal church service on a Sunday morning, but we are designed to live in community with trusted Christian friends. We gather for the purpose of receiving encouragement in the truth of the Gospel.

Diving Deeper: John lived for a time in isolation on the Isle of Patmos, but this doesn’t describe the normal, or even ideal, Christian life. We’re designed to be in community with one another.

The author of Hebrews encourages believers to not “neglect” meeting together (Hebrews 10:25). Here, God is not creating a regulation for going to church, as if doing so makes us more right or closer to Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). No, He is simply speaking to our need for community with others who know Jesus.

Community does not have to happen on a Sunday morning. It could occur at a coffee shop gathering, a dinner and discussion event, or an online Bible study group. The point is that we need to find people with whom we can journey through life. Healthy community offers us the support we need during life’s trials and triumphs and allows us to love people with the love we’ve received from Christ (John 13:34).

Let’s Make It a Conversation!
1. What is the purpose of a community of believers?
2. How can the idea of “attending church” be quantified, measured, and abused?
3. React to this statement: We are the church, so church can be anywhere at any time.