To church-goers and non-church goers:
The church is Jesus' idea. He said, "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). The church is made up of believers in Christ all over the world. Obviously, it is not logistically possible for the one true world-wide church to gather regularly in one place to help each other and to plan Christ's work. So, groups of believers in various locations organize themselves into local churches.
You may have heard a criticism something like: "I believe in spirituality, but I do not believe in organized religion." I think I know what people mean. It is dead and meaningless to just go through certain outward religious exercises and rituals. One feels no life in such an environment. God hates this too. (Amos 5:21-23) But, concerning the organization part, Jesus organized His disciples to form the basis of His church. He had a treasurer, an inner circle of special leaders, group meetings for prayer and teaching, people who did various tasks, and a purpose for His group to accomplish.
The church is called "Christ's body" because it functions as a human body to do Christ's work on earth. Bodies are organized. Our bodies are not disjointed parts, each doing their own thing. Rather, God made our bodies to be organized so that the various parts could work together to fulfill their purpose. (I Corinthians 12:12-28) When you and I become followers of Christ, we become members of His body, the church, because of His Spirit in us. To not participate in a church is to be disobedient to our Lord Jesus who commanded us to love one another, help one another, and to work together to accomplish His purpose on earth. A person's circumstances may not allow each one to be equally involved, but each is still a part of the body. Obviously, the church is not perfect. It has many flaws. Some are extremely terrible and inexcusable. You may have been a person who has been "burned" by a church, or who has been forced to attend, and has decided you want nothing to do with it. This I can understand, and I am sorry this happened to you. Nevertheless, Christ loves His church and He is still in the process of building and perfecting it. It will be perfected when He returns to receive the church as a bride unto Himself. (John 14:3) If you are a Spirit-inhabited believer in Christ (Romans 8:9), then you are a member of Christ's church, whether or not you formally announce it or "join". Some people do formally join a church because they want to publicly announce that they have become a part of Christ and are willing to join together with others to grow toward Christ-likeness and to do His work. Others get involved without formally joining by simply attending and helping. Whichever you choose, you cannot escape your God-given responsibility to be involved in the visible and organized body of our Lord Jesus. We all need to give and receive from one another the things that help us develop into God's beloved and holy people.
Having said all of that, let me share with you some practical things about fitting into a church.
When people move to a community they somehow expect to find a church like the one they left. Or, if they begin attending a church, they may feel like an outsider. The fact is: You will rarely find a church like the one you left; and, new friendships are not automatic. Even so, the church is one of the best places to go to meet new people and build meaningful and lasting friendships. But, it will take understanding and effort on your part. When I go on vacations I attend other churches. I experience the feeling of being a stranger and of not always receiving warm welcomes. I suppose the same is true for many who begin attending a church. I offer for your consideration, which no one needs to agree with or accept, some pastoral advice:
1. Look for a church that teaches and preaches the truths of the Bible, a church that exalts Jesus as Lord and Savior, a person-centered church, that is, where people seem friendly, smiling, sincere, and relaxed. You won't know all of this at first. If you have Christ's Spirit in you, He will give you a good sense about this. When you find a church that you think has potential for you or your family, give it a month or two.
Don't flit from church to church each week.
2. Ask questions. Ask people what they enjoy about the church. See if you are comfortable with the beliefs and people. Remember, no church believes exactly everything you do. No church is perfect. Give and take applies in any earthly relationship. No person or church will agree with you on everything. The goal is to achieve unity and oneness in the love of Christ, even though there is not absolute agreement on every issue or point of doctrine.
3. Making friends is not always easy. Many people already have a circle of friends, but some make time to know and include others. Accept invitations and see where they lead. If you keep rejecting invitations too many times, don't expect people to keep reaching out to you. They think you don't want what they offer. You may need to find out who else is new in the church and invite them to do things with you. They may be seeking new relationships as much as you are. Friendships take time to develop. Once you get involved in something the church offers and people see you are interested, new doors will open. Here are some other thoughts on making friends: Small groups are great places to socialize and get connected. Join one. It may be an exercise group, coffee group, Bible Study group, or some other. Try it. If it doesn't fit, try another. Don't let fears or disappointments control you. Another thought: pick out someone you'd like to know or befriend. Invite them to do something with you. It may result in something exciting. And, if you are a person who seems to have a hard time making friends or being accepted, take an honest look at your own personality or behaviors. Are you contributing something to the problem? Ask for help. God's people ought to be loving and reaching out to new people, but, unfortunately, it doesn't always happen as we think it should. Be patient, give people a chance, pray for God to help, let your feelings and interests be known.
4. Finally, the church is part of God's Kingdom. We are here to discover what God wants each of us to do to accomplish His goals on earth. If you are a believer, get in there and make His church the best it can be for the glory of God. You can do a lot of good and you can reap a lot of good.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jay
The church is Jesus' idea. He said, "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). The church is made up of believers in Christ all over the world. Obviously, it is not logistically possible for the one true world-wide church to gather regularly in one place to help each other and to plan Christ's work. So, groups of believers in various locations organize themselves into local churches.
You may have heard a criticism something like: "I believe in spirituality, but I do not believe in organized religion." I think I know what people mean. It is dead and meaningless to just go through certain outward religious exercises and rituals. One feels no life in such an environment. God hates this too. (Amos 5:21-23) But, concerning the organization part, Jesus organized His disciples to form the basis of His church. He had a treasurer, an inner circle of special leaders, group meetings for prayer and teaching, people who did various tasks, and a purpose for His group to accomplish.
The church is called "Christ's body" because it functions as a human body to do Christ's work on earth. Bodies are organized. Our bodies are not disjointed parts, each doing their own thing. Rather, God made our bodies to be organized so that the various parts could work together to fulfill their purpose. (I Corinthians 12:12-28) When you and I become followers of Christ, we become members of His body, the church, because of His Spirit in us. To not participate in a church is to be disobedient to our Lord Jesus who commanded us to love one another, help one another, and to work together to accomplish His purpose on earth. A person's circumstances may not allow each one to be equally involved, but each is still a part of the body. Obviously, the church is not perfect. It has many flaws. Some are extremely terrible and inexcusable. You may have been a person who has been "burned" by a church, or who has been forced to attend, and has decided you want nothing to do with it. This I can understand, and I am sorry this happened to you. Nevertheless, Christ loves His church and He is still in the process of building and perfecting it. It will be perfected when He returns to receive the church as a bride unto Himself. (John 14:3) If you are a Spirit-inhabited believer in Christ (Romans 8:9), then you are a member of Christ's church, whether or not you formally announce it or "join". Some people do formally join a church because they want to publicly announce that they have become a part of Christ and are willing to join together with others to grow toward Christ-likeness and to do His work. Others get involved without formally joining by simply attending and helping. Whichever you choose, you cannot escape your God-given responsibility to be involved in the visible and organized body of our Lord Jesus. We all need to give and receive from one another the things that help us develop into God's beloved and holy people.
Having said all of that, let me share with you some practical things about fitting into a church.
When people move to a community they somehow expect to find a church like the one they left. Or, if they begin attending a church, they may feel like an outsider. The fact is: You will rarely find a church like the one you left; and, new friendships are not automatic. Even so, the church is one of the best places to go to meet new people and build meaningful and lasting friendships. But, it will take understanding and effort on your part. When I go on vacations I attend other churches. I experience the feeling of being a stranger and of not always receiving warm welcomes. I suppose the same is true for many who begin attending a church. I offer for your consideration, which no one needs to agree with or accept, some pastoral advice:
1. Look for a church that teaches and preaches the truths of the Bible, a church that exalts Jesus as Lord and Savior, a person-centered church, that is, where people seem friendly, smiling, sincere, and relaxed. You won't know all of this at first. If you have Christ's Spirit in you, He will give you a good sense about this. When you find a church that you think has potential for you or your family, give it a month or two.
Don't flit from church to church each week.
2. Ask questions. Ask people what they enjoy about the church. See if you are comfortable with the beliefs and people. Remember, no church believes exactly everything you do. No church is perfect. Give and take applies in any earthly relationship. No person or church will agree with you on everything. The goal is to achieve unity and oneness in the love of Christ, even though there is not absolute agreement on every issue or point of doctrine.
3. Making friends is not always easy. Many people already have a circle of friends, but some make time to know and include others. Accept invitations and see where they lead. If you keep rejecting invitations too many times, don't expect people to keep reaching out to you. They think you don't want what they offer. You may need to find out who else is new in the church and invite them to do things with you. They may be seeking new relationships as much as you are. Friendships take time to develop. Once you get involved in something the church offers and people see you are interested, new doors will open. Here are some other thoughts on making friends: Small groups are great places to socialize and get connected. Join one. It may be an exercise group, coffee group, Bible Study group, or some other. Try it. If it doesn't fit, try another. Don't let fears or disappointments control you. Another thought: pick out someone you'd like to know or befriend. Invite them to do something with you. It may result in something exciting. And, if you are a person who seems to have a hard time making friends or being accepted, take an honest look at your own personality or behaviors. Are you contributing something to the problem? Ask for help. God's people ought to be loving and reaching out to new people, but, unfortunately, it doesn't always happen as we think it should. Be patient, give people a chance, pray for God to help, let your feelings and interests be known.
4. Finally, the church is part of God's Kingdom. We are here to discover what God wants each of us to do to accomplish His goals on earth. If you are a believer, get in there and make His church the best it can be for the glory of God. You can do a lot of good and you can reap a lot of good.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jay
