The coronavirus swept across many parts of the world in 2020, forcing establishments, including churches, to close their doors. When those doors finally reopened in 2022, many church seats remained empty, with those who once attended now staying home and taking advantage of streaming services. What COVID-19 showed many churchgoers was that they could have the same experience as they once had, while enjoying the conveniences and comforts of their homes. However, this belief demonstrates a significant error in their understanding. It’s the error of believing church attendance is solely about us.
Believing that one can have the same church experience from remote attendance demonstrates our error in believing that church attendance is solely about us.
Unfortunately, this erroneous belief is engraved in most church attendees from an early age—not intentionally but behaviorally. I remember the sticker charts of my childhood where we could earn stars for things like attendance, tithing, evangelism, and bringing a friend to church. Upon accumulating a certain number of stars, we were rewarded, usually with a small toy or a piece of candy. The intentions to instill spiritual habits at a young age were good. However, in the attempt to train good behavior, we’ve cultivated a more destructive reward system—to us and others—than good. In turn, it has caused us to ask the question, “What am I getting out of attending?” In other words, “What is my reward?”
The writer of Hebrews, however, offers an alternative perspective.
Hebrews 10:25 is often the go-to verse for one attempting to spur on church attendance. But there are two issues with this approach. First, we must remember that what occurs during a scheduled time at a specific place is not “Church.” Instead, it is a local expression of fellowship of the Church. The “Church” describes a group of people—not an event. The writer of Hebrews intends to build a discipline of community or fellowship among believers—not to grow a membership roster.
Second, we often neglect to read the preceding verse, which tells us why this discipline is important—to stir up one another to love and good works. Being an active participant in a local fellowship is not just about us. It’s also about our responsibility to encourage others. We each play an active role in helping others live out their faith.
If you find yourself questioning the importance of a local fellowship, it may be for one of two reasons. Either you found yourself in an environment where you were not encouraged to love or serve (either inside the fellowship or elsewhere), in which case, find a community that does. Or, somewhere, you lost sight of the true purpose of attendance and made it all about you.
Watching the “Church” from your couch may be attendance. However, showing up, encouraging others, and serving is Gospel fellowship. While attendance—getting you and the kids ready, driving to a building, and sitting quietly in a pew—could be bothersome and disruptive to an otherwise peaceful morning, the writer of Hebrews knew that the benefits of gathering far outweighed any inconvenience in doing so. Attendance can cost you some convenience, but fellowship may cost you everything.
While mere church attendance can cost you some convenience, biblical fellowship may cost you everything.