Church Attendance

I have long wondered the mindset of individuals who are not consistent in their involvement with the family of God as they gather for. . .well, all the things they gather for. Worship, education, ministry, joyful interaction, or any number of other reasons, are part of the process of becoming a useful implement for the building of the Kingdom of God.

Bible teachers often work their way through a passage of Scripture over a period of time. It is difficult to establish a competent lesson plan that equips the learner for freedom (“You shall know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” Gospel according to John) when that learner is only present two or three Sundays out of four or five. Preachers often offer “series” of messages only to fine that many members of the family will miss from some to most of the offerings, and then struggle to grow toward maturity.

Perhaps regular attendance is not mandatory to please our Heavenly Father (though I doubt it), but it does make it difficult to develop and/or maintain a singular focus and desire for God’s Word. There are few that find their attendance marred by only the occasional “miss” over a lifetime, but a significant number of family members are not above choosing lesser things than consistently gathering with the local family of God.

My concern does not lie in the desire to build a larger attendance in a given Church building, rather, a desire to encourage the Redeemed to begin a journey of intimacy with the Truth of God’s Word. That would be an incredible joy.