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Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For,
"In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay."
~Hebrews 10:19-25, 35-37~
It's another Sunday, when a majority of Christian churches gather for worship and prayer and preaching. How is the attendance in your local church? The churches in your area, or the churches in your denomination? We often hear the news that church attendance is on the decline, and the statistics seem to bear that out.
Government overreach and fear of spreading an illness caused many churches to stop meeting during the past couple of years, most thinking it would be very temporary. But the situation dragged on, and congregations were left trying to determine whether it would be deemed safe to resume meeting, or if the state would even allow them to meet. Some resumed much as prior to the pandemic, and others limited the activities and services they offered. Churches that had not had an online presence previously had figured out how to livestream music and preaching. Congregants were grateful to have this available to them while they were locked down, and many folks discovered that they could 'attend' many services all over the world if they wished! And even when churches reopened, some of those people, for various reasons, decided that staying at home and watching church on a screen was just as good or better than being there in person. Church attendance has not rebounded, but the decline had begun before the pandemic.
Turns out sports attendance was declining prior to the pandemic as well, and it hasn't been rebounding as hoped and expected either. So it's not just church-goers who aren't going any more.
Folks, I'm not sure what the reasons are, but I know there are many factors. I know people who no longer attend church on Sunday morning mostly because they can't be bothered, and I know people who no longer attend because they found that in their particular life situation they were actually better served by watching the livestream and then participating in a smaller fellowship at a different time. What I do know is that as Christ-followers, we do need to have a unity of purpose and we do need the encouragement, accountability, and fellowship of the church community. And we need it all the more as life gets crazier and Christ's return grows nearer.
Don't give up meeting together, Church. Get together and encourage each other, preach and study the Word, and persevere.
When you look at the decline of church attendance in America, or when you look at the decline of millennials that are not going to church in America, you want to have the conversation that a lot of times people are hit more with religion and rules and the systems than they are with the love of God and having a personal relationship with Christ. ~Kirk Franklin
Faithful attendance at Church meetings brings blessings you can receive in no other way. ~Ezra Taft Benson
Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man. ~Dwight L. Moody
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This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the 2023 challenge here: Write Something Somewhere
For more info on the decline in church attendance see: The Gospel Coalition article from January 2022
For more info on the decline in sports attendance see: the Sportscal article from July 2022 and the USA Today article from July 2019
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Amen, Kym. I kind of prefer watching from home. But we can't practice all the "one anothers" the Bible tells us to if we're not interacting with each other. Sunday mornings are busy with getting ready in time and making the drive, but I am glad I did when I get there.
ReplyDeleteI think Covid changed many things. But I do love church. Blessings Diana
ReplyDeleteOur church re-opened as soon as we were legally allowed to but I know a lot of other churches remained closed for quite a bit longer. I think our attendance is back where it originally was, but I do agree church attendance is down across the nation in general. I think it all depends where you live.
ReplyDeleteChurch on-line is great if you participate and not just watch. But nothing beats the presence of God in corporate worship and fellowship with other believers.
ReplyDeleteOur local churches were struggling for many, many years before the pandemic. In fact almost all of our local catholic schools were closed (when my oldest was in Kindergarten), and the priests started converging multiple churches/ services since the diocese was also having a hard time staffing the churches as well. Yet where my sisters live in North Carolina it seems like everyone goes to service and all the church parking lots are full.
ReplyDeleteAmen Kym. I appreciate your insights so true my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends February Link up.