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You’re in a conversation and someone asks, “Why should I go to church? I can be a Christian without it.”
What Would You Say?
Between the downward trend in church membership and the downward trend in trust in the Church, many people have concluded that the Church is, at best, unnecessary, or at worst, detrimental. The next time you hear someone ask, “Why should I go to church?", here are three things to consider regarding church attendance.
What Would You Say?: Why Should I Go to Church?
You’re in a conversation and someone asks, “Why should I go to church? I can be a Christian without it.”
What would you say?
Church membership in much of the Western world has been in steady decline over the past few decades and is approaching historic lows in the U.S. At the same time, Americans have a growing distrust of the Church, with only 32% of U.S. adults expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the Church in 2023 compared with 68% of adults in 1975.
Between the downward trend in church membership and the downward trend in trust, many people have concluded that the church is, at best, unnecessary, or at worst, detrimental. The next time you hear someone ask, “Why should I go to church?” here are three things to remember:
First: Church is good for society.
Studies consistently show that churches have a positive impact—socially and economically—on the communities around them.
According to one Barna study, attendees of urban or city churches are more likely than nonchurchgoers to be aware of the issues facing their community, and two-and-a-half times more likely to address those issues. And nearly 40% of churchgoers report that their churches are actively involved in addressing local community issues.
This is true in both urban and non-urban settings. A study of Methodist churches across rural North Carolina showed an average boost of over $730,000 to local economies. In addition to hiring and spending locally, these small-town churches provide social services to their communities—from childcare and education to food banks and counseling. They also operate as community hubs, offering space for locals to gather. Remarkably, over 70% of those who benefit from these church programs aren’t even church members. Churches are reaching beyond their walls and contributing to the social and economic wellbeing of their communities.
Churches also tend to strengthen marriages and families, which contribute to a healthier society. In fact, as marriage rates across the country decline, reported the Institute for Family Studies, “they are falling significantly faster for people who do not attend church regularly.” That’s because “commitment to one’s faith appears strongly correlated with commitment to one’s spouse.”
Stronger marriages foster more stable families with both parents present. This is significant because children who have a good relationship with their fathers are more likely to attend church. As they grow up and stay committed to the Church, they perpetuate the Church’s strengthening effects in their families and broader society for generations.
Second: Church is good for individuals.
Compared to nonchurchgoers, those who attend church at least once a week have a 26% lower mortality rate than those who have never attended. They have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, as well as mental health issues like depression and suicide. In a study on the effects of church attendance among healthcare workers in the U.S., those who regularly attended religious services had a 68% lower risk of “deaths of despair”—or deaths from suicide, alcohol, or drug use—than those who never attended. Frequent church attendees experience lower rates of hopelessness, anxiety, and loneliness. And, across multiple countries, those who are committed to a religious community tend to rate themselves “very happy.”
But perhaps the greatest effect of commitment to a church is the sense of community and belonging. Compared to nonchurchgoers, regular attendees have higher rates of life satisfaction, social belonging, and a sense of purpose in life. This is likely because of the unique kind of community that churches offer. Those who are committed to a healthy church tend to feel seen, loved, and cared for at a deep level.
Third: Church isn’t optional for Christians.
Throughout the New Testament, Christians are referred to in collective terms: as the body of Christ, where each member is essential to the others; as a household being built together where God will dwell; and as a nation, priesthood, and people belonging to God.
The writer of the letter of Hebrews urges Christians to “not neglect meeting together” for the sake of mutual encouragement and endurance in the faith. Even the New Testament’s word for church, “ekklēsia” means a called-out assembly. In fact, when the Apostles told churches in Scripture how to behave and what to believe, they often wrote something we miss in English. It's not “you”-singular, but “you”-plural or “y'all” that they used.
The Bible doesn’t make church optional, but essential. As the third-century Church father Cyprian wrote, “He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the church for his mother.” This isn’t because church attendance earns favor with God or makes someone a Christian, but because Christians are those who have been adopted into God’s family. That makes God our Father and fellow Christians our brothers and sisters. Even before the beginning of the Church, Jesus said that Christians who live for Him will have many “brothers, sisters, mothers, and children” in the faith.
Scripture also says that God provides overseers to care for the Church by preaching the Bible, looking out for the wellbeing of those in their care, and equipping “the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith.” These things cannot take place in isolation. In short, the Church isn’t a building. It isn’t an hour-long meeting once a week. It’s a spiritual family that every Christian is brought into. Because Christians believe that Jesus loved and died for the Church, we too are called to love the Church. In fact, loving others is a sign God uses to show the world His love.
Of course, no church is perfect—after all, churches are made up of humans who fail. Christians have hope not because the Church is perfect but because Jesus loves the Church and is redeeming it from its own brokenness and sin every day. That’s good news for a broken world.
So, next time someone asks you why they should bother going to church, remember:
Church is good for society.
Church is good for individuals.
Church isn’t optional for Christians.
You’re in a conversation with a fellow Christian who says, “The news is so depressing. I don’t know who to trust anyway, so I’ve stopped following current events.” What would you say? There’s no doubt that following the news can be overwhelming and discouraging… especially these days. Between talking heads on television, moral lectures from celebrities, and rants on social media, it can seem impossible to dig through the noise and know the truth about anything. However, Christians should be informed and aware of what is happening in our culture, not only for our own sake (so we can make good decisions), but for others (especially our children, our friends, and our communities). So how can Christians engage the chaos in the news without getting overwhelmed, discouraged, or burnt-out? Here are three principles to keep in mind. Number 1: All truth is God’s truth. The first and most important principle for Christians when engaging with any content is this: anything true, wherever we encounter it, is God’s truth. God is the Father of Truth. He has gone to incredible lengths to reveal Truth through His world, His Word, and especially His Son, Jesus Christ. Scripture tells that God is loving and that He is in control. That means that His Truth will not change over time. Truth transcends the contexts of different cultures. So, while we can always learn more in each new historical moment, from truths that are new to us to new applications and facets of Truth, the Truth itself does not change. Satan, on the other hand, is the father of lies. Throughout the Bible, from the very first time in the Garden of Eden when Satan tempted Eve, he sets up false narratives to undermine God’s truth and question God’s character as a loving father. That’s still what Satan does today. He hasn’t changed his tactics. So whenever we engage with the news we can keep this in mind. Anything true comes ultimately from God. Anything false, does not. And, even more than false facts, we should look for false narratives that undermine what is true and cause us to question what he has revealed. This leads to our second principle. Number 2: Focus on God’s story first, and the news second. If we don’t know God’s story, we won’t be able to differentiate between true and false narratives. The most important thing for Christians to do is to learn God’s story. If we don’t know what He has revealed, we will struggle to sort through the news with any clarity. In fact, reading and studying the Scriptures—or, learning God’s story—with a community of faithful believers is essential. When we know how to live and think from God’s story, rather than from the world’s narratives, we won’t be confused or despair by what we see in the news because we have a framework for identifying what is true and knowing where the ideas and issues of our culture fit. Number 3: Read local news stories and find ways to transform them. Christians should be most fully engaged with the news from their local area—from their own neighborhood, town, city, and state. Only after this should we focus in on national news. This may seem counterintuitive, but it has several advantages. First, it is easier to sort through competing narratives when the situation is closer to your life. And second, you’re more likely to be able to do something about problems in your local area. For example, reading a national news story about rising poverty levels is depressing and overwhelming. It’s not always clear what the Christ-like, loving response to that story is. But if you read a local news story about how a homeless shelter down the street needs donations, the action step is clear. You can volunteer or donate. You can even organize a food drive through your church, or you can work with a local youth group to do a service day. You can translate the story into action—you can fit the news into a narrative of God’s love restoring all things. So the next time someone says that they’re discouraged or overwhelmed by the news, share these three principles: Number 1: All truth is God’s truth. Number 2: Focus on God’s story first, and the news second. Number 3: Read local news stories and find ways to transform them. For What Would You Say?, I’m Brooke McIntire.
For more on engaging the news, see Chapter 4, "The Information Age," in A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World by John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle.
