5 Reasons Why You Need A Church Home

I never knew how much I needed a church home until I found one. I attended church intermittently as a child, but I never really prioritized it. In fact, I was burned very badly by one when I was in high school and decided that church wasn’t for me. After that, my relationship with God fell apart.

For the next few years, I was lonely and lost. Church was completely off my radar for many years, but once I got invited by a friend (who is now my husband) I found my way back. I had exhausted all my other options for finding hope and love in my life and thought “let’s try this again.”

My heart was softened by welcoming people and I committed my life back to Christ.

Eventually, I married that friend and we attended church together regularly in our hometown. When we moved away to Missouri for him to attend school, we committed to finding a church to get involved in. We knew this season would be hard and we would need a strong Christian community to encourage us.

We tried multiple churches in our area before we found a home. At each church, we attended multiple times and tried to connect there before moving on. We prayed about each one but never felt peace until we found Connect Church here in Springfield, Missouri. (If you are local, come see us!)

We are deeply involved in our church home now and I cannot imagine our lives without our community there. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find where you fit, but it is so important to seek out the fellowship and community of a church home.

Here are 5 Reasons Why!

1. We Were Created For Community

Did you know that? We were created for fellowship with God and with others. He created Adam and then created Eve because it “is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) We were not meant to live in isolation. Our very souls crave relationship with other people.

One of the most effective ways for the enemy to bring you down is to isolate you and make you feel alone. Having a church home reminds us we are part of something bigger than ourselves. It reminds us we are loved and we belong in God’s Kingdom.

Related: How to Lead More Authentic & Engaging Small Groups

2. We Are Who We Surround Ourselves With

Have you ever heard the phrase you are what you eat? This is true of food, but also of what we choose to consume in all areas of our lives. The Bible tell us to “not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2) but if we are consistently consuming worldly things, it makes it harder to not conform.

When we are in God’s presence through worship, hearing His Word through the message and feeling His love through other believers, that is how we fight against conforming to the world.

3. Church Helps Us Have a Heart For Service

If your church is really Christ-centered, there will be an emphasis on serving in a variety of ways. Serving on a team or two at your church is a great way to connect with others and cultivate a humble heart.

There will likely be opportunities for you to give of your time, talent and treasure to your community as well. Often churches partner with community organizations to leverage their congregation to help meet a need. This could mean donating money, clothing, food or time.

If your church isn’t doing this, ask for more serving opportunities from your leadership. If they are, get involved.

4. Church Gives Us A Place to Worship

Worship and praise is one of the reasons humanity exists. We were created for community and also to glorify God. That is our ultimate purpose. (Isaiah 43:7) While we can give praise to God anywhere and anytime, church services specifically create an atmosphere of praise for us.

A church home gives you a place to feel intimacy with God through singing and music, giving, serving and loving people. That is the place where a spirit of worship is cultivated and carries over into our daily lives.

Can you worship God anywhere? Of course you can. But doing so with a body of fellow believers is powerful.

5. It Gives Us A Place to Grow

Being part of a church home should deepen your faith. You should be encouraged and challenged to grow by learning more about God and His Word, serving others, developing deep Godly friendships and becoming a leader and a mentor to others.

A church home gives us a place to use our talents and to grow in them through practice and learning. It gives you a place to find accountability when you need it and encouragement when times are hard.

If you aren’t in church now, go find one. If you have been burned by the church before, try again. The Church is full of fallible people, saved by the grace of God. They are not the point of a church; glorifying God and growing in relationship with him is.

Do you have a church home? How has this helped you? Are you searching for one? Tell me about your experience in the comments!