Do Christians need to attend church buildings or is it alright for people to meet in smaller groups, or through livestream? We discuss how the early church met, why we are even asking the question, and some good reasons to attend and NOT attend congregations.

Music:
“Kid Kodi”
Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

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Show Notes – Episode #51 – Is Church Necessary?

Survey

• “Worshiping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church.”
  • U.S. Adults
    • 35% Strongly Agree
    • 32% Somewhat Agree
    • 9% Not Sure
    • 14% Somewhat Disagree
    • 10% Strongly Disagree
  • Evangelicals
    • 28% Strongly Agree
    • 28% Somewhat Agree
    • 6% Not Sure
    • 21% Somewhat Disagree
    • 17% Strongly Disagree
• “Every Christian has an obligation to join a local church.”
  • U.S. Adults
    • 18% Strongly Agree
    • 19% Somewhat Agree
    • 8% Not Sure
    • 19% Somewhat Disagree
    • 36% Strongly Disagree
  • Evangelicals
    • 26% Strongly Agree
    • 25% Somewhat Agree
    • 5% Not Sure
    • 19% Somewhat Disagree
    • 25% Strongly Disagree 

What Has Led to these Questions? 

• Technology
• COVID

How the Early Church Met

• The First Century church met in homes, typically called house churches. A particular city, especially if it were a large city and had many Christians, would have had multiple house churches. 
• This was necessary for two primary reasons
  • The number of Christians in some cities could not be supported in one household. It is important to remember that in the First Century, when the head of the household converted to Christianity, it generally meant the entire household (i.e., wives, children, slaves) converted as well. 
  • Large groups of people meeting in secret would have arisen suspicion by the Romans. Thinking, perhaps, that they were planning a coup, breaking the law, or something similar. 
• So, when Paul, for example, wrote a letter to the church in Rome, or Ephesus, or Philippi, he was probably not writing to one group of people who met in one home, but to all the Christians in the city who met in different homes with the expectation that the letter would be shared among them. 
• I think this demonstrates, at least, that meeting in different homes is by no means wrong. So, I think we have to at least say that meeting with one’s family is not an “invalid” replacement and that Christians don’t have an “obligation” to join a local church.
  • However, we must recognize that the Christians in these cities did communicate and work together. This must be kept in mind when we are considering how to interact with Christian community in our contemporary world. 

What Does a Church Congregation Supply?

• Elder oversight
• Differing perspectives
• Larger financial ability
  • Consider however the cost of maintaining a church building and paying ministers. 
  • Could the things large churches do be done by individuals? Or does it take some kind of larger system? 
• Theological and biblical education
• Community
  • Gifts
  • Discernment
  • Uplift 
  • Challenge
    
• So, while I would not want to go as far as saying you have to be part of a local congregation, or that it is sinful not to, I do believe a local congregation provides important aspects to the Christian walk that cannot be found elsewhere. 
• I do think that Christian community is vital for a healthy spiritual life, but a Christian community can be found in a lot of different places and can look a lot of different ways. 

Good Reasons NOT to Join a Local Congregation and NOT to Pressure People to Join

• Trauma
• Doubt
• Personality (e.g., severe social anxiety)
  • (Be careful not to give a “pass” to physical ailments (i.e. shut-ins), but disregard mental/emotional ones).