Is Attendance Important?

Have you ever wondered why church attendance drops off drastically for Sunday and Wednesday night services as compared to Sunday morning? Outside of sickness and very special circumstances, it has never been easy to understand why this phenomenon occurs. Is it because the Bible says that Sunday morning worship service is the only time we should gather together? This assumption could never be further from the truth!

If we are following Biblical example, not only will we meet every first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2), but we will also gather every time the saints meet. Hebrews 10:24,25 plainly tells us that we are to "consider one another to love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching."

Looking at the early church, we see that they were meeting more than a mere three times a week. They were "continuing daily with one accord in the temple" and they were "praising God and having favor with all the people" (Acts 2:46,47). A great Biblical principal has been laid down for us here, and we need to understand it. If we are to be the church that God wants, we need to know one another. Do we really think that we will grow close to one another when we only see each other from across the building once a week? How are we going to consider one another to love and good works? How are we going to exhort one another if we're never together?

Jesus said to His disciples, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). When Christians gather together, the Lord is there! Doesn't this tell us even more about the significance of fellowship beyond the worship service? God has given Christians a special relationship as brothers and sisters in His kingdom. He has asked us always to prefer and to do good to one another (Gal. 6:10). Verse 10 also says that we are to do this every time we have the opportunity. Aren't Sunday and Wednesday evenings some of the best opportunities we could ever have?

The day that the church is strong again will be the day when we see our attendance rise on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. The day that you will begin to see yourself grow closer to God and to His people will be the day that your attendance increases at these times as well. There's just no mystery to it. If you chose to do something else when the church meets you've chosen poorly. Whatever you're accomplishing when you're not assembling will not be as important in your final hour as your relationship with God. Make the decision. Follow God's will for His people. Honor the Savior. Attendance is important!

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life." - John 6:27