Commentary: The importance of church

By RALPH FUDGE

Sunday, October 25, 2026

For years, church attendance has been declining. Reportedly, it is beginning to increase among people referred to as “Gen. Z.” Hopefully that is true. At any rate, church attendance, if you are able to go, is very important and should be a top priority. Why? God commands it. In Hebrews 10:25, we read these words, “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.”

A “church” is a group of Christians that are committed to Christ. They believe in Jesus as the Son of God and have trusted their souls to Him. Christians (real Christians) are all endowed with at least one spiritual gift, and they want to use their gift to edify God’s church. That is the very purpose of the gift in the first place. It is not to advance anyone personally; it is only for the building up of the church.

Real Christians worship God and want to be with other believers. They know the importance of other believers in boosting their own faith and in helping to deter the evil influences all around them. They recognize their susceptibility to evil.

Christians are followers of Jesus Christ. They know they are unworthy, so they appreciate the Lord’s sacrifice of His own life on the cross of Calvary. They worship Christ as God, as part of the Trinity. They also know the importance of church and hearing the gospel proclaimed often by a Bible-preaching pastor. They love their church family and enjoy the fellowship that church attendance affords.

Apart from church, one cannot learn how to do ministry or truly live a life of love for others. Wise Christians have learned and become aware of their need for a pastor to help them guard against deception, so common in today’s world. All wise Christians know that they and everyone else, including their pastor, are all sinners saved by the grace of God.

Believers recognize that their church is imperfect. It is composed of people who make mistakes and are capable of hurting each other. But they learn to forgive and go on loving each other. An old quip says, “If you do find a perfect church, don’t join it, for then it would no longer be perfect.”

Jesus referred to the church as the “body of Christ.” Each believer is endowed with one or more spiritual gifts and functions like an eye, leg, hand, etc. in a physical body. The Holy Spirit alone can persuade anyone to repent and trust Christ for salvation. But He uses believers to proclaim His Truth. We are, in effect, the arms and legs of Christ on earth. He uses us to get His Word out to an unbelieving world.

In conclusion, church is important, and church attendance is very important because it is what God expects of believers. Every Christian who is physically able should attend worship services often in order to be obedient to God’s command and to demonstrate gratitude for the marvelous sacrifice Christ made. He literally died that we might live eternally. Mature Christians learn to truly love God and worship Him often. They heed Saint Paul’s advice in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, which advises us to, “Pray without ceasing.”

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Ralph Fudge is the pastor of Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church in Coolidge, Ga., and has a Master’s degree in theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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Quote: Apart from church, one cannot learn how to do ministry or truly live a life of love for others.

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File: 20260201-190624-df6-Ralph Fudge.jpg

Caption: Ralph Fudge