Making "Family" Time a Priority

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

C. S. Lewis

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Some people come up with very unconventional ones. Here are some of my favorites: *Wave to fellow motorists at 4-way stops. *Collect airsick bags from every major airline. *Randomly sew one sequin onto every piece of clothing you own. *Try extreme ironing. *Knit more sweaters for freezing trees.” There were some though that I thought were worth considering: *Get your photo taken in 5 interesting places. *Make a new friend a month. *Try a new food each week. Can I suggest an important New Year’s resolution? *Determine to attend church more faithfully this coming year.

  The data show that even committed Christians are attending church less often. Now please understand, merely attending is never the goal. Yet, attendance is often a sign of something deeper. So, why are even committed attenders attending less often? Here are some of the reasons.

  Greater Affluence. More money gives more options. There are simply more affluent people than there were decades ago. Personal disposable incomes are at all-time highs. Those with money have options. Technology options. Travel options. Options for their kids. Affluence is one of the factors moving them further away from a committed engagement to the mission of the local church and fuels some of the others reasons below.

  Higher focus on kids’ activities. A growing number of kids play sports and many of them are playing on teams that require travel. Many of those sports happen on Sunday mornings and parents choose sports over church.

  More travel. Travel is on the rise both for business and pleasure. More families of various ages travel for leisure, even if it’s just out of town to go camping or to a friend’s place for the weekend or a weekend at the lake. When people are out of town, they tend to not be in church.

  Blended and single-parent families. Fortunately, more blended families and single-parent families are finding a home in the church. But how does this translate into attendance patterns? When custody is shared, attendance for some might be 26 Sundays a year. Then, single parents are more likely to miss church with a sick child or because they lack access to reliable transportation. Sadly, those who want to go to church just simply can’t.

  By the way, our church’s location essentially requires a vehicle to attend. It’s an act of love and service to Jesus when others with reliable transportation help out those who don’t have transportation.

  Online options. More churches have a social media presence (we livestream ours). There are pros and cons to online church but there’s no doubt that churches with a strong online presence have seen it impact physical attendance. The bottom line is that anyone who attends our church has free access to our online services…and online church is here to stay.

  The cultural disappearance of guilt. Growing up, I felt guilty about not being in church on a Sunday. The number of people who feel guilty about not being in church on Sunday is continually shrinking. I regularly meet people who haven’t attended in months but LOVE our church. It doesn’t bother them to miss services for months at a time.

  Self-directed spirituality. People are looking less to churches to help them grow spiritually. Today it’s rare for a parent to go to a doctor’s office without having first googled the symptoms of a child’s illness and a recommended course  of treatment. And then, when was the last time you bought a car without thoroughly researching it online? In an age where we have access to everything, more and more are self-directing their spirituality for better or for worse. Add to that, another characteristic of the post-modern mind is a declining trust of and reliance on institutions. Though a true church is about relationships and is a family, in many people’s minds, it is seen as little more than an institution.

  Failure to see a direct benefit. People always make time for things they value. If someone isn’t making time for church, that says something. Those who are haphazard in attendance just don’t see a direct benefit or a value in attending week after week. It’s why we must be committed to having worship that has true value, even if they fail to see it.

  Being satisfied with attendance, not engagement. You will find that those who are most engaged – those who serve, give, invite and are in a Grace group—are our most frequent attenders. The Bible knows nothing of a believer who just attends. Ephesians 2:10 is clear – we are saved to serve the Lord. Much of that happens within our spiritual family. It’s a vital part of being a Christ-follower, using your gifts to serve the Lord.

  So why should you choose to be more faithful in your church attendance in 2020? It’s this basic. It’s nearly impossible to grow spiritually without faithfully attending worship services. Each week we serve a spiritual meal in our music, preaching and Grace groups. Each week there are opportunities to serve and give. Each week there are opportunities to pray for or with someone. Nearly every week you’ll have moments of being spiritually uncomfortable (yes, you read that correctly). Spiritual growth doesn’t happen in comfort. Either God’s Word or serving or even interaction with someone will make you uncomfortable. God planned that for our good! It’s in discomfort that we look both inward and upward. None of us are easy to love, yet God chose to love us. We grow as we let Him love our brothers and sisters in Christ through us.

  The teaching of God’s Word is a scalpel to our souls (Hebrews 4:12). I can’t tell you how many times in sermon preparation tears flow as I’m convicted by God’s truth of sin in my own heart. God loves me and He loves you so much that He wants us to grow spiritually. It’s why He convicts us so that He can cut away at the cancer in our souls. It’s hard for that to happen though if you’re not here.

  Church means getting together with other believers to worship Jesus, to hear the Scriptures together, and to encourage one another in the faith. The local church is a family. It’s worshiping with others, praying for others, hurting with others, serving others, being involved in the lives of others.

  It’s virtually impossible for any of that to take place…if you’re not here. Please make faithful attendance one of your resolutions for 2020!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.