Why Church?
It’s an important question. Why Church? For all of us who are seeking answers to serious issues about life and faith, it’s appropriate to question whether church is even really necessary or relevant.
I have certainly wrestled with this question in my own life. I grew up in the church as a young child. But by late elementary school, I no longer received encouragement from my family to attend, so I stopped going. Throughout my school years and into college, I always believed there was a God. I enjoyed the beauty of creation and appreciated God’s handiwork in the splendor of snow-capped mountains, crystal clear streams, and verdant forests. But God was never any closer than this level of appreciation. At that time, quite frankly, I didn’t think I needed God to be involved in my life.
Then came one particularly difficult period in which I struggled to find answers to several life questions. What brings meaning and joy to life? Do I matter? Am I truly lovable? Is there hope for my future? I even questioned God’s existence. In the midst of that season of life, a dear friend invited me to attend a worship service at her church. Out of that loving invitation, God began to work in my life in ways that I had not imagined possible.
in the midst of a world that is so broken and conflicted, experience the certain hope
Since then, I have come to know God’s love, kindness, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and personal involvement in my life. Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have discovered new meaning and purpose. Deep, abiding joy is now a part of my spiritual journey. And in the midst of a world that is so broken and conflicted, I have come to experience the certain hope and assurance of a God who is sovereign in all things and who will one day set things right.
My story is certainly not unique. Perhaps your own life story and mine mirror each other in some way. Perhaps you are seeking answers to your own questions. You may be looking for a safe place to experience God’s love and healing power. Maybe you want to make a vital connection with the one true God who loves you more than you can possibly understand. Whatever your motivation, your quest is extraordinarily important and I want you to know there are people like me who will walk alongside you as you continue the journey.
That brings me to the question of “Why Church?” My answer is that God’s divine intention is that we discover his love and experience his blessing in the context of belonging. The Christian life is not an isolated experience. Rather it is a family affair.
My walk with Jesus Christ has brought me into the midst of committed Christian people who genuinely desire to lead authentic and godly lives. It has taken place in a caring fellowship where the nurture and support of others have helped me grow in faith.
It has occurred in settings of prayer and worship where I have come to know in a deeper way the excellence of God, the beauty and perfection of God’s character, and the depth of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. It has come in small groups and classes in which I have wrestled through texts of the Bible with fellow faith-seekers eager to learn how God speaks directly through the written Word. It has happened as I have learned about God’s love, forgiveness and new beginnings through service to those less fortunate. Repeatedly, I have been challenged to grow in my own faith, develop the gifts God has given me, and then put them to work for the sake of others in hands-on service in the context of the family of faith.
The amazing truth that the Bible proclaims is that God takes ordinary people, warts and all, and makes us into a holy temple where his powerful presence dwells. Together, in joyful worship celebrations, in small groups, in ministry to one another and to the world, we experience what it means to enjoy God’s extraordinary blessing in Jesus Christ.
Now it could be that you are wary of anything that has to do with formal or “institutional” religion. And maybe you have even been burned by the church at some point in your life. I truly respect the fact that you desire authenticity and integrity in matters of spirituality, ethics, and service. We want that kind of genuineness also. I want to encourage you to take the risk of trusting us for a little bit of time to see if we might be the kind of community you are looking for. Check us out to see if we provide a safe and loving environment where you can find answers to your questions about the most important issues in life.
As you seek a church home, please know that you are invited to experience church again, in a new way, here at Centerpointe Presbyterian Church. We welcome you.
With Love and Joy,