Church has always been a key part of my life. As a young child, I gave my heart to Jesus at an altar of prayer after a church service. Later, it was where I developed friendships, married, and learned how to grow as a Christian. The Gospel message was lived and taught to me by my parents, and they also put a high priority on attending church whenever possible. I’m thankful for that upbringing, as it led to positive habits that have held me steady in my faith over the years.

Recently, in studying the early years of the Children of Israel, I noticed the extensiveness of God’s instructions to them. God knew what was best for the Israelites in every area of life and He patiently taught them. In addition to commandments about personal behavior, He outlined practices for corporate worship—times when the people were to gather and worship Him together. These included weekly observances of the Sabbath as well as annual feasts. The Sabbath offered a needed rest from labor and time for spiritual reflection and instruction. The feasts reminded them of God’s deliverance and faithfulness of the past, and pointed to promises to be fulfilled in the future. These gatherings helped reinforce the importance of daily obeying all of God’s instructions and keeping Him at the center of their lives.

While much has changed in the world since the Old Testament times, the lives of the Israelites were similar in many ways to ours today. They married, raised families, worked, and rested. They loved, laughed, cried, and suffered. Some aspects of God’s instructions for Christians today are clearly different from what He required of the Israelites—for example, after Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the Cross, animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. However, the underlying principles for a life that pleases God have not changed. God still wishes, and even requires, our lives to be holy in every area and to be centered around Him.

It takes purpose and intentionality to keep God at the center of our lives, and a key element in doing so is corporate worship. Just as regular visits to the Temple and synagogues were a vital part of the Israelites’ worship, attending church is critical for us today. We read in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” God instituted corporate worship, and I can say from experience that He blesses when we take part in it.

Benefits of attending church

When we attend church, we are setting aside time to serve and worship God, making Him a priority and purposing to focus solely on Him. There are many benefits in doing this. Here are a few:

Instruction: Bible doctrine and practical application is preached in church services, giving instruction on how to be ready for Heaven and how to live holy lives from day to day until we get there. It is an opportunity to learn and to hold ourselves accountable to what the Word of God says.

Reflection: As with the Children of Israel, we need to take time to rest from our labors and to engage in spiritual reflection. Attending church brings us to a physical place that is designated for this purpose, better enabling us to escape the cares of life and focus our hearts and minds on Christ.

Prayer: Time spent in prayer before and after church services is precious! It is then that we seek and thank the Lord together, while also praying for one another. Many spiritual victories have been won during these times.

Godly counsel: Attending church brings us together with like-minded believers who can encourage us and give godly advice. The ministers and elders have God-given wisdom and experience that they are happy to share, which will benefit us greatly.

Encouragement: When people stand and testify in our services of what God has done in their lives, it is very encouraging! Sometimes they share challenges they have faced and how God has helped them through, and those situations may be similar to something we are experiencing, giving us hope that God will help us as well.

Fellowship: Attending church gives a person spiritual support for good times as well as the difficult times of life. The family of God can help each other in a variety of ways, making us stronger together than we are apart. Being part of a church community can also help fend off feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Music: Beautiful music with inspired lyrics can soothe the soul and enrich our lives. Many times, a meaningful melody will stay with us and continue to lift our spirits even after the service has ended.

Over the years, I have personally benefited from all these blessings and more. There have been many special times when people prayed with me and encouraged me. One time in particular, I received my sanctification while praying at the altar with my cousin, and how we rejoiced together! I’ve also been able to pray with others and share in their joy when they received what they were seeking. These memories are priceless to me.

More than attend, participate!

It is possible to arrive at church, take a seat, and simply sit back and enjoy the meeting. However, I have found it benefits me even more if I fully participate. Here are a few steps we can take that will truly make us part of the service:

· Remember that we are entering God’s house and that He called it a “house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). In our church, we have a room where people assemble to pray before services and to share prayer requests. Arriving early to pray is a great way to begin a meeting. Even if we only have a few minutes, we can kneel at our seats or bow our heads and ask God to bless all that will transpire.

· Extend greetings to others, making them feel welcome. Even those who always attend appreciate a friendly smile!

· Sing with enthusiasm during the time for congregational songs. If we are not blessed with musical ability, it’s okay! The Bible says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise” (Psalm 98:4). Congregational singing is not only for the musically gifted—it’s a time for everyone to join in joyful praise.

· Share a testimony about receiving salvation, a recent blessing, or an answer to prayer.

· Say a hearty “Amen!” when something touches our hearts.

· Pray among other brothers and sisters at the end of the service.

There are also many ways to participate as a church volunteer, depending on where our talents lie and what help is needed. In our congregation, to be invited to participate in one of these areas, the key qualification is having received the experience of salvation. Then, if we have musical abilities, we may be asked to join the choir or orchestra. Those who enjoy welcoming visitors or helping people find a seat may be called on to become part of the greeter or usher teams. There is often a need for Sunday school teachers, cleaners, people with audio/video skills, van drivers, and more.

When we participate in services, we will leave even more uplifted than if we simply “attended,” and those around us will also be blessed by our contribution.

Invite a friend (or a stranger)

Often, it is at church that people hear the full message of salvation and choose to give their hearts to the Lord. What a privilege to be able to invite people to come and hear the Good News!

Throughout my daily interactions, I try to remember to prayerfully look for opportunities to mention that I attend church. These can become openings to extend an invitation. Especially with people like neighbors who have regular contact with me and know my testimony, there is potential that they will be interested in learning more about my faith.

Special events are also wonderful opportunities to invite someone to church. At my congregation in Portland, we have an annual Christmas on the Campground event that brings many visitors from our community every year. Sunday school activities, Vacation Bible School, special meetings, and holiday services are great times to invite others. People also love music and are often open to a concert invitation, especially when they hear that it’s free!

It’s a privilege

Sometimes health, work schedules, or other circumstances beyond our control can make us unable to attend church for a time. In those cases, God will walk beside us. A few years ago, our church was temporarily unable to hold regular services because of public health restrictions. I was grateful to be able to watch services online, and I also began to appreciate the blessing of attending church in person more than ever. Now, I try to purposely remind myself to be grateful for it. On the way to a service, I still sometimes comment to my husband, “Today we get to go to church!”

In some countries, there are severe restrictions on worship. For example, in China, only religious groups belonging to one of five state-sanctioned “patriotic religious associations” are permitted to hold worship services. Regulations require clergy to pledge allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party and socialism, and to “resist illegal religious activities and religious extremist ideology.”¹ Those who disobey these mandates may be imprisoned, beaten, and sometimes even killed. Despite these obstacles, and at great personal risk, many in China still choose to gather and worship with other believers.

When I read accounts like these, I cannot help but feel incredibly blessed to be able to freely assemble and worship with like-minded believers. It’s a privilege that I don’t want to take for granted.

A blessing awaits

God knew that corporate worship would help people serve Him successfully. He commanded the Children of Israel to worship Him together and blessed them when they obeyed. In 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, we read a beautiful account of how God met the Children of Israel when they gathered for the dedication of the Temple built by King Solomon. It says, “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.”

The best part about attending church is that when we assemble with fellow believers to worship God, He meets us there! Let’s be sure to take advantage of every opportunity to gather with our church family and enjoy worshiping God together.

Bobbi Downey is a member of the editorial staff at the Apostolic Faith World Headquarters office in Portland, Oregon.

¹ United States Department of State, “2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: China (Includes Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet, and Zinjiang), https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/china, accessed April 15, 2025.

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