Christians Who Don’t Attend Church

By Dan Betzer
ByLine Online

CBN.com – A leading religious magazine recently released a story about the number of professing Christians who don’t attend church. I took the article with a grain of salt because the periodical often seems to be a bit more pro para-church oriented than pro church.

But the article made me think on two issues: Why don’t professing followers of Christ go to church? The Bible states flatly that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.

How can His self-proclaimed followers not love that which He loves? That’s a valid question, isn’t it? Having preached around the world, I think it’s a safe statement to make that many American Christians want church to be about them. If it isn’t, they are not going to show up.

Here is something else that bothered me: If a church is not relevant, interesting, or helpful, as so many disgruntled believers alleged in that article, what do pastors plan to do about it? President Truman had a little motto on his desk that read, “The buck stops here!” Well, that is true with us pastors as well.

The church we lead is a reflection of our leadership. If we are not relevant, inspirational, and visionary then how in the world can our church be? If we are not able to open God’s Word with passion, fervor and revelation, then why should we expect people to show up to hear us?

No, less-than-powerful church services do not excuse professing believers for their lack of attendance. All of us have the responsibility of discipleship, of doing those things God has commanded us to do. When the doors of our Lord’s house are open, we should be there.

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