There’s a trend in the church in recent years. All the data, surveys, and research tell us that ATTENDANCE does not necessarily reflect ENGAGEMENT. In other words, where 20 years ago someone’s attendance had a direct reflection on how deeply they were connected to your church, this no longer tells us the same story. While a family may only be there in person 2 out of every 4 Sundays, they may still be faithfully giving, serving, and possibly even growing & walking in gospel community with other believers. Sunday morning attendance does not necessarily equate to living on mission for the gospel & the Kingdom. While I cannot in any way argue with this data, I think that we have to consider these things from a different angle. Allow me to explain.
As the parents of a young man who plays tournament baseball, there is a 3-month window where my wife and I have determined that our son (and usually my wife along with him) will miss several Sundays with our church family. While we would always prefer to be present on Sundays, we have also determined that the Lord has opened relational doors for us to pour into other families on our team who do not belong to a church, and possibly don't know Christ. We prayerfully try to make the most of these opportunities.
Living in Huntsville - a city with a very large population of government contractors, defense workers, software developers, and business people - there is a lot of business related travel. Many of our folks, having early Monday meetings in places like D.C. or Houston or Seattle, are forced to head out of town on Sundays. This isn’t their preference, but on those particular days, it winds up having to be their priority.
Several times a year our families are going to go on vacation, be at the lake or the beach, wake up sick, attend family reunions, and things of this nature. This is called LIFE. There are many reasons why, on any given Sunday, some of us just might not be able to be present. This doesn’t have any bearing on how deeply we are engaged or committed to our church.
On the other hand, I’ve known people who are there every single time the church gathers. If the doors open, they will walk through them. And yet, this does not necessarily mean that they are deeply or meaningfully engaged to the church or the Lord. There are actually some people who just show up because it’s what they’ve always done. If they’re not there, they feel guilty. And some people would rather feel anything other than guilt.
Attendance does not necessarily equate to engagement.
True statement.
But there’s more to it than that.
In light of all the specific and hypothetical situations and scenarios I’ve thrown out, there are many folks and families who simply wake up some Sunday mornings, look out the window, turn on the TV, curl back up under the covers, and ultimately make the decision: I’m just not going today. And this, my friends, is a much bigger issue.
I will readily admit that I’m a pastor. I’ve been in full-time vocational ministry for 25 years. And I grew up in the home of a minister. So without question, I realize that I’m writing from the experience that this consideration of just “sleeping in this Sunday” has never really even been on my radar. That said, I don’t think me being a pastor is what cultivated or sustained that decision or way of life. I believe the basis of this commitment in my life and in our family has been our determined commitment to the body of Christ. So yes, my perspective is definitely subjective. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Back to the “bigger issue”.
What this tendency, in many cases, is exposing is a skewed perspective of the church and an ignorance to the scriptures. It’s also giving credence to the notion that we are becoming more and more self-centered all the time. Let’s go to the Apostle Paul for some objectivity and clarity.
Paul writes to the Ephesians - the church family that is closest to his heart - and he declares to them in Ephesians 4:11-16:
"And he (Jesus) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Italics mine)
While attendance does not always equate to engagement, attendance - physically, mentally, emotionally, literally, tangibly being there - is very often evidence of engagement.
You can’t lead if you’re not there. You can’t serve if you’re not there. You can’t look someone in the eye, see that they’re hurting, and feel the Spirit lead you to pray with them if you’re not there. Being there matters.
What very often is clouding our ability to see this is the self-centered perspective that we have of church. We think, “Well, we’re doing great. We don’t really need community.” We’re wrong. And here’s the other side of this issue. On many days, maybe it’s not about what you need or can get, but about what God is calling you to give.
Paul said that we are to be “growing up in every way into Christ” and that when we are, each part - each person - will be “working properly” to “make the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
It’s not about YOU! It’s about the CHURCH.
It’s about the Body of Christ functioning properly.
It’s about the evidence of the power of the gospel made visible through our love for one another, which can only happen when we are frequently together.
Long distance relationships suck. They’re painful. They’re difficult. That’s why the local church isn’t built on them.
Don’t let the research and the data and the statistics define and justify things for you. Just because Lifeway or George Barna did a poll and this is what the numbers tell us, that doesn’t mean it makes it right. It seems like we are folding like a blanket these days to whatever the trend or tendency is. The culture doesn’t define our standards or priorities; the scriptures do.
I want to challenge, encourage, and exhort you: If you are, if you’re trying to be, or if you have even the slightest desire to be engaged with your church family…BE THERE. Make the commitment and be there. Be there to worship. Walk in community with other believers, growing in Christ. Serve other people - inside the church and outside. BE THERE! And let your attendance be one of the evidences of your engagement.
For more:
Matthew 18:20, Acts 2:42-47, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 10:24-25
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