{"id":48559,"date":"2021-09-09T17:45:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T21:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=48559"},"modified":"2021-09-14T11:15:51","modified_gmt":"2021-09-14T15:15:51","slug":"church-involvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/church-involvement\/","title":{"rendered":"Church Involvement Is Far More Than Just Attendance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Are you committed to full church involvement? What are the benefits of such a commitment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The church is God&#8217;s family. Church involvement means engagement with your family\u2014beyond just attending a weekly service. Pastor Rick Warren shares four reasons why you should commit to full engagement, and he describes four vital experiences that you&#8217;ll enjoy as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue reading to learn why you should commit to full church involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Church Involvement Goes Beyond Attendance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In the third week of your journey, we\u2019ll discuss the second purpose of your life\u2014unselfishly loving fellow members of God\u2019s family. <\/strong>God created us to be part of a family that dedicates itself to loving and honoring him. As a believer, you\u2019re not only his child but a sibling to all other past, present, and future believers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are wonderful benefits to being part of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/spiritual-family\/\">spiritual family<\/a>. First, it\u2019s everlasting\u2014having a family on earth is amazing in its own way, but it only lasts as long as your lifetime. On the other hand, your spiritual family not only lasts through this life but also in eternity where you\u2019ll enjoy God\u2019s blessings and rewards together. Second, your spiritual family will never abandon you or stop loving you\u2014you\u2019ll <em>always<\/em> feel loved and secure in this family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Church involvement starts with both a spiritual step and a physical step.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Spiritual:<\/strong> The basic part of being part of a family of believers is believing. If you believe and accept Jesus, you already have this part achieved.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Physical:<\/strong> Being part of the family is more than belonging.<em> You must demonstrate your pride in your family by publicly identifying yourself as a member through baptism. <\/em>This ritual serves as a declaration of your faith, a symbol of the end of your old life, and your initiation into God\u2019s family and its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-truth-about-love\/\">unselfish love<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get to Know Your Spiritual Family<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cChurch\u201d doesn\u2019t refer to the literal building where you celebrate Mass. Your church is a living organism, made up of all its members. You become a <em>member<\/em> of your church when you get to know other members, show love to them, and find your role within the family.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Being a member of the church is important because other members will serve as your support system through the hard work of fulfilling your purposes. <\/strong>This is why it\u2019s important to take the step beyond <em>attending<\/em> church and start to get <em>involved <\/em>in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Four Reasons to Commit to Church Involvement<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You may think that you can practice your beliefs alone, choosing instead to hop around between different churches without joining their communities, or choosing not to join a church at all. However, the Bible reveals that you need to find and <em>commit<\/em> to a church, for four reasons:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1) Genuine belief is shown in love. <\/strong>According to Jesus, the discipleship and belief of his followers<em> are proven by their love for one another.<\/em> You can\u2019t show love for other disciples and become a genuine disciple if you\u2019re on your own.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2) Loving your spiritual family makes you less self-centered. <\/strong>You won\u2019t naturally love\u2014or even like\u2014everyone in your church, which makes it a perfect place to practice unselfish loving. You\u2019ll have to care about others, learn about their experiences, connect with them, and spend time with them without focusing on what <em>you\u2019re<\/em> getting out of it. (Of course, you\u2019ll <em>also <\/em>receive the beneficial inverse of this\u2014people will unselfishly love you in return.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3) Discussion strengthens your spirituality. <\/strong>As an involved member, you\u2019re constantly learning and growing, as church members are expected to serve each other, teach each other, correct each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, and so on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the contrary, being a non-participating spectator at church doesn\u2019t challenge you at all. No one points out how you could improve, teaches you a new understanding of a verse, or tests your patience. <em>Spirituality done alone is untested and therefore false.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4) Your church supports you in your spiritual life. <\/strong>No one is free from the risk of temptation. For this reason, God gave you a spiritual family that you can depend on to keep you away from temptation and put you back on track with your spiritual journey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Church Involvement Offers Four Vital Experiences<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>With church involvement, you open yourself up to the opportunity to <em>experience life with them. <\/em><strong>Experiencing life together\u2014the good and the bad\u2014is called <em>fellowship<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It\u2019s in fellowship that you experience the tests and corrections to your spirituality\u2014those in fellowship correct one another, serve one another, teach one another, and so on.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Fellowship is practiced as a small group within the larger context of your church, somewhat like Jesus and his 12 disciples. It\u2019s better to \u201cexperience life together\u201d in small groups because everyone has the chance to speak up, be heard, and meaningfully support one another.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>For example, you might join a small Bible study group, or meet up once a week with a small group of women from your church.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>These small groups lend themselves to genuine fellowship, which grants you four vital experiences that enhance your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/spiritual-evolution\/\">spiritual growth<\/a> and understanding of unselfish love.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vital Experience #1: Mutuality<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The base of genuine fellowship is mutuality: taking care of one another, reciprocating what they receive, and taking on equal responsibilities. Members can fully depend on one another and expect to have their needs met, and are willing to meet others\u2019 needs\u2014physical, emotional, and spiritual.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Physical: A member of your fellowship group falls ill, you and the other members organize to deliver their family meals.<\/li><li>Emotional: A member of your fellowship group is having a hard time with one of her children, and seeks your group\u2019s support and advice.<\/li><li>Spiritual: A member of your fellowship group who\u2019s going through a tough time is having difficulty trusting God. He turns to the group for their encouragement and lessons they\u2019ve learned from their own experiences.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mutuality is the most important of the experiences of <em>genuine<\/em> church involvement. <\/strong>Without it, fellowship can feel unbalanced or conditional\u2014that is, members will only give after ensuring they\u2019ll get something in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vital Experience #2: Authenticity<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In genuine fellowship, you\u2019re free to share <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-your-true-self\/\">who you really are<\/a> and be fully honest about whatever may be happening in your life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This means you can speak openly about your failures, confess your weaknesses, ask for help, and discuss your doubts.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The more each fellowship member opens up about their life, the more other group members are willing to open up about theirs. This makes for an honest and authentic fellowship, where you are supported in your spiritual health and <em>all<\/em> your emotions and struggles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>It\u2019s important to note that authenticity isn\u2019t easy, and can\u2019t happen without your willingness to fully involve yourself in your fellowship group. <\/strong>Sharing your innermost self requires bravery and humility that you might not feel you have\u2014ask God to share his strength with you so that you may push through the very human fear of vulnerability.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vital Experience #3: Sympathy&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sympathy<\/em> is the sharing of someone else\u2019s pain or suffering\u2014entering into the feelings with them to carry part of the burden. Having our suffering met with sympathy is important because it meets two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-are-the-basic-human-needs\/\">basic human needs<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Feeling understood: You know that the person you\u2019re speaking to knows what you\u2019re feeling, perhaps because they\u2019ve experienced the same thing.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Feeling validated: You\u2019re reassured that your feelings are normal and okay to have.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Fellowship deepens whenever you take the time to feel sympathy toward others in your group, instead of brushing off or denying how they feel or admonishing their feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>For example, if a member of your group has a death in her family, don\u2019t avoid talking about her feelings because she\u2019s \u201cdoing fine.\u201d Reassure her that you\u2019re available to listen and won\u2019t judge the validity of her grieving process.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Or, a group member might express feelings of doubt. Instead of shaming them, explain that it\u2019s a normal feeling that you\u2019ve also experienced. Talk to them about your own instances of wavering belief.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>The fellowship of suffering<\/em><\/strong><strong> is the deepest level of fellowship we have to offer one another.<\/strong> Sympathy is the most loving choice you can make when you see someone suffering\u2014instead of taking the easy option of turning away, you offer a willingness to feel and carry the pain <em>alongside them<\/em>. In supporting you through difficult moments when God may feel absent, your fellowship group serves as tangible evidence of God\u2019s love, goodness, and presence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vital Experience #4: Forgiveness<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes you\u2019ll hurt the people in your fellowship\u2014either on purpose or by accident\u2014or you\u2019ll be hurt by them, but a genuine fellowship will never use your mistakes against you. <strong>Genuine fellowship forgives and moves on quickly.<\/strong> Here, the concept of mutuality has extra importance; if you expect to <em>receive <\/em>forgiveness, you must be willing to <em>give <\/em>it. If half of your fellowship group is unforgiving, their resentment over old hurts will always leave cracks in their relationships with the rest of the group\u2014eventually, these cracks will cause the group to crumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Imagine you accidentally say something hurtful to a group member. She doesn\u2019t forgive you, and she lets her anger simmer. She gossips to other group members, stoking their resentment for old hurts <em>they\u2019ve <\/em>experienced. Several months later, while discussing kindness, she mentions your hurtful comment. This unleashes the resentment of other group members, which causes an intense disagreement that splits the group in two.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Offering easy and quick forgiveness may make you feel afraid if you believe that giving someone a \u201cclean slate\u201d just grants them the opportunity to hurt you again. <\/strong>This is a simple confusion between forgiveness and trust. You should <em>forgive <\/em>right away and leave the wrongdoing in the past, but you don\u2019t necessarily need to <em>trust<\/em> the wrongdoer right away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Imagine you approach a fellowship member to talk about an addiction you\u2019re struggling with, and she berates you for being a drug user. You should forgive her hurtful reaction, but you\u2019re not expected to approach her again anytime soon. Over time, as she becomes more understanding, you may feel comfortable opening up to her again.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You gain tremendous value when you take church involvement beyond simple attendance. If you haven&#8217;t found your place in God&#8217;s family yet, today is a great time to start on that journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you committed to full church involvement? What are the benefits of such a commitment? The church is God&#8217;s family. Church involvement means engagement with your family\u2014beyond just attending a weekly service. Pastor Rick Warren shares four reasons why you should commit to full engagement, and he describes four vital experiences that you&#8217;ll enjoy as a result. Continue reading to learn why you should commit to full church involvement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":48577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,43,6],"tags":[488],"class_list":["post-48559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-self-improvement","category-spiritual","tag-the-purpose-driven-life","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Church Involvement Is Far More Than Just Attendance - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Church is more than weekly attendance. 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