How many times a week do you attend church?

caligirl89 · Jun 102012

My church is non-denominational but offers 3 weekly services and the pastor insists everybody should go to every single one. There's one on Wednesdayand then TWO on Sunday (Sunday morning and then again Sunday night) and this is on top of the youth study groups I already attend at the church on other nights. I feel like this is completely excessive (for mepersonally) and I have no desire to attend church twice in the same day. But whenever I skip a service (for example go on Wednesday and Sunday morningbut not on Sunday night)people in my group of 'church friends' are all "where were you??" "why don't you come to both services??" "well when I started coming hereI wanted to come to every single service to soak up the Word!" (*insert look of judgement here*).

Is there some weird quota I'm supposed to meet? I couldn't find any scriptural references saying to go a certain number of times. I don't feel like the number of times I go to church in a week has any effect on my Christian life or my relationship with God. It just doesn't do anything for me spiritually and makes me resentful of going at allif anything. Thoughts/experiences?

miamited · Jun 102012

hi caligirl,

You don't have to go to any. When Paul spoke of not forsaking the fellowship of the 'church' he wasn't speaking about meeting in some sanctuary or fellowship hall in some building with a steeple on it. He was merely saying that we need to fellowship with other believers. The 'church' of which Paul writes is the same 'church' of which Jesus spoke about. It is the body of all those who have been born again.

Howevertoday that is generally accomplished by 'going to church'. I generally attend only the Sunday morning worship service at our fellowshipbut if there is a particular study going on on Sunday evening or Wednesday night I will also attend then. One of the problems in our fellowship is that 'teaching' classes are generally held during the choir practice time and I do sing in the choir. I enjoy greatly lifting praises to my Father in songbut I have contemplated dropping out for this very reason. Butso far all I've done is when there are teaching classes that I want to attend I just tell the choir director"Sorrybut I won't be here for practices for the next 10 weeks"or however long the class lasts.

Pastors like to know that their work is appreciated and so they are always encouraging people to attend everything that is going on. And admittedly if they are good teachers and encouragers there certainly is nothing wrong with going to more than one service. Butdon't let them try to 'guilt' you into going. My encouragement is to go if you're interested or enjoy the time together and don't if you don't. While I wholeheartedly support being involved with a local congregationthere isn't any command that would imply that attendence in a 'church' is a requirement of our salvation. Our salvation is all about our heart and our being born again.

God bless you.
In ChristTed

JustAnotherAbdullah · Jun 112012

God has blessed me with the ability to live a few minutes away from a house of worship... So I try to attend at least once or twice a day. Satan is there to whisper otherwise into the ears of menbut we have to fight his whispers...

Timothew · Jun 112012

Say this:

"Meh. I didn't feel like going sunday night."

ByTheSpirit · Jun 132012

There is no quota specifically listed in scripturesbut it is implied that we must go. We are the body of Christ and individual members of it. You have a purpose in the Churchand as a member of Christ's body you must remain attached to the rest of the body in order to live and thrive. A vast majority of Christians who stop going to church quickly fall into sin and backslidejust take notice of most that you see and know. You may not agree with mebut let me put it to you like this. A single soldier can not fight their country's war by themselves as the opposing army would easily overwhelm them. But when you add that single soldier to an army of soldiersthen you can have victory. I use that analogy because we are all called to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12) and you can't expect to fight a war against Satan by yourself. In Ecclesiastes 4 I believe it says one person who is alone falls no one can pick him upbecause they are alone. But if two are together they can support each otherthen it says three is even better than two. Numbers matter and church is all about support and edification of the body. We all must attend a local congregation because it nourishes us.

Aibrean · Jun 132012

Once. We rarely have mid-week services and our two Sunday services are both identical (early and late service).

Frequency isn't as important as desire. You should want to go to church. It doesn't matter how many times you go. Fellowship with other believers is important to spiritual growth.

Paid · Jun 142012

I haven't been to a traditional brick and mortar "church" in 18 years. My church is every minute of everyday with our Father and Jesus. With the churches I have physically attendedI have yet to find one that taught the true word and a pastor that even understood what God/Jesus was saying. I found more answers through God and revelations he has shown me. To many "Christians" rely on a pastor to teach them.

jessvnet · Jun 142012

I don't think there is any quota that should be met as far as going to an actual Church but there are definite pros to going and that is having the ability to fellowship with others of the same faith. When you have the freedom to go to Church and worship your Lordwe should do so because there are so many who do not have that freedom and have to do so in secret and with fear of imprisonment and death. Alsowhere two or more are gathered in His namethere He will be also.
That being saidI don't always go even once a week. When I do go to Church it is on Sunday morning....just one service. I do want to go more regularlyjust need to do it.

Esdra · Jun 182012

Hi

in my Church there is only one Sunday Service.

But there are 2-3 meetings a week:
--> Prayer Evening or Bible Study (changing each week - one week Prayer Evening and one week Bible Study)
--> African Bible Study (We have a lot of refugees from Africa who don't speak that well Germanso I also often attend that kind of Bible Study as a translator [English-German]as our Pastor can't speak English)
--> Young Adults (from 16 to about 30) [The last two also change every weeklike above.]

I used to attend the Sunday Church Servicethe Prayer Evening and the Bible Study and the African Bible Study regularly. (Young Adults has only existed since fall 2012). - In the meantimeI am less diligent in attending the Church. :/

Esdra

hopeinGod · Jun 182012

I no longer attend. For a decade I practically lived in several assembliesleading worship and sitting on folding metal chairs. I tell myself that I've heard every message that will ever be spoken and lasted far too many hours on those awful chairs.

TodayI listen at homesince downloading sermons is so easy these days. Althoughsites like sermonaudio.com have so many absolutely awful sermons by screamers and hyper-preachers that I have to weed through twenty to get a decent one. Ravi Zachariashoweveris very consistent and intelligentand intelligence is what I look fornot blasting accusations and criticism too often made by ambitious and reckless men.

TheCHammer · Jun 212012

My work schedule only allows me to go every other weekendbut I do a fellowship messing on the off week. The weekends I attendI serve 1 service and attend the next. AS Others have saidthere is no set number. Butkeep in mind that Jesus himself said "For where two or three gather together as my followersI am there among them.

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How many times a week do you attend church?

caligirl89

Newbie

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miamited

Ted

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JustAnotherAbdullah

I'm just another servant of God...

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Timothew

Conditionalist

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ByTheSpirit

Come Lord Jesus

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Aibrean

Honest. Maybe too Honest.

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Paid

PaidInFull

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jessvnet

Newbie

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Esdra

Senior Contributor

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hopeinGod

A voice crying in the wilderness

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TheCHammer

Newbie

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