As Christians, do we have to go to church?

kami79 · Apr 18, 2026

Yes you do!! Even though many people believe church is optional and have been discouraged or turned off by the many pastors of the churches today.
However, God has instructed us to assemble (go to church). God had the apostle Paul to write "Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

SabbathBlessings · Apr 18, 2026

kami79 said:
Yes you do!! Even though many people believe church is optional and have been discouraged or turned off by the many pastors of the churches today.
However, God has instructed us to assemble (go to church). God had the apostle Paul to write "Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

Yes, God does not want us on island but in a church family.

The church assembly started very early on...

Lev 23:3 ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

Acts 15:21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

And we see it in the life of Jesus

Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

And as a follower of Christ Paul and the apostles followed in the example of Jesus

Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Jesus predicted His house would be a house of prayer for all nations, not just Jews

Isa 56:6 “Also the sons of the foreigner (Gentiles)
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Which we see fulfilled perfectly in the NT

Acts 13:42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

And continues on in the New Heaven and New Earth for all of His saints

Heb 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

Maria Billingsley · Apr 18, 2026

kami79 said:
Yes you do!! Even though many people believe church is optional and have been discouraged or turned off by the many pastors of the churches today.
However, God has instructed us to assemble (go to church). God had the apostle Paul to write "Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

Actually, we dont " go" to church we are "IN" the Church aka the Body of Christ.
Be blessed.

Chaplain Jim · Apr 18, 2026

Maria Billingsley said:
Actually, we dont " go" to church we are in the Church aka the Body of Christ.
Be blessed.

Amen and Amen!

TGP2025 · Apr 18, 2026

Church does not bring salvation, just as works alone do not, after all there are plenty of Christians who go to Church that are lukewarm believers, so while God would prefer you go to Church, you can still be a Christian and not attend Church.

now am i stating that you can skip it and not go? absolutely not, if you can, you should go, but depending on your reasoning God can forgive you, personally i didnt go to Church after the first time i went as a kid and the reason for this was because of how unwelcome i truly felt there. i felt judged and not in a convicting way, more a condemning one from the flock i was supposedly a part of.

i would like to try again, but i'll be frank, i dont have transportation, nor do i have proper clothing to wear. if i came tomorrow, i'd be in a Red Tee and Sweatpants, which i imagine wouldnt slide.

timothyu · Apr 18, 2026

Do not think of church as we do today, but as in Jesus' time.

NBB · Apr 18, 2026

Yes, the bible says we need to go, but i went to some churches in my city,
and i have been hurt, even when i met the Holy Spirit in them,
i am waiting so Jesus 'invites' me to another in some way, i won't make decisions like that quick.

timothyu · Apr 18, 2026

Jesus did not start a church institution nor a religion. He started a way of life built upon truth from God and called it His church. The concept was gathering, yes. But not in the way we think today. Think of it as a community that serves each other. It was the Way and it followed His 2 commandments and focused on the Kingdom. Churches today build their own kingdoms that He would not recognize any more than He did the Sanhedrin's system.

NBB · Apr 18, 2026

timothyu said:
Jesus did not start a church institution nor a religion. He started a way of life built upon truth from God and called it His church. The concept was gathering, yes. But not in the way we think today. Think of it as a community that serves each other. It was the Way and it followed His 2 commandments and focused on the Kingdom. Churches today build their own kingdoms that He would not recognize any more than He did the Sanhedrin's system.

Yes but His church are commanded to get together, that is why the bible says there would be pastors etc, because is there isn't any gathering there is not need for pastors, just that today because legal reasons etc, we have a building and a name maybe but it's the same no?

For me it's the same if they have a bulding and name etc, or a group of churches, the important thing is that the Holy spirit is there and the doctrine is correct.

timothyu · Apr 19, 2026

NBB said:
there is not need for pastors

Bingo

NBB · Apr 19, 2026

timothyu said:
Bingo

That is what the bible says, he put pastors etc, that has a reason to exists.

Servus · Apr 19, 2026

People are social creatures. Christians should socialize with other Christians. We're told to go to church because it's good for us.

David Lamb · Apr 19, 2026

kami79 said:
Yes you do!! Even though many people believe church is optional and have been discouraged or turned off by the many pastors of the churches today.
However, God has instructed us to assemble (go to church). God had the apostle Paul to write "Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

I would say that church is not something the Christian goes to, like a restaurant or a cinema. In the bible, we read of Christians being members of the church. Assembling together with other Christians is never described in the bible as "going to church." Speaking from personal experience, I "went to church" (attended church services) for years before I became a Christian.

kami79 · Apr 19, 2026

Maria Billingsley said:
Actually, we dont " go" to church we are "IN" the Church aka the Body of Christ.
Be blessed.

However you want to put it, we are required to have a holy convocation. Leviticus 23:3 KJV "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation: ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." So you see not only are we required to have holy convocation, we are told to do it on a particular day-The sabbath day, which is the 4th commandment. John says "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievious." 1John 5:3

SabbathBlessings · Apr 19, 2026

kami79 said:
However you want to put it, we are required to have a holy convocation. Leviticus 23:3 KJV "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation: ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." So you see not only are we required to have holy convocation, we are told to do it on a particular day-The sabbath day, which is the 4th commandment. John says "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievious." 1John 5:3

Amen! If only people would listen to the words of our LORD and Savior as Jesus taught Mat4:4 and put aside the noise of the world. Its so plainly written in our Bibles and so many are missing out on the Blessing God is trying to give us Isa56:2.

Maria Billingsley · Apr 19, 2026

kami79 said:
However you want to put it, we are required to have a holy convocation. Leviticus 23:3 KJV "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation: ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." So you see not only are we required to have holy convocation, we are told to do it on a particular day-The sabbath day, which is the 4th commandment. John says "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievious." 1John 5:3

Ok so its not just " going to church " it is also Sabbath keeping. Big difference. The Church was established by Jesus Christ of Nazareth and He identified us as His Flock. The Sabbath, on the other hand, refers to a day of rest, whereas the Body of Christ refers to the spiritual union of believers, in Him. Scripture distinguishes between the two, as the Sabbath was a sign of the old covenant, while the church is described as a living organism made of people.

Thanks for sharing!

timothyu · Apr 19, 2026

kami79 said:
However you want to put it, we are required to have a holy convocation

Yes but that has nothing to do with 'going to church'. We are to live it.

timothyu · Apr 19, 2026

Spoiler

This is an open letter to everyone willing to read it and to anyone that some may forward it to. You will be doing them a disservice if you do not. It infuriates me to see people stumbling around looking for meaning as if truth were a scavenger hunt within the Bible. That attitude may serve...

www.christianforums.com

JAM2b · Apr 19, 2026

I do believe that we should get together with other believers, and that it is one of the most important parts of living a Christian lifestyle and maintaining faith and accountability.

However, what the church has become today is not the same as it was in the Bible. I believe two Christians talking together about the Lord and their faith, praying, and discussing Scripture counts as church.

I feel it would be better to not attend a church that is toxic or not functioning as the Lord intended than to attend just because of modern church goers' interpretation of Scriptures says you have to.

There is so much corruption in our churches, and many of them look nothing like what was happening in the Old Testament.

I do not believe that church attendance or meeting with other believers regularly is a requirement for salvation.

As for people who say, "you'll never find a perfect church," or "if you find any perfect church, don't go there because you will ruin it," I think statements like that are a manipulation tactic to guilt or shame people into coming and/or dodging accountability for wrong doings and bad motives within the church. They don't address the valid issues, but want people to feel like they should come anyway.

Perfection isn't expected, but a lack of toxicity, abuse, manipulation, and use of resources in a way that does not put people's needs first rather the "church" and church leaders should be the bare minimum standard.

Most churches that I have encountered fail to meet the bare minimum in one aspect or another, and some more than one. For the most part, church in the United States has become a self righteous social club, a harbor for abuse, and/or a business, instead of the ministry the Lord intended.

timothyu · Apr 19, 2026

It is hard to find a gathering place that is willing to stand up against the nation that houses them. The institution was to teach the Kingdom, the ideals of which run completely opposite to the ways of mankind, especially its governments, let alone their various systems. Even the new institutional church abandoned the Kingdom 1700 years ago to harlot itself with Rome.. and the ideals of Rome did not change. That institution has blindly led all churches to this day and I have yet to see an apology, let alone repentance of this betrayal to the Kingdom of God.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

As Christians, do we have to go to church?

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