I am not attached to any Church now

[Jesus_is_Saint]

I am not attached to any Church now, I was baptized in a Baptist Church in 1992, but I had left that Church long time ago.
I joined several churches after that and became member, but left also due to split of church.

Now, I did not join any church, I did not do Sunday service every Sunday, only sometimes.

Is it a Must for a Christian to join a Church?

Is that a problem to my spirituality?

 

[com7fy8]

First, I would say, if you had good relationships in the Baptist church that you left, it would be good to keep sharing with the people you found to be genuinely Christian. And see where they went. But at least keep in touch, maybe have a home group, pray together, talk on the phone . . . something.

And, now, even if you did not continue beneficial relationships, you can find people who are good Christian examples, who help you. Then see where they go to church. Or, visit a church and see if you discover ones who are sound people in God's love and who help you get more with God and more into loving any and all people the way Jesus wants.

So, then, of course you don't want ones who are just nice and friendly, but who help you get real correction to live how the Bible says to submit to God and love.

But, then, I would say do not judge a group or church only by what wrong people are doing, but see if there are ones truly gentle and humble . . . including mature senior examples. Ones younger might be able to do some good, but we need our mature senior examples of the faith and how to relate in love.

Also, by the way, you might visit the ministries for children and younger people, and see who is ministering there. My opinion is we need to have our mature people with younger people, not only babysitters.

And if you find you believe in what maturely Christian people are doing in a church, join them in their vision and hope. Yes, there may be even leaders who are not with it, not mature, even wrong, but there can be the really exemplary people in the same church . . . ones who have hope for any and all others, who do not give up on ones less mature and who even are wrong > love "hopes all things" (in 1 Corinthians 13:7). You need people like this, who don't quit; they can help you get ready for marriage, or to do better in marriage.

 

[Albion]

Is it a Must for a Christian to join a Church?

Is that a problem to my spirituality?

How do you propose to do what the Bible calls on us to do without having a church--receive the Lord's Supper, for one example?

 

[Tolworth John]

I am not attached to any Church now, I was baptized in a Baptist Church in 1992, but I had left that Church long time ago.
I joined several churches after that and became member, but left also due to split of church.

Now, I did not join any church, I did not do Sunday service every Sunday, only sometimes.

Is it a Must for a Christian to join a Church?

Is that a problem to my spirituality?

Why don't you want to meet with other Christians, to encourage them, be encouraged and challenged through corporate worship and the sermon?

What is more important than worshipping the God you love?

 

[~Zao~]

Why don't you want to meet with other Christians, to encourage them, be encouraged and challenged through corporate worship and the sermon?

What is more important than worshipping the God you love?

The church is much like a training ground for carrying the commission to the world. It’s not walking away from worshipping God to walk away from the church. The difference should be obvious since you just sourced worship based on that.

 

[bèlla]

Scripture implies that we are members of a corporate body, a local church. There are men called to be elders and deacons, who will they be ruling and serving if believers can't be bothered to come to church?

Who isn’t the question at hand. Why is more important. Why are they leaving? This is happening across denominations and age groups.

How can believers participate in the sacraments of baptism and communion without a church body? How can believers worship God in the way proscribed in scripture without a church?

How do persecuted Christians do it? Or those imprisoned? Your relationship with God doesn’t diminish because of your circumstances unless you permit it to. You hold on to His unchanging hand and keep walking.

 

[Albion]

How do persecuted Christians do it? Or those imprisoned? Your relationship with God doesn’t diminish because of your circumstances unless you permit it to. You hold on to His unchanging hand and keep walking.

Yes, but there is a huge difference between someone who doesn't attend church because it is impossible to do or nearly so...and someone who simply chooses not to attend although he could.

And of course, people who are unable to attend church are also unable to receive the sacraments, at least the one that is the most commonly received under normal circumstances--the Lord's Supper.

 

[bèlla]

Yes, but there is a huge difference between someone who doesn't attend church because it is impossible to do or nearly so...and someone who simply chooses not to attend although he could.

It doesn’t change the question. The why remains unknown.

 

[~Zao~]

You and I live in the United States where we don't have to fear attending church on Sunday. This is not North Korea, we don't have to hide our faith. In our case, our faith does diminish if we do not hear the preaching of God's word each week. It diminishes because we are violating God's word and not worshipping him as he commands. We can look historically at the persecuted church and see that God strengthens believers even when they must hide. We can also look historically at what happens when people abandon the church even when it is safe to worship publicly. It leads to apostasy and lack of faith.

Why are people leaving the church in America today? It begins with spiritual declension in society and in the church. The church as a whole doesn't stand for very much anymore. Evangelical churches have abandoned teaching for new marketing gimmicks and eventually people get tired of it and leave. I think though there's a broader societal problem, basically we're seeing the warning of Romans 1:18-32 being played out before our eyes. It's affecting the church, which has failed to adequately stand up to the social gospel for a century and who today fails to stand up to the social justice crowd in any meaningful way. When the church does try to stand up against evil, people leave because they've adopted the world's views of good and evil. It all begins though with adequate teaching from the church in the first place, which is woefully lacking.

I have to disagree again that leaving church is leaving the Father and His word. (therefore outside of the Father) Anyone who gets an hour a week of instructions from whoever the preacher is cannot be consciously better equipped than someone else who stays home and is immersed in His Word. That’s just not common sense.

 

[Albion]

It doesn’t change the question. The why remains unknown.

Reading the posts from Jesus-is-Saint explains his situation.

We do not need to speculate on him being in circumstances at odds with what we were told by him--certainly not when giving answers to his questions.

 

[bèlla]

Why are people leaving the church in America today? It begins with spiritual declension in society and in the church. The church as a whole doesn't stand for very much anymore.

I’ve seen a lot of busyness. A lot of platitudes. And many unhappy people when the masks come off.

 

[topher694]

I am not attached to any Church now, I was baptized in a Baptist Church in 1992, but I had left that Church long time ago.
I joined several churches after that and became member, but left also due to split of church.

Now, I did not join any church, I did not do Sunday service every Sunday, only sometimes.

Is it a Must for a Christian to join a Church?

Is that a problem to my spirituality?

Joining a church it is not a must to be saved or have a relationship with God or to hear His voice or anything like that.

However, I do believe forsaking attending a church ultimately limits our growth. There is something about being around people of like minded faith that pushes us and challenges us in good ways. Of course this can vary from church to church (And I'm talking about healthy churches), and people are messy sometimes (most of the time) but life is messy so even in that we have the opportunity to learn and grow.

Additionally there is a type of spiritual protection that comes from being in fellowship. We can look out for one another, pray for one another, see things in each other that we can see in ourselves. All of that can help protect us. My mentor says it this way, "The banana separated from the bunch is the one that gets peeled and eaten"

 

[bèlla]

We do not need to speculate on him being in circumstances at odds with what we were told by him--certainly not when giving answers to his questions.

I wasn’t addressing the OP in that statement but the larger issue of departure.

 

[Yennora]

I didn’t expect that but hoped people were kind and loving nonetheless.

I went through something similar. I didn’t want to go anymore. I didn’t know why. My prayer life was unchanged. I still felt close to the Lord. But I didn’t want to go to church and I told Him.

One day I realized I needed to understand the reason. I couldn’t address it without insight. It wasn’t a bad experience. But I think burnout was a part of it and the absence of meaningful intimacy. I was surrounded by familiar strangers.

I met with someone last summer. We had an amazing conversation. The openness and sharing was incredible. We really connected. And the difference in our dialogue was listening. She really listened to me and encouraged my calling.

We discussed my relationship with the Lord and where I stood. She didn’t push or try to craft a copy of herself. Or tell me how to feel or think. She met me where I was at that moment. And that was powerful.

That was the problem. I wasn’t in an environment where I could be heard. The should’s had taken a toll. The scripts and pressure to conform to ideas and behaviors that had no biblical foundation had run its course. I can’t thrive in that setting.

I know right? I too hate masks. A single respecting, transparent and understanding person is sufficient to make me feel the Christian fellowship in contrast to hundreds of church goers that don't care about me and only smile in my face because they are either obligated to or want something.

I have to admit, without this priest in my life I would have had a very pale (and sometimes negative) experience with Orthodoxy (current times one). Thank God I came across him.

 

[bèlla]

I know right? I too hate masks. A single respecting, transparent and understanding person is sufficient to make me feel the Christian fellowship in contrast to hundreds of church goers that don't care about me and only smile in my face because they are either obligated to or want something.

The issue is love. When its absents the motions and words feel hollow to the recipient. Because the heart is compromised.

We’re quick to speak and slow to listen. We don’t allow the Lord to influence our words. Spirit testifies to itself in the other. And if you allow Him to speak through you, you can affect them in the manner He intends.

Sometimes its NOT advice. Sometimes its a kind word and loving gesture. Oftentimes He uses several people to aid that person. We ought to know our place in the rotation. Love covers and that’s what led me to Him.

I have to admit, without this priest in my life I would have had a very pale (and sometimes negative) experience with Orthodoxy. Thank God I came across him.

That’s understandable. I ignore a lot for the sake of my sanity and peace. Lest my heart should harden. I keep my eyes on Him no matter what.

 

[Redwingfan9]

I have to disagree again that leaving church is leaving the Father and His word. (therefore outside of the Father) Anyone who gets an hour a week of instructions from whoever the preacher is cannot be consciously better equipped than someone else who stays home and is immersed in His Word. That’s just not common sense.

Scripture appears to disagree. 1 Cor. 1:21 tells us we are saved through the foolishness of preaching. In other words, we learn through teaching on the word at church. There is a spiritual element to all of this as well. Richard Burton (if you're old enough you'll recall he was an actor who married Elizabeth Taylor a couple times) knew his Bible front and back but wasn't a believer. You can study all you want, it doesn't mean you believe. Attending worship services is a spiritual exercise, one where we grow in our faith by encountering God directly.

 

[Yarddog]

I am not attached to any Church now, I was baptized in a Baptist Church in 1992, but I had left that Church long time ago.
I joined several churches after that and became member, but left also due to split of church.

Now, I did not join any church, I did not do Sunday service every Sunday, only sometimes.

Is it a Must for a Christian to join a Church?

Is that a problem to my spirituality?

We are called to fellowship so it is important to find a Christian community which helps to nourish your spirit.

 

[~Zao~]

Scripture appears to disagree. 1 Cor. 1:21 tells us we are saved through the foolishness of preaching. In other words, we learn through teaching on the word at church. There is a spiritual element to all of this as well. Richard Burton (if you're old enough you'll recall he was an actor who married Elizabeth Taylor a couple times) knew his Bible front and back but wasn't a believer. You can study all you want, it doesn't mean you believe. Attending worship services is a spiritual exercise, one where we grow in our faith by encountering God directly.

We learn thru hearing and thru hearing we are saved. Your reasoning makes deaf people unable to be saved. I spend hours a day reading commentaries and books related to scripture. (spiritual eyes and ears are what’s needed) And I pursue answers to questions where the spirit leads. Pastors are not equipped to do that for all their congregation. Please don’t patronize, it’s unbecoming to the least.

 

[bèlla]

There are unbelievers in the church. To assume that everyone seated is on the same page is naive. Some come for food. Others for fellowship. Only God knows the truth.

 

[Redwingfan9]

We learn thru hearing and thru hearing we are saved. Your reasoning makes deaf people unable to be saved. I spend hours a day reading commentaries and books related to scripture. (spiritual eyes and ears are what’s needed) And I pursue answers to questions where the spirit leads. Pastors are not equipped to do that for all their congregation. Please don’t patronize, it’s unbecoming to the least.

I'm not sure why you jump to the conclusion that my position means the deaf can't be saved. The point is to be part of the bride of Christ, his church.