“Churches have lost millions of congregants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Will they return? As the
pandemic recedes, worries of a deepening slide in attendance are universal.”
I saw this article today and it gave me an additional reason to rejoice over just how great our church family is at Karns. Most everyone in our church family has returned to be in attendance and many of you have actively participated in the many events we have had in addition to our regular worship services. We have weathered the Covid storm through God’s blessings and your devotion.
Your attendance at every service is important to God. You, me, and the rest of our family. Attendance is necessary to help us grow and develop spiritually. Hearing the sermons and attending the Bible classes helps us to grow and develop into mature Christians (cf. Heb. 5:12-14). Even our singing of songs together is designed to teach as well as praise (Col. 3:16).
The command to edify one another and fulfill our responsibility to build up one another is clear (Rom. 14:19; 15:1-3; Heb. 3:12-14). Simply our presence alone encourages others in attendance.
Regular attendance and participation help the church to function properly. The church is like a body, needing every individual part to do its share (Eph. 4:15-16). There are many needs for helping with the worship services and teaching classes. Much help is needed for other things which take place outside of the assembly. A church is no stronger than the collective strength of its members. Churches where the attendance is lacking will have difficulty in living up to their full potential in service to the Lord.
Christians are to set a good example and faithful attendance helps to provide a good influence for one another (1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7-8) and for those in the world (Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15). It sets a good example for the spiritually weak, visitors, and our children! It influences our friends, relatives, and neighbors (cf. 1 Pet. 2:12). They admire your conviction and devotion to the Lord, and they may begin to inquire what it is that makes you so devoted to the church.
For those reading this who are regular in attendance, thank you, thank you, thank you. And to those who know you can do better, let that practice start today.
For the elders (Gregg Woodall)