Every week, close to 100 million people attend church. The following week, a different 100 million might be in church and not come back for another three or four weeks. The attendance pattern is erratic for a number of reasons: work, family, vacation, illness and so on.
But the bottom line is that when people esteem something, they like to be around it and they commit to making it even better.
There’s a difference between deeper church commitment and consistent attendance.
One can consistently attend, but not make any difference in the church. Consistency does not equate to spiritual impact or commitment. Thriving churches are full of people who love the church and commit to making it great.
4. Vision for the local church.
Building the local church is God’s vision. The people who commit have realized that the local church is God’s way of reaching people and developing them into fully devoted followers. They see that vision clearly and love it deeply.
5. Belonging to the local church.
When people experience deeper church commitment, they think, “I am part of something where I can give and receive, feel love and affection and be cared for. I can make a difference and I am important.” If people believe they belong in a local church, then they will commit their lives to that family.
When we put all these expressions together—conviction, value, passion, vision and belonging—we see that the church is pretty important and special. Deep reflection on these words should cause us to ask ourselves, “How do I treat the church? What’s my commitment to it?”
In a culture where people rarely commit to much of anything—or don’t commit for very long—we need to build churches with deeper church commitment from people who firmly commit to Christ. We can do this!
