Why Do You Attend Church?

The San Jose Mercury News (April 4, 2021) published a viewpoint written by Leonard Pitts Jr., which stated that religious Americans who attend an organized church have dropped significantly. According to Gallup polls taken recently only forty-eight percent of people today are members of a church, synagogue, or mosque. Pitts goes on to state that there are numerous reasons why church attendance has declined. While he acknowledges that many people no longer associate with a specific organized religious group, belief in God is still strong!

As Pitts goes on to write almost eighty-seven percent of Americans have faith in God, that's good news, which got me to thinking, why do I or others go to church? Why is attending church important to us? How does attending Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church strengthen our faith? Attending church strengthens my faith by hearing God's word through scripture. “The Lord is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation” (Exodus 15:2). I also love how Pastor Manda explains the history involving the bible passages. Receiving the bread and wine, that is the real presence of Christ through holy communion, lifts up my spirit and fortifies my commitment to love and to treat others with kindness. Hearing the choirs and instrumental musicians perform each week fills my heart with joy. Going to church builds us as a community and I love how we get together during coffee hour after Sunday service and check-in, laugh, joke, comfort, encourage, and tease each other. I am so thankful we are a Reconciling in Christ congregation who welcomes all including LGBTQIA+ people. I am grateful that we are working on becoming an anti-racist church through education and listening to and learning about other people in our community. 

​These are just a few of the many reasons, I belong to Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Do I think our church is perfect? No, we are still broken and imperfect, both saints and sinners. We are all loved just as we are today. We are constantly changing and growing in our faith as we journey through life on earth. As stated in 1Corinthians 12:27: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 
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Why do you go to Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church?

~ Susan Duran