Why Church?

I was reading the post for a recent Our Daily Bread devotional entitled "Why Bother With Church?". Interesting question... It got me thinking about where we are with regard to today's churches in the USA for people like me and church leaders in general.

Church is supposed to be an environment where people grow closer to Christ and to one another. The key word is grow. If that's true, then how do church leaders (eg, pastors, worship leaders, youth leaders and all the countless servants who are "working" during the service) grow via the church experience if we're so busy focusing on helping others grow? The answer isn't a simple one, but it's one with which I think many pastors don't bother challenging themselves. Those people end up experiencing burn-out and the church service experience loses its vigor and authenticity.

"If I'm teaching and leading others in the context of a worship service, how do I grow in the midst of it as well?"

"If I'm so busy making sure the video and audio are working properly, how do I keep myself plugged into what's happening enough so that I experience growth?"

"If I'm teaching 5 year-old children about Moses in a room that's down the hall from the sanctuary, how do I stay connected enough to experience growth?"

The onus isn't just on any one person. It's on all of us. It's up to all of us to ensure growth is happening in our own lives and others. That's the point of the Body coming together! Taking the time to pray with someone... Taking the time to listen... Taking the time to speak a word of encouragement into someone's life... Taking the time to soak in the presence of God instead of being distracted by the task at hand... These are all oppoprtunities for growth believe it or not.

We can get so busy with trying to make the church service perfect that we miss out on what God wants to do in our own lives. I hope and pray that COAHC will always keep the main thing the main thing for our leaders and congregation. May we never miss out on an opportunity for growth!