The Importance of Friendship
Another consideration when looking for a church is how friendly is it. Do I have friends already attending, or could I make friends here easily? Getting into a good church is one of the most critical discissions a Christian must make. It can be scary and intimidating. In most places in the western world, a seeker has many churches within a convenient driving distance that they could explore, all with different ways of doing church. If you’re a new Christian, one crucial consideration is, do you know some people who attend there already? Having friends at the church means you’ll have an instant support group which is super important to help in your personal growth and support during times of discouragement.
After all, the church is the people, not a place. That is, the church is not a physical location. The church is the public gathering of a group of believers, not a building. This gathering can be in a stereotypical religious structure, a house or even under a tree! Where the Christians gather to worship Jesus is where the church is. Because of the persistent misunderstanding about the word “church”, it’s easy for a Christian assembly to over-prioritise the building, its maintenance, and upgrades while forgetting the two most important commandments, loving God and loving (being friendly to) others. Jesus takes personally how we treat fellow Christians. He said whatever help we give our fellow Christian is like helping Him, and the opposite is true. When we’re negligent in being friendly to our fellow Christians, it’s like neglecting Jesus. Being a warm and friendly group is one of the most important things next to an assembly being biblically sound.
At its most basic, a local church is a group of Christians who meet regularly and are committed to following Jesus together. Live the Christian life together – learn together – Worship Jesus together – Grow in their Christian walk together and learn to get along. The word “church” is never used in the Bible to reference where Christians meet but signifies the Christians themselves as a group. The Greek word in the Bible, usually translated as “church”, carries the idea of the citizens of a Greek city assembling to discuss community matters. Therefore, it’s clearer to say, “I attend the “Christian assembly” that meets at such and such a place” rather than “I go to the church at such and such place.”