Especially

by Richard Atwood

Why do people keep coming to a church?

Recently, a man in a church told me his story. He had prayed to come back to God after straying from his childhood decision. Sitting at a stoplight, he asked God to help him find a church to attend. He looked to his left and saw a church with several cars in the parking lot. He went in, but nobody was in the auditorium. As he turned to leave, the pastor walked up to him and explained that they were having a special Thanksgiving dinner in the fellowship hall.

“Oh, well, I’ll come back another time,” he said. “I don’t want to bother you.”

The pastor grabbed his elbow and said, “Get in here! We have plenty to eat, and we want you to eat with us!”

Tears came to his eyes as he explained, “That’s why I’m in this church. These people accepted me, befriended me, and cared for me. They made me part of their family.”

Galatians 6:10 says: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

We should do good to everyone but especially to those who are Christians. Doing good and loving others says our faith is genuine, that we really are disciples of Jesus. Jesus even said that people would recognize His disciples by the way they love one another (John 13:34, 35). When we become Christians, we become part of God’s family. A family is there for each other and loves one another through the good and bad. Non-Christians need this and want to be part of something where people love and accept one another. Who could resist a place where you see such love demonstrated? Consider two thoughts:

People want to go to a church where they have friends who care for them.

I think most people are asking themselves the question, “Does the pastor love me? Do other people in the church care for me?”

Maybe that is one of the problems in churches that aren’t growing or are declining. People may not feel cared for. People want to go to a church where they have friends who care for them. We like someone to look at pictures of our grandchildren. We want someone to listen to stories about our vacation without yawning. We need a place where we can be honest about our struggles and problems. If it isn’t church, where is it?

Pastors, do your people know you love them? Church leaders, are you helping people make friends in the church? Christians, are we taking time to listen?

Non-Christians can be drawn to God when we care for others.

When non-Christians see real fellowship, caring, and unity, they are attracted. It is a great draw for them to become a Christian. When they see disunity, disrespect, and lack of love, they are turned off. When Christians feel unity and caring, they are more likely to stay in that church. The end result is that our churches are more likely to grow.
In one Home Missions church, a Christian lady was hospitalized. The pastor visited, and the church people brought food and helped out in other ways when she came home. It made such an impression on her unbelieving husband that he started attending church and soon became a Christian.

It made a difference in my own life when my home church extended this type of care to my family and me. My mother, two brothers, and I arrived in town with nothing and no money. The church told us the good news about Jesus. They accepted us, laughed at our jokes, invited us over, cared for us, and accepted us in their family.

One Sunday morning, my dad came to church drunk. He kept yelling out to the preacher during the service. My mom leaned over to us and said, “Let’s go.” We left the service, and on the way home, Mom said, “Boys, we’ll have to find another church. I’m too embarrassed to go back there.”

We were all ashamed of my dad’s actions. We would have left that church, except for what happened that afternoon. One after another called and said, “We don’t care what he does; we want you to come back.” The pastor said, “I don’t care if he comes every week. We will deal with it somehow.”

They assured us that they wanted us back. I still get tears thinking about it. We were more important to them than an orderly and quiet service. (It didn’t happen again.) Those people acted like Christians ought to act, and it made a lasting difference in my life.
How can we keep people coming to our churches? Be good to everybody, but especially to Christians.

About the Writer: Richard Atwood is director of missionary assistance for Home Missions. To learn more about Free Will Baptist church planting efforts, visit www.homemissions.net.