The Importance of Meeting as a Church

Why do we meet as a church?

This question became especially relevant during the COVID lockdowns in 2020 when many churches stopped meeting in person and relied solely on streaming their weekly sermons. For some believers, this changed little in their routine: they had already reduced church to simply sitting through a message, exchanging surface-level conversation about sports, vacations, and weather, and then going home. When fellowship lacks spiritual substance, it’s easy to think that staying home and watching online is just as good.

Perhaps that explains why in-person church attendance among self-identified Protestants still hasn’t returned to pre-2020 levels. Statistics show that about 12% of Christians now stream services at least once a month but don’t attend a physical gathering even once a month.[1]

Does attending church save you? Absolutely not. Salvation comes only through faith alone in the gospel of grace: Christ’s death, His burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins (1Co 15:1-4; Eph 1:13-14). But if believers neglect to meet together, or fail to understand why gathering matters, they miss one of the primary functions of the church: growth.

“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” - Ephesians 4:15-16

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

These passages describe the church as a body that grows into Christ in all things through the edification of itself in love. They exhort us to warn, comfort, support, and show patience toward one another. None of these can happen if we isolate ourselves.

How can we speak the truth in love without being around each other? How can we identify and help the weak, or receive help when we are weak, without face-to-face interaction? How can we grow in patience toward others we never encounter?

Online sermons may provide knowledge, which is good, but gatherings are the training ground for applying truth, equipping us to do God’s will: seeing souls saved and saints edified (1Ti 2:4). They allow us to practice ministry, not just learn about it.

I once spoke with a man who considered himself strong in understanding and faith. He was retired and still fairly young. I asked him if he had ever considered starting a Bible study or assembly, since he had a lot of free time to do so. His response was: “People are messy. I don’t want to deal with the people.”

Yet that is exactly why we meet: to “deal with” people, in love. We are all messy: we’ve got sin and flesh that needs to be reckoned dead by the grace of God. We all have minds that need renewing (Rom 12:1-2). We’re not as strong as we think (1Co 10:12). Often, others can see our blind spots better than we can, using God’s Word as the measure. Every member of the Body helps it grow, and if we never actually engage with those fellow members, we’re missing out on a huge part of God’s purpose for us!

Knowledge alone “puffeth up, but charity edifieth” (1Co 8:1). True charity applies truth with patience, humility, and kindness for the benefit of others (1Co 13:4-7). Those strong in faith ought to bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom 15:1-7). This requires involvement in each other’s lives (hence the regular church meetings), even when it’s uncomfortable.

We need to be strong in Christ’s grace. We need each other in the Body to help us grow. With hearts motivated and constrained by God’s love and grace (2Co 5:14, Rom 5:8), let us do the work of ministry to help others grow, even when it’s uncomfortable. Sewing that spiritual seed will bear glorious fruit in ourselves and others if we don’t give up (Gal 6:7-9).

[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-attendance-and-congregational-involvement/