Sunday Seed Thoughts: Church on the Sofa

In recent weeks, I have witnessed some promising signs regarding a return to church attendance. I recently met a couple who returned to in-person worship for the first time since COVID-19 either shut down or restricted public gatherings.

I’m hearing similar stories from other preachers and pastors who are seeing an increase in attendance.

For those who have found it more comfortable and convenient to worship at home, I urge you to consider this facebook post by a lady named Stacey Corne Shutt. I don’t know Stacey, nor are we facebook friends. But her comments are worth sharing. And seriously considering.

With some slight modification, here are Stacey’s observations about in-person attendance vs worshiping at home.

As church attendance numbers faded across the nation in the past year and online services become very convenient, it’s important to remember why church attendance for you and your family matters so much.

You can’t serve from your sofa. You can’t have community of faith on your sofa. You can’t experience the power of a room full of believers worshiping together on your sofa.

Christians aren’t consumers either. We are contributors. We don’t watch. We engage. We give. We sacrifice. We encourage. We do life together.

The church needs you.
And you need the church.

Wherever you are, find a local church where you and your family can be part of community and use your talents to advance the kingdom and reach others. To come alongside one another physically, not just through a screen.

While I’m grateful for technology to keep people connected that can’t physically come to a facility or need to be away, it’s absolutely not like being in the building. Never will be.

Yes, church on the sofa is nice.
But it’ll never be the same as assembling with fellow saints.

Indeed, Paul Tournier was right when he wrote: “There are two things we cannot do alone. One is to be married and the other is to be a Christian.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman