Resolving To Get Back To Church (Part 1)

God has put something on my heart the last six months or so that I’ve felt prompted to write about. Honestly, I’ve started typing about it several times, but struggled to put my thoughts all together. But, those thoughts have solidified a little bit and I feel like now is the right time. Let me begin by sharing a couple stories with you.

Here’s a little background on the first story. Anne and I have been members of our church, Northland, in Longwood, Florida, for most of our lives. She became part of the Northland community in high school, and I jumped in when I got out of the Navy when I was 21. In fact, we met in the Northland college ministry and we’ve been there ever since. Our girls have been raised there, we’ve served in children’s ministry, the Northland co-op preschool, student ministry, and now because I’m old, I have been asked to serve as an elder for the last few years.

Back in the day, Northland had 7 worship gatherings, where thousands of people came together each week. There were thriving small groups, vibrant children’s, youth, and college ministries, and excellent Biblical teaching & worship.

But under the surface, there were issues that grew and grew. They started out as cracks, but unaddressed, grew to become significant fractures until our church basically collapsed. So much pain and sadness for a lot of people! But that wasn’t it because while we were still reeling, COVID hit, and it got worse!

I remember one Sunday going to pick up Molly from her Children’s class. I walked up the staircase and down the hallway. I recall seeing only one other person, a lady that I have no idea if I knew because we were both forced to wear masks by “the powers that be”. (That’s a post I’m looking forward to writing at a later date - No I’m not over it! 😂)

But I digress. The point is, it made me so sad that my church, once a flourishing, Spirit-filled, abundant congregation was now reduced to a small group of faithful people who, for some reason unbeknownst to us, felt led to stick it out, pray, and see what God would do.

As I walked back down that staircase that day and watched Molly hopping down the steps in front of me, I remember thinking to myself, there is a sadness, a void of children’s voices and laughter that once filled this place.

Just a few years before, walking this same staircase to pick up Ashlyn and Emily, if I didn’t have my head on a swivel and stay light on my feet, I’d be taken out by a 4 year old bounding down the stairs to get to the free donuts! Now, it was much safer, but also eerily silent. As a leader in my church, it was a deflating feeling to say the least.

But that’s when I sensed God saying to me, “I will do it again! You will hear those beautiful sounds and see young children in this place again!” And, I believed it!

Now, this might seem like a weird place to stop the first story, but you gotta trust me that I’ll pull it all together. Here’s the second much shorter story.

A few months ago, I had lunch with a really good friend who has been following Jesus a very long time. We used to go to church together and were in the same small group. He’s been involved in ministry, loves Jesus deeply, and is a solid Christian leader at work and in his community.

We had a great time eating and talking with one another. We talked family and school and ministry. Then, as we were finishing up, I asked how things were at his church, and his reply shocked me! My friend told me that since COVID in 2020, he and his family hadn’t really got back to church much, that they’d been doing church online (also fodder for a later post). Wait?! What?!

But then I started to think about it. Turns out I have a lot of friends in the same boat, who’ve made the same decision for whatever reasons.

Honestly, it was that conversation that sparked something in my heart to begin thinking, praying, and seeking God’s guidance on how to encourage people to re-engage in a physical, face-to-face, showing up week in and week out, church community.

So how does the first story connect? Well, I really do believe God is going to fill the halls of Northland with those sweet sounding feet and voices. In fact, he’s already doing it! Our children’s ministry is thriving! I see kids all over the place on Sunday mornings. And, I know He’s doing the same at other churches as well.

I also believe God is doing a revival-type work in the hearts of our younger generations which is amazing!! It’s happening on college campuses and I’m seeing it in my work with middle school and high school kids in Young Life.

But, what about all the folks in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, who would say they are following Jesus but have walked away from church communities? If we aren’t there, who’s going to disciple, and teach, and be an example for all these younger, new Jesus followers?

Friends, there is a big gaping hole of Millenials and Gen-Xers in my church community and church communities all over the country, and the reasons are numerous. But, I believe the reasons to fill those gaps are even more numerous, Biblical, and good.

If you’re someone who has stepped away from a church community, I’d encourage you to pray, be open to the leading of the Spirit, and consider what God has put on my heart. Over the course of the next few weeks, leading up to the start of 2025, I’m going to write several short posts, making a case for re-engaging in church (or maybe engaging more) with the hopes that maybe some of you might consider making church involvement a New Year’s resolution for you and your family.

I recently asked my social media friends to share some reasons they have for not showing up in church on a regular basis or reasons they’ve heard others say, and I’m grateful for the vulnerability and honestly many of them have shown. I even received a few direct messages from folks who shared deep hurt and disappointment with church. I’ll be using a lot of those comments in my posts.

Trust me! I get it. There are some very legitimate reasons for not being part of a church community, and it’s not my desire to minimize any of those things or shame anyone, but what if God wants to meet you in those places and draw you back to meeting with his people, his bride? What if God has something greater for his church and He wants you to be part of it in spite of your reasons? I’m looking forward to exploring that with you.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:24-25

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Or if you have friends who this might resonate with or encourage to plug back into church, share it with them!