Before we moved to Melbourne 6 months ago, our biggest prayer was to find a new church and community that we could settle into. God has graciously answered this prayer for us, and as we give thanks for His provision we have also been reflecting on the concept of being ‘planted in a church’. 

In a world that encourages individualism and self-reliance, this idea of being ‘planted in a church’ may seem unattractive to many – this is made evident in the shocking national statistics of regular church attendance. Above and beyond casually attending Sunday services, we need to plug ourselves into a community as a key aspect of our spiritual health and growth. Just like a tree needs to be rooted in soil to grow, believers need to be rooted in a church in order to develop their faith. 

Fulfilling God’s command

Regularly meeting together is a core part of our Christian journey. In Hebrews 10:24-25, Paul urges believers to “not give up meeting together, but to encourage one another.” Church should not just be a ‘nice-to-have’ activity as a Christian, but a ‘must-have’ commitment as part of honouring His clear instructions to us. 

Fellowship and service 

By immersing ourselves in a church, we become an active part of His kingdom by regularly meeting with fellow believers to pray, encouraging one another, and sharing in each other’s joys and sorrows. Church is also a place where we can discover our gifts and use them to serve His people. If we isolate ourselves, we might miss out on the blessings God designed for us to receive through fellowship and service with others. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 highlights this importance in saying: “Two are better than one; if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” 

Spiritual growth and accountability 

The blessings of being rooted in a church are described in Psalm 92:13: “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” Much like what happens in our Community of Love (COOL) groups, a  church community nurtures believers in their journey through biblical teaching and discipleship. 

There is a popular saying by motivational speaker Jim Rohn, ’You are the average of the five people you surround yourself most with’. This statement holds so much truth, because as humans we are so easily influenced by the people around us. The Bible puts further emphasis on this in Proverbs 27:17, where it says: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Living a life pleasing to Christ is not easy – having a community helps us to stay accountable, encouraging us to live in a way that honors Him. Without this, it would be much easier to fall into complacency and drift away from our faith.

In our increasingly disconnected world, we need to continue to hold on tight to the church as a precious place for us to grow in faith. If you are not yet planted in a church, I would urge you to look for a local community where you can immerse yourself into. By doing so, you would not only be enriching your own spiritual journey, but also fulfilling His command to fellowship with His children.  

As we have just celebrated BIC’s 27th anniversary last month, let us give thanks for the gift of this church and community that God has provided us with. May we never take for granted the blessing of being able to gather together without persecution, and continue to root ourselves in His Church and Word so that we may flourish in His courts!