Why Church

People sometimes ask me as a pastor, "if a person believes in Jesus do they have to go to church?  Why can't a person be a Christian all by himself/herself?"  My response is usually similar to those of other church leaders about corporate worship, working together as a team and mutual encouragement.  

But it occurs to me today that the question is inherently a selfish question.  The question is implicitly saying, "I have no interest in you as a fellow believer in Christ that I would make time to be there for you to encourage and share with you of myself."  Forgetting for just a moment that there truly is something in it for you, I also think it is important to remember that God wants to use you to help others.  I think we should want to meet together with other Christians. If the unselfish, helping spirit of Christ has truly been placed in us, we will want to be there for others. And church, in whatever format or forum you participate, is the place where God has designed for us to help each other as well as pool our resources to help others outside. Yes, there is something there for you when you choose to be a church goer, but I would encourage you to go for others' sake as much as your own.