I am a preacher who spends a great deal of time each week preparing a sermon that will be encouraging and challenging while teaching about the Bible and faith in God. It is a big task that takes at least 8-12 hours each week. Then on Sunday I spend around 30 minutes of our time together speaking the words I have prepared. So I believe the sermon is an important part of Christian community.

With that said, I want to be clear to people that being a part of a Church is much more than hearing a sermon each week. In fact, I believe a life of faith is developed as much in all the other parts of Sunday morning as the sermon.

Each week I get to –

1. Fellowship with Other Believers. I love the opportunity to talk with people who have a faith like I do.

2. Vocalize My Praise of God in Song. I am not good at it, but I still love to do it.

3. Pray with a Community of Believers. I appreciate people who pray with me and even for me.

4. Commune with God at the Lord’s Supper. This is one of the central things our Church does each and every week.

5. Share My Gifts and Talents in Service. You can sing, teach and help in a variety of ways. The Church is built on volunteer service.

6. Hear & See the Lives and Stories of Other Believers. I appreciate the lives of our senior saints who have gone through so much. I also appreciate our young people who are trying to remain faithful with so much temptation.

7. A Chance to Share My Faith as Evangelism. Someone new will be at Church most weeks and I have the chance to share the message of Jesus – if only in my actions.

8. An Opportunity to Give Financially to the Cause of Christ. I want to share in the work of the Lord beyond Sunday morning. It takes money to do that.

9. Connect with One Another. Laugh with those who laugh and cry with those who cry. I love the hour of connection I have after worship each week.

10. Be a part of a group making a difference in the world. For example, our Church is currently collecting items to go in shoe boxes to be sent overseas.

I love the sermon each week and I fear many people have come to think of that one thing as Church. As a result they listen to the sermon on our website, they catch a sermon on TV or even hear one in the car and think they have had a Church experience. I believe that Church is much more and to miss a worship program on Sunday is to miss much of what a Church has to offer.