My church is worship, to learn more about God, and to study the Bible. It’s also my sanctuary when I want to get away from home. There are so many things I love about my church. The size, the people, the music, the atmosphere, it all ties together. Here are my top 10 favorite things about my church.
- The Location
I live right around the corner from my church, so it’s very convenient. I have a chronic illness so it helps to not have to drive far every week. My pastor gave me a key so that I can go there and study when I can’t focus at home, too. It’s like my own quiet getaway when I need to focus on reading and writing. - The Size
On average, there are about 30 people in our congregation. I have the chance to say hello to everyone either before or after service. Having a smaller group gives us the chance to be close to each other. And of course, we would love for more of God’s children to join us. - The People
Our elders are also the pastors and they take turns teaching. One of the elders is one of the men who baptized me when I was 19. One of the other elders is someone I’ve gone on mission trips to Haiti with multiple times. A big family in our congregation has seen me grow as a Christian and I’ve seen their family grow over the years as well. Everyone is friends in my church. We pray for each other, encourage each other, and worship together. - The Beliefs
Being part of a church that holds the same beliefs as me is essential. If I disagreed on the fundamental beliefs of the church then I wouldn’t agree with most of the teaching. Following the doctrines of grace and the five solas, the beliefs of my church match my own. - The Worship Music
We use traditional hymns in our worship music. You won’t find a band or a big flashy concert on Sunday morning. We sing three hymns together that fully focus on God every week. - The Teaching
Our pastors teach directly from the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We don’t do catchy series and fluff pieces. We work our way through the Bible on Sunday mornings for service and every other week we have a teaching on the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. - The Kids
You will hear kids laugh, cry, and whisper during our services. It’s normal. You can’t expect children to sit quietly for an hour like adults do. Of course, if a child is severely distracting everyone then there is a nursery the parents can take them to where they can still hear the service. However, kids will emulate what they see and they should see their parents attending church and paying attention to the service each week. - The Respect for Communion
On the days we do communion, our elders remind us why we do it and what it stands for. They respect the tradition and teach us to do the same. - The Fellowship
Sometimes we have lunch together after service. Everyone brings something to eat and we have a potluck get-together. We get to sit and talk to everyone, catch up, pray together, etc. We also do this for Bible Study every week. - “The Church”
The best thing I love about my church though, is that we know “the church” isn’t a building. We are the church. We are Christians every day of the week, not just on Sundays. Church is not a place that we try to get people to go to, it’s something we bring to others through our actions and words.
Dawn DiFiore 