Getting back into church can be hard at times. As someone who has had difficulty getting back into church, it can be really hard to even leave your house on Sunday morning. There are many factors that can cause a person to be weary to get back into church, and we must validate others' worries and concerns.
If you are having a hard time getting back to church, here are five ways to get back.
1. Make it a Priority
One way to get back into church is to make it a priority. Each of us has the same amount of time every day. We each have 24 hours in a day, and it is up to us to decide what we are going to do with these 24 hours.
Many of us have off from work on Sunday, therefore, we don't have to worry about squeezing in church in between our shifts. However, many individuals have to work on Sundays, and it can be hard to make church a priority.
If you don't have to work on Sunday, try to make it a priority to attend Sunday service at a church every Sunday for a month. Try it for a month and see if the church is a good selection for you.
Four weeks of attending a church can give you time to see if this church will be somewhere you can find community and find your place.
If you do have to work on Sundays, try to make it a priority to watch an online sermon on the internet during your lunch break or listen to a podcast surrounding the Bible.
It is up to us to make time each day to include God in our lives. With this in mind, it is important for us to strive to attend church on Sundays because it is a place where we can worship God as the body of believers and help encourage others.
While church weekly can sound scary, especially for us introverts, we can rest in the knowledge of knowing that we are going to church to worship God, educate ourselves, and give support to others.
2. Go with Family or Friends
A second way to get back to church is to go with family or friends. This can be a convincing way to get back to church because we have someone to hold us accountable. By having someone to hold us accountable, it will be easier to go to church.
It will also help us feel more at ease if our friend or family member is there since we probably won't know many people at the church beforehand.
If you are someone trying to get a friend or a family member to get back to church, try to be their accountability partner and go with them to church each Sunday.
There is a myriad of reasons why a person would choose to leave a church. It could be they were bullied, hurt, or abused in a church setting. Due to these reasons, it can be hard for them to go back to church.
By being there with them and encouraging them, it can help them get back to church again. Even if it might be hard at first to go to church, with your accountability partner there, it will help you be more prone to go to church and continue going in the future.
3. Try a New Church
A third way to get back into church is to try a new church. This can be particularly helpful if you have been hurt by a church congregation in the past. Try to go to a new church with correct Bible doctrines and teaching.
By going to a new church and avoiding the church you were hurt by, you will be able to get a fresh start. It might feel as though all churches will treat you the same, but that's not true. There are great churches across the globe; however, they might be hard to find.
Try a new church or try multiple churches. By trying new churches, it can help you find the right community and the support you need. Church isn't a social group.
Rather, church is supposed to be a time of worship, learning, and discipleship. God is happy when we go to church and worship Him with our fellow believers. Try going to a new church and see if it is a good match for you.
4. Get Involved with a Ministry
The fourth way to get back in church is to get involved with a ministry. There are multiple ministries you can get involved in at the church. A few are children's ministry, youth ministry, and international ministries.
Each of these ministries gives you the opportunity to serve God in real ways that make a difference. By serving with a ministry within the church, it will help you feel more involved and connected with the body of believers.
Maybe you are shy about being in front of many people or are uncomfortable with crowds. Serving in a ministry will help you avoid the large crowds at service time, and you will have the opportunity to watch the service in the safety of your own home on your own time.
While it is important to listen to the sermon and apply its teachings to your life, many of us are not the kind of people who like to be in big crowds. If you serve in a ministry, you will be able to be the hands and feet of Christ while still, at the same time, not pushing yourself too far.
5. Work on a Healthy Self Image
A fifth way to get back into church is to work on a healthy self-image. As someone who struggles with a negative self-image, it impacts my ability to go to church. A negative self-image causes us to self-isolate and to hide from the world.
Since we are embarrassed over the way we look, we are too scared to go out into public, including church.
If you are struggling with a negative self-image, try working on a positive self-image by reading what God says about you in the Bible, starting therapy, and surrounding yourself with supportive individuals.
While many try to claim to have a negative self-image isn't a valid reason for missing church, it is actually an extremely valid reason.
Sadly, many people don't understand because they have never experienced a negative self-image. If you are struggling with a negative self-image, know that you are not alone and that God loves you.
God says you are beautiful, wonderful, and more precious than rubies. It can be hard at times to believe in your own beauty but know that you are beautiful because you are God's own creation, and what He has made is beautiful, including you.
It might take many years to work on your self-image and to get it to a point where you feel comfortable. Don't let time discourage you. Instead, celebrate your little wins and continue working on a positive self-image.
With your positive self-image, you will be more comfortable going to church as well as you will start feeling more comfortable doing more things for God, such as serving in missions, teaching, and leading up Bible studies.
Related:
For further reading:
Is Church Membership an Important Part of Being a Christian?
What Is the Importance of Attending Church Meetings?
What Does the Fellowship of Believers Entail?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Wirestock
