All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Acts 2:42 (NLT)

MISSING OUT ON THE JOY OF COMMUNITY

Years ago, there was a guy in my couples’ small group who invited me to his house to talk, saying he had some questions about “church.” However, I quickly realized he wasn’t really interested in asking questions—he wanted to challenge me.

This young man, as it turned out, was trying to justify not attending church on Sunday mornings or being part of the body of believers. He said something along the lines of, “I’ve got most of it figured out. I can watch church services online (not NorthStar’s, but another church in the South). I’m in a small group. I can serve others. I’ve got prayer covered. I’m just kind of hung up on baptism. I’m not sure how I could do baptism on my own.”

I spent the next two hours passionately explaining why his approach was flawed, but he simply couldn’t see it. He was missing the point—and the power—of being part of the local church the way Jesus intended. Faith in Jesus isn’t meant to be a solo endeavor; it’s meant to be lived out in partnership with others.

A Gallup Poll released in 2024 revealed that roughly 44 percent of Christians attend services regularly—though today “regular attendance” is defined as once or twice per month. Honestly, that number was higher than I expected, but it still raises the question: what about the other 56 percent? Why are they disengaged from the life of a local church?

There are countless reasons, but most can likely be summed up this way: they don’t fully understand the true purpose of the Church, nor have they experienced the joy of serving others.

Rick Warren opens his best-selling book The Purpose-Driven Life with these four simple words: “It’s not about you.”

When we accept that truth—and begin to embrace it—we start to see both our lives and the lives of others differently. Not only that, we begin to crave community with those who share the same longing to worship the Lord and serve others in His name.

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.