The Benefit of Doing Church at Home – A Pastoral Perspective
Most church goers would probably agree that doing church at home is not the most ideal situation. However, from a pastor’s perspective, there’s one huge benefit that we cannot ignore:
Discipleship Is Happening In Our Homes
Discipleship simply means “learner.” The idea here is that all Christians are mandated to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Obviously discipleship can and does happen within the church walls, but what does it look like for discipleship to happen outside the church walls? For families with children, it looks like parents training their children up in the faith (Proverbs 22:6). Parents are the primary teachers when it comes to our faith in Jesus. But how do we explain the gospel to our kids? And what if we’ve adopted older children who have never heard about Jesus? Take it from me, this is no small task.
We’ve found that it takes many moments of learning (discipleship) that add up over time. As a builder of a house, we’re laying down a firm foundation in which that house of faith can stand (Luke 6:46-49). But you’re not alone! If you’re part of a church community like Refton, then you’ve got an entire church family ready and willing to support you. In fact, part of what we do as a church is provide parents with helpful resources to guide them as they slowly train their children up in the faith. Social distancing or not, discipleship with our children can happen inside and outside the church walls. Speaking for my family, we’ve found that our online services over these past several weeks have provided us with great opportunities to help our kids grow in their faith.
However, discipleship isn’t just for the kids – It’s for all of us! And for many of us, it’s time to move “beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1). Our sermons and other content at Refton Church are designed to move all of us toward this marturity. And it’s not soley about getting more Bible knowledge for our own benefit. It’s about strengthening our grip on our faith in Jesus so that we don’t fall into unbelief (Hebrews 3:14). It’s about training ourselves up in the faith so that we can lead others to the saving knowledge of Jesus (1 Timothy 2:3-4). It’s about being able to give an answer for the hope that we have in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). And it’s about living in that peace that surpasses all understanding even during times of uncertainty (Philippians 4:7).
I’ve been excited to know that discipleship is not only happening in my home during this time of isolation, but I’ve heard from others in our church that said they’ve had some great conversations in their homes as well! My only question for all of us is this: When we get back to services as normal, will those discipleship conversations continue in your homes? I hope they do! It’s absolutely critical that we continue to be built up in our faith no matter where we are in our faith journey.
What other benefits have you noticed from doing church at home?
Everyone is welcome to join our Refton Church family on Sunday mornings for our online services! You can catch those services and other content on our Refton Church YouTube Channel.