Article

Why You Should Be Rooted in a Local Church

Josh Crawford

November, 2, 2023

With obvious exceptions like unaddressed moral failure, heretical teaching, or God’s call to another city, he explained that biblically and historically speaking, followers of Jesus should be rooted in their local church.

Why Church

Scripture is clear about many things, one being that involvement in a church is an expectation and an integral part of one’s identity as a Jesus-follower. Jesus Himself made it clear that being a disciple of His is, by definition, a relational identity (1 Corinthians 11:24, Luke 10:1, Matthew 16:18, John 17:22-23). Following Jesus is both social and familial. Fellowship is a mark of Jesus’ followers and that Christians are called to do life together (Acts 2:42-47, 1 John 1:7). The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the Church is a “body,” “joined and held together.” Though diverse, the Church exists and operates as a family (Ephesians 4:16). Church is not something you attend or an organization you join, but a family to which you belong.

Why You

The Church is the gathered people of God. It is one “body” made up of individuals. You, as a uniquely designed and equipped ambassador of God, have a role to play and a gift to contribute. God personally calls you to the Church to exemplify love. Good works and encouragement are the duties of “one another,” yourself included (Hebrews 10:24-25, James 5:16). When you transition from treating church as something you attend to something you personally belong to and contribute toward, you step into the community and ultimately, your purpose.

Why Rooted

When you become a follower of Jesus, it’s important to pursue getting baptized. This step of faith is one of the primary ways you can demonstrate that you belong to a new family—the Church. Once you make this public declaration in front of your gathered church family, you are committing to the Church, and the Church is committing to you. Being a part of a local church comes with the priceless blessing of being known, celebrated, cared for, and instructed. You are grafted into the family tree that is your local church. To be semi-committed, semi-involved, and semi-present to your church is to be a distant and unengaged family member. To be emotionally, financially, and relationally invested in your church is to be a life-giving and life-receiving member of the family of God. Followers of Jesus are rooted in a local church because it is both personally and corporately beneficial to be involved and invested.

Why Local

A church in proximity is an available, accountable, and accessible church. Most people, when considering involvement in a church, ask themselves the question, “How far is the commute on Sundays?” What invested followers of Jesus should be asking when considering involvement in a church is, “Can I love and be loved well from where I live?” “Can I contribute, and can people contribute to me?” Church is not something you attend on Sundays; it is a family to which you belong on all days. Carrying this kind of others-oriented mentality to your church family will enhance your experience and enable your church to function as God designed it. Being available to serve and be served by your church eradicates consumerism and replaces it with generosity and receptivity. When you live in proximity to your church, it becomes your community.

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Because of my work in ministry, I often hear people ask, “Where can I find the best church community?” My answer to this question is always, “At your church.” What I mean by this is that your most life-giving church experience will always be where you are functioning both as a generous giver and a humble recipient. If you search for a church, looking only for what the church can give to you, you are looking at consumerism. However, if you search for a church knowing that you will be fully committed, fully invested, and fully receptive to the people present there, you will find yourself deep in the fertile soil of community. Community is not about the local church’s contribution to you but your contribution to your church.

Being rooted in a local church is a blessing. While being a part of a local church is a personal responsibility and a weighty calling for Christians (Hebrews 10:24-25), it is simultaneously the richest form of fellowship that can be embraced. And it will be for you.

Scripture References

24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,

“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.

And I tell you that you are Peter,

and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades

will not overcome it.

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—

I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

44All the believers were together and had everything in common.

45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

25not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—

7because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Josh Crawford

Josh Crawford is on staff at Passion City Church where he serves on the CORE Team, specializing in "Practical Theological Discipleship." Before coming on staff, Josh studied Religion at Wofford College and went on to complete a Masters in Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. Josh is continuing in his studies at DTS, pursuing a PhD in Theological Studies. Josh lives in Atlanta with his wife Macie and their baby boy, Stone.