All Fired Up!! :) What do you love about your church part 2

Something has been on my mind for the past 6 months- Please know that I am not trying to tell anyone how to live- I am a passionate person so sometimes when I get all fired up about something it can come across over powering- In this case, it is simply me, working through a situation 'out loud' on my blog in front of anyone who chooses to read it (If I am already annoying you, I am so sorry- Please know I completely annoy myself a lot too).  As I shared in This blog post it seems like, for whatever reason, in my circle of social settings I have been hearing (and seeing) a shift in attitude about what Church is corporately and the importance of it (talking about Church attendance for Christians)- Deep in my heart this bothers me.  It get's my attention- At first it caused me to go straight to the Bible and dig around- Was I putting the 'tradition' of attending church  above what God had to say about the matter in scripture- Was the importance of Church only my 'opinion' with no supporting scripture- At the same time I started fervently praying for God to give me insight (James 1:5) into why exactly I was so bothered and to give me the wisdom to be discerning (I hear lots of off based 'Christian' stuff all the time- In one ear and out the other so to have something get my attention I knew I needed to pay attention because God was trying to teach me a thing or two) Next I asked my husband what he 'Biblically' believed on the subject.........then listened to a sermon my pastor taught on the subject (it's right on- If you want the link to it send me a pm on facebook and I will link it to you)..........then talked to some of my close Godly friends about where they stood ..........then I asked for people to send me a message with what they loved about their church  (Thank You- I enjoyed reading each and every one. I did not end up copying and re pasting but from what you all said, I think you will be pleased with the points below).
I am so thankful for the Spiritual learning curve over the past 6 months- I went into it with a 'gut' feeling about church and came out the other side with scripture based fact and a deep rooted conviction-  This season also taught me to really stop and evaluate my spiritual convictions....are they feelings and opinions or Biblical Godly facts that the Lord states clearly in the Bible.
My heart is so thankful for the Bible- for it's narrow roaded read- the inspired word of God
and so grateful for a husband that loves the Lord
My heart is also so grateful for the doctrinally sound pastors at my church and others like them around the world that tackle tough subjects (like this one) and speak God's word
and grateful for Godly friends that will go straight to scripture before answering if they thought the attendance of church was based on scripture or just tradition
I am most grateful that God, in His always faithful way, took away my lack of wisdom in this matter and replaced it with His truth's
A Gentleman named H.B. Charles Jr. is a Baptist Preacher out in Florida- He had this to say about Church Attendance...........I totally agree-

•  The word of God teaches it (Heb. 10:24-25). A high and correct view of scripture demands regular church attendance.
• Corporate worship is where the preaching and teaching of God’s word takes place (2 Tim. 4:1-5).
•  It follows the example set by the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:16).
• It is a wise and proper use of the privilege we have to publicly and corporately worship God. There are Christians in other lands who do not have this freedom. The only way for us to express our gratitude for this liberty is to use it faithfully and thankfully.
•  Your neglect of corporate worship grieves the Holy Spirit who lives within the individual believer and the church as a whole (Eph. 4:30).
• It brings joy to the spiritual leaders who watch over your soul and who must give account for you. Absenteeism grieves them and is unprofitably for you (Heb. 13:17).
•  It demonstrates that you share the mission and ministry of the particular church family of which you are a member.
•  Your absence from church services renders it difficult, and in some instances impossible, for you to participate in the church’s mutual ministry to itself, especially the “one another” commands of the New Testament.
•  You need the encouragement that comes from the assembling of the saints (Heb. 10:24-25). In fact, the more evil the days become, the more you need this encouragement.
•  God demands first place. We should give God the first part of our financial increase. We should have a daily quiet time to give God the first part of our day. And we should regularly attend church on Sunday to give God the first part of our week.
•  It is a way of preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).
• Public and corporate worship is one of the key places where you exercise your spiritual gifts. It is a strategic place to minister to other believers (1 Co. 14:12-14).
•  Your regular attendance serves as a positive example and influence for others.
•  If you take part in some ministry of the church – and you should – your absence can hinder the overall effectiveness of the group and discourage other members.
• Being involved in public and corporate worship services counteracts our self-centeredness.
• You should take the time to stop and say “thank you” to God for bringing you through another week.
• Absenteeism is a poor testimony to unbelievers who see your inconsistency (John 13:34-35).
•  True and saving faith will create love for that which Christ loves; namely, the church (Eph. 5:25). Regularly attending church services is a fundamental way to show your love for the bride of Christ.
• It is the practice of good habits like regular church attendance that builds spiritual character.
• The New Testament teaches us to recognize, to share all good things with, to submit to, and to honor the spiritual leaders who teach us the word. Attending worship is a way of doing that. (Remember, not only are we accountable to the word of God, we are also accountable to those who God uses to teach us his word.)
•  Attending public and corporate worship services renews and strengthens us for the days ahead (Heb. 10:24-25).
•  Corporate worship helps reinforce the truth that worship is not about getting from God. Fundamentally, Christian worship is about giving to God.
•  Public and corporate worship is the officially designated place to carry out the ordinances of the church – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

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Here are some other interesting facts I came across.....

• 'I love church. What a harbor it has been to me through the years. I love the Table. I love its Head. My life would be a black hole without Christ and the communion of saints.' ~ Beth Moore
•  Corrie Ten Boom loved and served the Lord, and was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church.
• Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter) who stopped attending church for a season of time because of 'too many bad experiences in church to believe that God dwells there—and only there. She was kicked out of one church, she says, for insisting on the inerrancy of Scripture. She left another more recently in a fight concerning a new pastor. She soon came to realize that she was a "believer in exile," she says, and for more than a year she wandered from church to church looking for a home. "I've had Christians treat me in a way that is so wrong and so vicious, I realized there's a difference between God's people and God.".........had this to say after passing through the 'no church' season and finding a new church home “Church may not be necessary to knowing God", she says, "but it keeps the relationship going-You can really love the Lord, but after a while, if you’re all by yourself, the fire goes cold.”
• The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Web site encourages new Christians to make church a regular part of their lives: "Whatever it meant to you in the past, going to church can now become a rich and rewarding experience."