More than a Building

We’ve moved a few times, and every time, we’ve had to start over at a new church. After a few too many awkward experiences, it became easy to hide behind excuses about why we just didn’t go to church. “We’re too busy.” “It’s the only day we get to sleep in.” “I don’t feel like fighting with the kids over appropriate church attire.”

If I’m being honest, I used to think that ” church” was just a building where the people who attended regularly went to judge and look down upon those who did not. If I was putting in the time to learn and grow in my faith, whether it was through an online church, books, and/or podcasts, then wasn’t that the most important thing?

I came to faith in a very personal way, so it was hard for me to see the need for others to join me on my journey. But now that I’m older and wiser, I realize that these assumptions are not true. I just hadn’t found the right church for me. I can’t speak for all churches, but I have come to find that church is much more than just a building—and it’s nothing like people judging other people.

We had been attending church regularly for about five years before the COVID shutdown. We had to watch online for over a year due to restrictions and precautions. I got used to the ease of this. All I had to do was turn on the weekly recorded service whenever I had the time, usually when I was multitasking with some other obligations—laundry, dishes, meal prep. There was no getting dressed up, no putting on makeup, no wrangling three kids to be presentable and get out the door. We even started what we called “Brunchin’ with the Bible” with our neighbors, which involved watching church with coffee, donuts, and muffins. It was very comfortable, to say the least.

But growth doesn’t happen in our comfort zone. Not that going to church should be uncomfortable. (If it is, then maybe that’s a sign that you’re not in the right church for you. Or that you need to grow more than you originally thought.) But when we were finally able to go back in person, I could feel the difference immediately. I finally understood what church truly is.

I recently heard the phrase “I don’t go to church. I am the church.” I think this is just the shift in perspective we need. But don’t misunderstand—it’s not another excuse to keep you out of the building. Instead, it’s a reminder that we are all individual pillars in the foundation of the church, and when we come together is when we are at our strongest.

“Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other” (Rom. 12:5 GW).

We were built to need continual growth and nourishment. The branches need a vine for support. The church is the vine.

We were built for fellowship. You need to receive and to give encouragement. The church is the community.

We were built to work together, not separately, to bring God’s will to life. We need every piece and part to be complete. The church is the body, the whole.

The church is more than a building. It always was, at least in terms of Jesus’s purpose. The hardest part (for me, at least) of this shift in perspective means that being on my best behavior isn’t only limited to Sunday mornings in the building. If I am the church, then that means when I am commuting to work, watching my children on the sports fields, in line at the grocery store, or waiting in a long line at Target, my behavior reflects the church.

Another great saying I’ve heard is “The people didn’t walk into the church. The church walked into a building.” There is a time and a place for a virtual church. It’s a great option to stay connected if you’re away on vacation or to share with a friend who might need to hear something from that week’s sermon. But don’t let that keep you from stepping into the building.

Can a single plant produce fruit? Absolutely. But when it’s connected to and supported by a vine, the quality and quantity of that fruit increase tremendously. So it is with the church.

Jess Gilardi was a mental health therapist in the school system before becoming the full-time chaos coordinator for her family (aka stay-at-home mom). She and her husband have three young kids. Jess started writing in hopes that by sharing her stories and lessons learned, she can help others learn “the easy way.”