Whoever is separated from the Church and is joined to an adulteress, is separated from the promises of the Church; nor can he who forsakes the Church of Christ attain to the rewards of Christ. He is a stranger; he is profane; he is an enemy. He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother.  (Cyprian of Carthage, Translated by Robert Ernest Wallis. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.)

 

I found this quote while I was doing research for "Everyone a Witness Bible Study".  It is important that we worship God in his church. It is important for our spiritual well being that we are nourished by the Word and Sacrament ministry of the church.

 

Every year the church sets a budget. The trend is that when attendance is down giving is down. Therefore budget time is painful for those who are in leadership in the church. Biblically first fruit giving is part of our spiritual discipline. We respond to our loving God by giving our first fruits in worship. We give, out of gratitude for what God has given us.

 

I believe that churches have spiritual problems and that is why there are money problems. The only way to grow spiritually is though the Word and Sacrament. When we are separated from the Word and Sacrament ministry of the church we do not grow. We become spiritually weak.

 

I would ask you to evaluate your worship.  I would ask you to evaluate your giving. I would encourage you to come to worship. I would encourage you to study God's Word corporately and privately. I would encourage you to invite others to come and worship with you.

Invest in your relationship to God.  He invested his all to redeem you. God sent his Son to die that we might have life.  This is something to celebrate and share.