Experience within church congregations is as unique and varied as God’s creation. Whether our involvement has been during childhood, as an adult, or perhaps seeking a church to call home, our reflections will vary. The word church comes from a Greek word translated ecclesia; it means a gathering. And specifically the gathering of the people. If those assembled are in Christ, the main experience or focal point should be receiving encouragement —  which means giving hope, courage, and confidence. We also encounter prayer, song, and most of all, agape or unconditional love. 

As you connect with a church family, you can say to yourself, “I’m not alone in this world. I have my church.” Whenever the body of believers gather, be it on Sunday morning, midweek worship service, Bible study, or an in-home small group, we must recognize when we leave these gatherings we are always the church, whether we’re together or not. Think of this analogy: When you are with your own family, you don’t leave your family when dinner is over, right? I mean, you do literally, but you’re still a part of your family.

Friend, my hope for our ministry and for churches around the globe, whether you watch on television, social media or you’re actually able to gather with other believers, is that you experience change for the better. My hope is that you encounter change that brings you a new heart and renewed encouragement that you didn’t have before. My prayer is that the ecclesia would become a community of believers with the heart of encouragement for one another.