Root Yourself in a Local Church

Plant your roots. After nearly twenty years of vocational ministry, I can say that little is as beneficial to the spiritual growth of individuals and of families as regular Bible reading and consistent, long-term engagement in a local church. 

God is doing great things here at Malvern Hill. We see him at work in the lives of mothers and fathers and we see those parents leading their children to Jesus. We see adults being baptized, teens being baptized, and children being baptized. Our LifeGroups are growing and worship continues to fill up.

Inevitably, with new believers, I am asked how they should grow and how they can lead their children to Jesus. I want to remind each of you that the church is the answer. Of all of the good things that we can do for our kids and with our kids, we should be reminded regularly that the church is the only institution created by Jesus with the commission to carry the gospel. The church is the safe place for your kids to grow in Christ, to interact with other believers, and to even establish relationships with other adults who love Jesus.

The church is the place where your children establish long-term relationships with other Christians who are not a part of their nuclear family. In the church your children find a safe place where they can return when life gets hard at age 25. Parents, root yourself and your family in a local church so that your children will have a Christian community upon which they can lean into their college and young-adult years. Root yourself in a local church so that you and your children will have the privilege of real, biblical community for growth, ministry, and accountability. The church is the place of health and security for Christians.

The church is also the safe place for you to grow. LifeGroups and other forms of small groups create an environment for you to wrestle with your faith, to grow in understanding and application of God’s word, and to be held accountable. LifeGroups are the place where you can build relationships that help you to sustain your faith and help you to grow in Christ. 

Plant your roots. I often say that the Bible knows of no solitary Christians. This should be heard as a directive to be active and involved in a local church family, but it should also be a warning. The Bible doesn’t know of solitary Christians because God knows that we need one another. You need others to grow in your faith and others need you.

So, I urge you. Plant your roots, water and fertilize them with worship, prayer, fellowship, and the word of God. Watch your spiritual roots grow deep in your church. You will find that as you deepen and strengthen your accountable relationships within your church family, you will also grow in your relationship with the Lord. God intended it that way.