Is it mandatory for all Christians to go to church on Sunday?
No, church attendance is not a requirement for being a Christian. Some Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Church, require church attendance on the Lord’s Day (Sunday). The Catechism states that participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church.
However, many Christians consider church attendance to be a central religious practice. For example, God’s fourth commandment specifically tells us to set aside the seventh day of the week as a holy day to the Lord.
Some Christian theologians believe that Sabbath observance is not binding for Christians today. Others advocate the Sabbath as a symbolic metaphor for rest in Christ..
Is it mandatory for all Christians to go to church on Sunday?”
It may be suggested that we are commanded to remember and keep the Lord’s Day holy. The Lord’s Day is not Sunday but Saturday. Jesus himself said, “The son of man [i.e., a term He often used to refer to Himself] is Lord also of the sabbath” (Mark 2:28).
When He said that He was speaking as a Jew to Jews who knew *exactly* what He meant by “the sabbath” – the day we call Saturday, he was still observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians.
Jesus was not referring to Sunday there, but the Sabbath – the real Sabbath! He was being unambiguous regarding what day He was referring to. To claim Jesus is Lord of any day other than the real Sabbath is to use non-Biblical tradition to interpret the text.
There is also no command(ment) in the Bible to say we must go to *church* to keep the Sabbath holy. The only mention in the Decalogue (Ex 20) is to refrain from working ourselves and not cause others to work.
In Mark 2 and other places, Jesus shows that specific work can be performed on Sabbath, such as particular food preparation, life-saving work, and healing, and still keeping the Sabbath holy.
But are you going to church? Not mandatory! Are you going to church on Sunday? The Bible doesn’t recognize that Sunday is even a holy day, so going to church on Sunday is not mandatory!
When you are a Christian, do you have to read the Bible and attend church?
Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to read the Bible every day nor attend church on Sundays. Christianity is not a ritualistic religion. Unlike Islam and Hinduism, that is purely based on rituals, Christianity, in its purest form, is especially against rituals. Rituals will only make us religious, but Christianity is about spiritual progress and union with God.
How much do Americans pay for a movie ticket?
I read the Bible every day. I do not feel condemned if I cannot read it due to the day’s business. Because I do not read the Bible as a ritual, imagine if you are away from home and your father has written you affectionately. Will you ignore the letter? The Bible, to me, is such a letter written by my heavenly father. I read it every day so that I can understand the heart of my loving heavenly father.
I go to church not just once a week but at least two times. I do not feel condemned if I cannot attend church for a week. Going to church is not a ritual to me. I go because I want to worship God with my fellow believers. I have been worshipping alone all week, but whenever I get a chance to worship with other Christians, I am eager to do it.
The church is not a dedicated building. It is a group of 2 or more believers. Jesus promised to be there when two or more people were gathered in his name. So even if we gather in a home, park, or any building, we believe Jesus is there in our midst and worship him.
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. – 1 Corinthians 10:23
If going to church “builds you up” and is “helpful,” then you should do it — not as “law,” but as wisdom.
Perhaps some churches are not helpful, not edifying — I can certainly think of churches that children were made to attend that were abusive in one way or another. It is wise to avoid those churches if you can. But you were created to be a part of the Body of Christ, so attending a helpful, informative church is the wisest thing you can do.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but encouraging one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
It may be necessary to look around to find the congregation that will bring out the best in you — especially if you have uncommon needs — but that is a different issue to whether you should seek to attend a church.
It is wise for as many Christians as possible to attend an informative, helpful church regularly. “Mandatory” is for children who cannot understand and must be taken to things they will only understand later.
Do Catholics have to go to church every Sunday?
We Catholics don’t have to attend church every Sunday; we WANT to go. Many of us go several times a week. Catholic Churches offer a feeling of home and belonging: one can go in no to pray, meditate, take flowers, light a candle, or sit; the church gives us a sense of belonging and spiritual comfort; just sitting there nourishes the soul. I am thrilled that Catholic Churches are open all day, seven days a week, from morning to night: one can always pop in and come out spiritually refreshed.
Do Christians have to go to Church every week?
Christians do not have to go to Church every Sunday. Jesus is not sitting on His throne with an attendance list.
Here is the real deal: Christians get to go to Church. Church service provides us a chance to:
- Learn about the Bible and understand the faith that guides us in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
- Worship the God who created the universe.
- Pray together and share each other’s joys and sorrows.
- Organize and communicate so we can make a difference in our local community.
I am aware not all Churches do this or do it well. If you are in that kind of Church, you have two choices. 1. Be a part of the solution. 2. Leave and join a different Congregation.
Don’t be one of those people who gripes about going to Church and hates attending.
Why don’t many Christians go to church?
I don’t know about everyone. I know why I stopped going to church. There are quite a few reasons:-
- Church was not fulfilling my spiritual needs.
- The minister was unable to answer my deep Biblical questions.
- There were immoral practices and corruption in the church.
- There were class distinctions within
- Church was a great deal about money-making and how much of one’s earnings one could relieve one of through tithes and offerings.
- I did not experience the church’s help during natural disasters and other crises.
- It held very little attraction for me as a young person.
- It was more satisfying to stay home and listen to a sermon on the radio.
I stayed home for a while, and by the time JWs knocked on my door and later showed me the scripture below, I had already done so:-
Revelation 18 4 And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not wish to receive part of her plagues. 5 For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind
Does the Bible have anything written that says you must go to Church on Sunday?
Not specifically, but there are guidelines. First, it does not “force” you to Church on Sunday. Colossians 2:16 says, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or about a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” So, we are not obligated to make our meetings subject to the letter of the law.
But we are supposed to meet for our benefit. Hebrews 10:24–25 makes this clear. It says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
The Christian life was not meant to be lived in isolation. We need each other to build each other up in Christ. Jesus sent out His followers two at a time. So, there would be some mutual encouragement.
Now, why Sunday? Why not the Sabbath? Multiple verses in Scripture detail that the first visit of the risen Lord was on Sunday. For example, John 20:1–2 says, “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran to Simon Peter and the other disciples whom Jesus loved, saying, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
The first time they saw Jesus after the resurrection was on Sunday. When the Christians gathered with Paul, we saw again that it was on a Sunday. Acts 20:7 says, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”
When they gathered to raise money for the Church, Paul told them to do it on Sunday (he didn’t command that they do it on Sunday – it is evident that it was already considered proper to meet on Sunday.)
1 Corinthians 16:1–2 shows this: “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”
So we see, it was the custom of the early Church to meet on the same day that they first saw Jesus when He rose from the dead. Apostles practiced it, and followers of Jesus should set aside the Lord’s Day, if possible, to meet and build each other up in the faith.
Can you be a Christian without attending any church?
You can. Most people believe you can’t because they are too stuck in buildings. In the Bible, in Acts 17:24, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.”
But still, even with that verse, people think you need to go to church. It’s not about the building. It’s about God. That’s the most important thing. We need God and to be willing to listen to Him.
But True born again believers look forward to Sunday’s service.! Religion can be one of the most deceptive shields People wear so they don’t have to deal with the truth about themselves and God in need of redemption. If you want to find some truth, read the gospels and the Holy Bible! Read what Jesus has to say.
(John ch 3) in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4) None of your religious activities or good works will get you into Heaven.
Through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and the resurrection on the third day, Confessing your sins. Repenting of your sin. Jesus is not inviting you to come to a religion far from it. Jesus is not asking you to go to a denomination. Jesus is not asking you to go to a preacher, pastor, or profit. Jesus is inviting you to go to him. He’s asking you to come to salvation! (John ch 3)
How necessary is attending Church for Christians?
I once heard a quote that pertains to this topic but indirectly. “Just because you are at a church does not make you a Christian anymore than being in a garage makes you a car.” Many people think that because they attend Church regularly, they become a Christian. It does not.
So you can not “church” yourself into salvation. However, if a church is similar to a garage, Christians could use regular maintenance. A good church provides:
- Sound teaching
- Community
- Regular opportunity to partake of the sacraments
- A chance to pray and worship God in a group setting.
Sound teaching will help you understand your faith. A good church community will provide a support system and encourage you to live according to the commands of God. The sacraments bring you into the presence of God in a tangible way. Jesus said that when two or more gather in His name and agree on prayer, God is listening.
Do Christians have to go to church every week?
Asking, “Do Christians have to go to church every week?” is a VERY different question than asking, “What makes going to church a different aspect of worshiping or relating to God outside of church?” So, I will be happy to answer BOTH.
1 WE ARE THE CHURCH; a building is NOT the church; a denomination is NOT the church; the Vatican or the Baptist Conference, or its cover-up org called Convergence, is NOT the church. WE ARE THE CHURCH. We don’t have to GO anywhere to BE AT CHURCH. WE ARE ALREADY THERE. WE HAVE ARRIVED.
GOD SAID, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt 18:20). AND HE SAID: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor 3:16)
AND HE ALSO SAID: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Cor 6:19)
So, NO, you are NOT obligated to go somewhere physically, at least not to God, to honor the Sabbath or God. You should be praising God EVERY day of the week anyway.
Now, here’s the double rub: One comes from what I can credit Ian Clayton as labeling the “Luciferian” SYSTEM of church as we know it today, where we all go and pretend the pastor has all the answers, the doctrine is more important than God and our relationship with Him, and we must “pay” to be legitimate members of the Body of Christ.
This is NONSENSE and more than apostasy. THIS IS fleecing the SHEEP. It favors the Good Old Boys almost exclusively. It REFUSES to ROCK THE BOAT. IT DOES NOT value human beings; it values creeds and shoulds and should-nots. THIS IS LEGALISM, and it is malarkey.
It permits the building up of individual wealth in the “luckier” churches, which is heinous and a direct insult to the message, the good Gospel message, of Christ Jesus, for he warns us NOT to take on another yoke of bondage, now that he has freed us with his precious blood from all that BE!LONEY!!
What “the church” did is MAKE SUNDAY worship obligatory, even though the Sabbath, from which we get the word Saturday, IS supposed to be honored as THE LORD’S DAY. In traditional worship in Israel, this was NOT a day where everyone got gussied up to show their good class and parade their aptitude for social graces… it was a day of reflection and reclusion to SEEK the Lord, in one’s mind, heart, soul, and spirit, to make sure one was on track and to hear from him. You know, like Abraham, Noah, Moses, and all those dudes did.
Shabbat starts in traditional Jewish homes on Friday night at sundown, and it ends right before dinner on Saturday night.
We’ve made it a circus. What we do is, in my opinion, ridiculous. Man always has this knee-jerk reaction to the simplicity of God’s recommendations… If he says Keep the Sabbath, we say, “AMEN, and let’s do church on Sundays too…” which the church began doing centuries ago. What a shame. What a burden. What a show. It is as though we can impress God with anything we come up with.
So, to answer your second question, what is different about getting together than just hanging out with and praying to God on your own? Lots, and THIS is what we are supposed to do: “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage [some versions say, “exhort” instead of encourage] one another all the more since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.” (Good News Translation)
It doesn’t say when. It just says let’s get together. It says we need encouragement from one another. It also says we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength,” from which many to-do lists can appropriately be built: Honor God, including go and LEARN from Him through his word and seek the counsel from others on how to apply the wisdom of God to one’s situations and life.
So, the “church” has become a catch-all institution for all those things.
The church I grew up in, Episcopalian (see photo of a wedding ceremony at Christ Church Cranbrook), is highly structured and has produced more United States Presidents than any other denomination in the USA. But it doesn’t talk about the supernatural; it doesn’t think that “stuff” happens today… at least you do not hear about it from the pulpit. And it is EXPENSIVE. IT IS A SYSTEM supported by its members.
I love the church; I’m not as far off from the other responders to this question in terms of loving learning about God, hearing suitable lessons or preachers, or even the excellent and highly developed intellectualism of these Episcopalians. I’m just not fooled by it anymore.
I KNOW who has to have the high seat in my heart and mind… and that is GOD and GOD alone. Not doctrine, the bible, your experience, or even my experience with God, but God Himself. HE MUST LIVE IN ME, or I am a joke as a Christian.
So, find a way to gather with others. And do NOT let anyone make you feel guilty about not going to church UNLESS you come to take it, and then you leave and do your own thing. That is justifiable guilt. If a group of people who call themselves helps you financially or in some other way, and you do not help in return, you are being a taker, which is not natural. You will feel guilty, and human psychology, being what it is, constructed BY a GOD who wants us to be HOLY (set apart for His good purposes), will lower your self-esteem until you contribute in kind. So, if you dip your finger in that pond, be prepared to put some equivalent thing back in; otherwise, you are bringing a curse into your own life.
And, then, well, you may be sitting around those people waiting for THEM to help you become INDEPENDENT, but that may not be what they truly want. THEY may WANT you to be dependent. THEN, where are you?
Do you have to go to church every week to be considered religious?
Faith and religion are two separate things. James 1:26-27– “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
The above verse explains the Biblical standard of religion. It is different from what people usually think of by doing things repetitively.
Being religious by artificial standards is to follow a system of rituals, culture, and traditions because that’s what you are taught to do, or it is a family tradition.
Religious observances are done mindlessly or out of compulsion or because you were taught that not following something religiously will be a sin. This is fear based on a threat and not a reverential fear of God.
Who owned Israel prior to 1948?
Religion will teach you chants and repetitive prayers that you say mindlessly.
Religion is praying at certain times and days, even when you don’t do it with faith. The Bible says, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
Religion is to do all of this and then live a life of debauchery the rest of the week.
Faith is a whole other story.
Faith is built on a relationship with Jesus Christ. Faith will cause you to always look forward to spending time with Christ. It is not restricted to only a specific time or day of the week for doing it.
Faith will make you love God and want to know more about Him. You will seek Him by your initiative rather than by rules.
A Faithful relationship with God will keep you grounded all days of the week and prevent you from living a carnal life because of your love and reverence for Him.
Praying in faith means aligning your spirit, body, and soul to communicate with God. There is no chanting or repeating a prayer. You will grow in your relationship with God through Jesus Christ when you know His heart for you through His Holy Word, the Bible.
Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and He will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:33).
God wants a heart-to-heart relationship. So, strive for a faithful relationship with God rather than a religion.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”- Hebrews 11:6
Which day is the right day to attend church, Saturday or Sunday?
Most Sunday keepers who attend church on Sunday assume it has to be right because so many are doing it. Is this a safe assumption? Has the majority usually been right in religious matters? No.
The majority has always been wrong.
Only eight people were saved from the flood because “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction.”(Matthew 7:13, 14)
So, what if the minority of Sabbath-keeping believers and the majority of Sunday-worshiping Christians are wrong? It should raise a flag of warning. Just remember, truth has never been popular with the masses. So, you should figure out what day of worship is right. Your destiny depends on what choice you make.
Let me point you to some facts that will help you to find the answer to that question.
- Sunday is the first day of the week for which there is no biblical command. Sabbath, the 7th day, is asked to be observed by God in the 4th commandment. So, if you obey God’s commandment, which day will you attend church?
- In 8 texts that refer to Sunday, there is no advice to observe Sunday in honor of the resurrection. The women came to do their regular labor on the day of the resurrection. No sacredness was attached to Sunday. On the other hand, Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath from His work of redemption, just as He had rested from His work of creation. Scriptures give no evidence that the Sunday was ever counted holy or kept holy. So, if you believe that even in His death, Jesus kept the Sabbath, on which day will you attend church?
- The disciples did not believe Christ had been resurrected. On the resurrection day, they huddled together in the locked room. They rejected the testimony of Mary and the other disciples. (Mark 16:10). They were fearful, depressed, and unbelieving. When Jesus appeared to them, He rebuked them for their lack of faith. We see a consistent, total ignorance of any recognition of Sunday for worship, prayer, rest, or honoring the resurrection. So, if the disciples of Jesus didn’t keep the resurrection and recognize Sunday as a day of worship, on which day will you, a modern-day disciple, go to church?
- In 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2, Paul wrote to the church at Corinth asking them to gather food, clothing, etc., and store it until he could send men to transport it to Jerusalem. No service was held on Sunday because the gathering up and keeping was to be done that day. Why? Paul advises them to do their work on Sunday “so that there be no gatherings when I come.” Such work as gathering and storing produce would not be appropriate on Sabbath. Here, Sunday is once again identified as a day for secular activities and does not indicate religious observance. So, on which day should you go to church?
- There is only one record in the New Testament of a church meeting being held on Sunday: a night meeting. (Acts 20:6–13) Yes, disciples held the communion service that Sunday, but early Christians broke bread daily. (Acts 2:46). It also looked like a common meal they shared. “When he came up again, and had broken bread, and eaten…” and nowhere in the Bible is the communion linked to any particular day. Paul preached until midnight. In the Bible, the Sabbath ended at sundown, and the Sunday began. Now, Paul was ready to leave. Notice that he would not go to sea until the Sabbath was over because he would not do those secular activities on the holy Sabbath. So, if you follow Paul’s example, on which day should you go to church?
Conclusion
The Bible doesn’t offer the slightest evidence that God sanctified Sunday or celebrated by man. Millions have been deceived into blind adherence to an empty pagan symbol. Millions of sincere Christians are zealously protecting the sanctity of Sunday, which is devoid of holiness. So, now that you know the truth about it, which day will you choose to worship God?
When you are a Christian, do you have to read the Bible and attend church?
Church attendance and Bible reading are not required for salvation. However, if you have a relationship with GOD (you are born again, saved), you will want to go to church and read the Bible to learn more about him and what he wants you to do and how he wants you to live. Without hearing preaching and reading the Bible, you will never grow in faith.
Should everyone be required to go to church on Sunday?
What would be required to go to church involve? Do you mean that I would be fined if I didn’t? (Some legal requirement?) Well, if you did that to me, you would have to make another law demanding that I also behave while in the church.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
If I were forced to go to church, I’d make very sure that it was a horrible experience for everyone – I’m sure many of my friends, and I would be pretty obnoxious under those conditions: heckling, talking, drinking, eating, etc. and that there would be a lot of it going on. And would I also be forbidden from using my mobile phone? I think it would make controlling a class in high school look like a picnic.
Do I have to go to the church if I already went on Saturday for Christians?
Going to church should not be a tradition you must observe or do every Saturday or Sunday. We go to church because we love Jesus Christ, for He sacrificed Himself for us to redeem us from our sins. We want to hear him and obey His words.
We go to church to fellowship with other believers for our spiritual growth. For man shall not live by bread alone but by the words of the Lord. We starve ourselves from the bread of heaven when we fail to honor God’s invitation to dine with him.
We go to church to bless others, to fulfill a great commission, and to tell someone about Christ. We go to church to use our gifts for God, talents, money, and materials. Going to church must come out of appreciation for God’s love for us and His sending His Son to save us from sin. When we realize this, no amount of silver and gold will be sufficient to give to God, to sing praises and worship our God.
For this reason, we need to go to the right place to fellowship with others who will grow our spiritual minds and help us fulfill God’s purpose. No name of a denomination can save us or take us to heaven. God is a spirit; anyone who will worship him must worship God in spirit and truth.
It’s sad today that people go to church for different reasons, some to show off new dresses, to find a new lady or guy to marry, or because of their parents or spouse. God won’t bless those whose hearts never rest on him. Go to church with your loving heart to God as often as possible; then, you will see God showing up in your life.
What does the Bible say about not going to church?
As far as I can recall, only this, straight from Jesus’ mouth: Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.”
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” The church is not necessary, neither as a building nor as an organization; any two Christians can come together, and that is a congregation right there.