“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.” (Acts 16:13)
Over the past 12 days, we explored many good reasons to join a community of believers. In this concluding devotional, I want to repeat the exhortation from Hebrews 10:24-25: do not give up meeting together as believers.
There may be serious hindrances for attending church services. Maybe you are sick, maybe there is no church anywhere near where you live, maybe your options are limited by government regulations during the Covid pandemic, or publicly meeting as Christians is dangerous in your country.
If you are not able to go to church, don’t give up meeting other believers! The book of Acts provides some great examples of people seeking alternative options. Some met at the riverside to pray together, others met from house to house when they were kicked out of the synagogue or temple.
Nowadays, many churches offer live streams for people who are not able to attend in person. If you, for whatever reason, can’t meet in larger groups, it may still be possible to remain in contact with a core group to care for each other’s needs, share prayer requests, etc.
Be creative with the possiblities you have!