10 Reasons Not to Go to Church

FBCA Night Street

Life throws curveballs, and sometimes that means missing church. But at FBC Arlington, we’ve got your back. Whether you’re in a hospital bed, lacking a ride, or welcoming a new addition to your family, our community extends far beyond the church walls. Join us online, find support, and rediscover belonging, regardless of where you’ve been or what you’re going through. At FBC Arlington, you’re not just a member — you’re family.

 

  1. You’re in the hospital.

    Sometimes, you just can’t make it to church because you’re in the hospital; it happens! If you’re well enough, consider joining worship online, even if its not happening live. We have great community that happens in the comments on Facebook. We’d also love to pray for you, and you can let us know how we can pray for you here.

  2. You don’t have a ride.

    If you don’t have a ride, joining online is always an option. You can also use Arlington’s public ride-share service, which will drive anywhere within Arlington for $5 or less!

  3. You just had a baby.

    It’s ok to ease back into coming to church if you’ve just had a baby. Take your time, rest, and recuperate. Know that we’re excited for you, for your family, and that we’re praying for you. Let us know you’ve had a baby, and let us know that we can be praying for you. When you’re ready to come to church with your new baby, we’ll be here to celebrate with you!

  4. You/Your kid just threw up/is sick.

    Are you or your child sick? Stay home. It’s ok! Get some rest, and join us online!

  5. You’re out of town.

    Did you know that we call our online ministry FBCAnywhere? It’s because you can connect with FBC Arlington wherever you are!

  6. You don’t feel like you fit in.

    Church can be hard when you don’t feel like you’ve found your people. We’d love to help you find a place you belong, and help you make some friends. People at FBC Arlington come from everywhere, have a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and more. There’s someone for everyone here.

  7. You’re tired.

    You probably work hard. If you have kids, you probably devote a lot of time to them. Our hope is that if you join us, you’ll find some rest and peace from the tensions and struggles of your week in God’s peaceful presence among His people.

  8. You don’t know what you think about God.

    You don’t have to have God figured out to be with us. We’re good with questions, with people who aren’t sure what they think about God, and aren’t even sure if God is real. We’re all on a journey together of following the Jesus way, and we’re trying to learn more about God together.

  9. You’ve been hurt by the Church.

    Not everyone’s experience of church has been easy or pain free. There are a lot of people (this blogger included), who have been hurt deeply by churches before. For many of us, we’ve found that this is a good place to recover from church hurt.

  10. You haven’t been in a while, and you think it’ll be weird to go back.

    It may feel weird to you, but it’s not weird to us. We’re not judging you for having not been around, we’re just glad that you’re back.

 

We’re always ready to welcome you at First Baptist Arlington! Visit our “Plan-A-Visit” page to make your first Sunday at FBCA a success.

Luke Stehr

Luke Stehr

Christ-follower. Husband. Dad. Community Engagement Coordinator.

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