Do I still need to attend church if I go to a Bible School?

Attending college is, for many students, a break from traditions that they once took part in under the purview of parents and home culture. Some such traditions are universally applicable. For example, perhaps “mom” made you wash the dishes after dinner and put your clothes away when they came out of the dryer but your student housing habits result in a sink full of dishes and a pile of “clean” clothes by your bed. There are also additional traditions affiliated with a student’s home faith background. The most common of these is church attendance. Perhaps you went on Sundays, or Sundays and Wednesdays, or Sundays, Wednesdays, and to a Tuesday prayer meeting. Whatever the pattern, students who regularly attended church with their families have to add it to the list of things to consider when going to college.

Statistics show us how those considerations are going on a national level. Full class loads, homework, and the new social realities of college are part of what has been documented as an overall decline in church attendance among young adults. The question of whether to persist in attending church is a real one, and it’s one that students have to contend with, whether or not they go to a Bible school or are enrolled in a bible program. In fact, it stands to reason that students enrolled in such programs may feel even less compulsion to attend church, as they are involved (hopefully) in the rigorous academic study of the founding document of their faith - the Bible. 

At the Institute for GOD, we firmly believe that such should not be the case. Students enrolled here are encouraged to attend church, and we even have an on-campus church that meets in the same building where they attend classes. Read on to see why we value this practice so much.

One - The Bible Tells us to Gather

Hebrews 10:23-25 is the text most often used to make this point, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a valid one.

23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Part of the truth of the reason for attendance exists within the verse. We are to provoke one another on to love and good deeds. In academic classes, you can learn what good deeds are and see them modeled (or failed to be modeled by other characters), but those environments don’t always provide the venue for accountability related to whether you do those things or not. Churches often have structures to accomplish just that, whether they be small groups or service opportunities that give you a chance to work with others on meeting the needs of your community.

While you may be studying the Bible as a part of your academic experience, getting connected to a local body allows you to fellowship with people outside of your demographic. This “family of faith” is a large component of the way you enact your faith in the world.

Two - Academic Study Enriches the Brain, Not Necessarily the Spirit

Academic study of the Bible can provide huge dopamine hits in that concepts or texts that once proved difficult to understand can be thought and worked through until students have what they believe to be epiphanies of truth. This is great and necessary, and should be happening in any quality bible program. Yes, it’s even true that the bible calls us to love the Lord our God with our minds (Matthew 22:37) but that’s not the only goal we should have in engaging God.

Church provides the opportunity to engage God in worship. Worship is a vehicle in which we can approach God and benefit from his nearness and spirit in a way that we cannot in the academic classroom. God’s nearness is something that is valued throughout scripture and should be something we value as his people. Being in the same room with people who share values and engaging together in singing and listening to encouragement from the word gives opportunity to engage the mind and body in ways academic study cannot.

Institute alumni Stephen Ownby and Leafa Vagatai leading a worship service at the on-campus church. On many Sundays you can find current Institute students on the stage and in the congregation!

Three - Church Provides Venue to Engage in Ministry using Things you Learn in Classes

Many churches provide opportunities for congregation members to engage in community service (widow or elderly ministry, kids camps, projects in the neighborhood, etc) or mission efforts both at home and abroad. These types of activities give students of the bible opportunity to put into practice the values they learn in the classroom and often become a place that certain ministerial skills can be practiced. For example, an aspiring Bible Teacher can work on children’s curriculum or teach classes. A music student may be able to add their instrument to the worship band or lead for the kids. An aspiring preacher may find an opportunity to preach to the youth group. Options abound and taking advantage of them can help Bible students grow in competency while ministering to others. 

Institute Chaplain Chris Jones attends the Community Church for GOD, the church that can be found on the Institute campus. Here he is pictured installing some lights on mission with the church in Morristown, TN.

A Final Note

While not the intent of this blog it can be used as a sort of checklist if you are a student in a Bible program who is looking for a church. Does the church you’re looking at spur you on to love and good deeds? Do its handling of worship and the word engage you spiritually and help you feel the nearness of God? Does it provide the opportunity to engage in service in such a way that helps you live out the faith that you’re learning in the classroom? These are all important questions and really represent things that should characterize any church. Further, if you’re a student in a Bible program who feels called to preach, lead worship, or teach in such settings, you need positive examples of churches that prioritize the things listed above because you will one day bear responsibility for facilitating them!

Should you go to church if you’re attending a Bible school? Absolutely!