There was a time in college when I stopped attending church regularly, choosing to spend my precious free time praying, and studying Christian Science on my own. There were even times when I wondered whether church was actually relevant to the mix of concerns I was dealing with. By the end of my senior year, I was feeling completely adrift and anxious about my prospects. 

While home for a holiday, I felt drawn to the branch Church of Christ, Scientist, where I had grown up. Really needing God’s direction, I went to a Sunday service and sat in a pew right up front. There were so many people in that congregation, now literally behind me, who had supported me throughout my life and spent time truly getting to know me—babysitting for me when I was a kid, teaching me in Sunday School, or coming to my high school graduation party. I felt buoyed by this great warmth and love, as if God were sitting right beside me, and I knew everything would be OK. As I left that morning, I realized that I could no longer afford to miss out on the blessing and belonging of church.

Many people today have lost sight of church for one reason or another. In fact, church membership on the whole has dipped below 50 percent in the United States for the first time since Gallup began recording this statistic, prompting many to wonder what has caused this decline. Some church leaders are concerned that in the midst of numerous activities offered by many churches, the core mission has been lost.