https://odb.org/2026/09/08/what-a-fellowship
Philippians 2:1–4 (NIV): 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Rachel “church hopped” for three years before finding a Bible study group that provided what she couldn’t find in a traditional church—community. Rachel is Deaf. Around the world, many Deaf people face similar worship challenges. Her house church nurtures community by watching a Deaf church service on YouTube, discussing the teaching with each other, and then sharing a meal. The small group provides the Spirit-led church family Rachel craves. The apostle Paul explains what makes a church a community: the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Writing from prison, he urged this connection to the church at Philippi. His hope, in part, was to encourage spiritual unity in a congregation he’d formed and loved. (Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread 8th September 2026)
Some believers argue that we could worship in any church because God is the same whether we are in Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, Assembly of God or Full Gospel Assembly. That is true because in this age after the resurrection of Christ, we worship God in Spirit and in truth. Remember Jesus Christ told the Samaritan woman in John 4:23 – Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. So the argument whether to worship Yahweh in the Temple Mount in Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim in Samaria is now moot.
At the other extreme, some believers even take the stand that we do not need to attend church because we could worship God wherever we are. So we could be a born-again believer existing on our own, praying and worshiping from the comforts of our home in our PJs (pyjamas) with a cup of coffee in hand. There was a time when worshiping alone meant studying the bible ourselves but with the proliferation of online services after Covid, we could tune in to hear the Word preached practically any time of the day or week.
Although not entirely wrong, both groups sadly missed the point of church – which fundamentally is about the gathering of His people. There is the koinonia part of the church congregational worship. Derived from koinos (meaning “common”), koinonia describes things shared in common or a tight-knit association where people function as active partners rather than passive observers. The church is a place we could serve God and one another. It is a place where we develop a community, friendships cultivated out of service and love. Thus if we worship alone and only listen to online messages, we miss out on this community aspect and while we could technically worship in any church, we need to stick to one. A church is not just “bricks and mortar” but a gathering of like-minded believers living out their love for Christ as a community, supporting each other towards the righteous path that leads to eternal life.
Therefore, I encourage you if you are still church-hopping or still relying only on online services, to take that step in faith to settle in a local church. We may not fit in to any church but make the effort to find one that fits us, no matter the distance to travel. The church we call home need not be within our neighbourhood as God may well be calling us to attend and serve in one at the other end of the city!
Ronnie's Thoughts 