"I Don't Have to Go to Church to Be a Christian."

As I was talking to Bill, a gentleman at Gold's Gym, yesterday, he made the above statement.  I hear this statement a lot and I always assure the person I'm talking to that I'm not necessarily trying to increase a church roll as much as I'm trying to increase God's roll - the Book of Names. While I don't believe that church attendance is a dogma for salvation, I do believe it is essential for each believer's spiritual growth and maturity. More...