Has your faith become a bit stagnant after going through the pandemic? Have you gone to church fewer times a month or stopped going altogether? Are you spending less time with fellow believers? Has your Bible reading or prayer time lessened? Have you become more depressed, lonely or lost your hope and faith?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then maybe it’s time to set a goal to grow more spiritually. And what better time to start then the beginning of Advent! Advent begins this Sunday, November 27th and most churches will start a new sermon series that leads up to Christmas Eve service in preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
People are especially susceptible to loneliness and depression during the holiday season because if loved ones are lost, their absence is more deeply felt during Thanksgiving and Christmas when we tend to spend most of our time with close friends and family. But relationships can be found in a church! Many churches have small groups where you regularly meet and develop close friendships. I belong to a small group and we have become like family. Also, serving in church can lead to friendships.
If you haven’t been attending church or watching online, I challenge you to look for a service that is broadcasted online. That will be a good start. Try and look for a church in your area that also has services online so when you feel comfortable, you can attend in person. Watching a service online will help with spiritual growth, but ultimately, we need to be in relationships with other Christians so the goal is to attend service in person.
Here is the list of ways you can grow spiritually. If you are already doing some of these, I challenge you to add one or two more these things to what you are already doing:
- Read Bible daily
- Pray daily
- Listen to worship music daily
- Do an Advent Devotional
- Watch an online service every Sunday in Advent and attend Christmas Eve in person
- Attend service in person every Sunday in Advent
- Join a small group
- Find a Christian mentor
- Become a mentor for a new believer
- Find a place to serve in your church
- Start a Bible study with your family or close friends
- Invite a friend to church
- Begin tithing (giving 10% of your income to the church)
- Increase your giving to church
- Volunteer with a local organization to serve the less fortunate
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