The first of Thom Rainer’s nine traits of an outward focused Christian. The first trait was: I will move from an ‘I am’ to an ‘I will’ church member. The second trait is ‘I will worship with others.’ There should be a certain level of excitement when it comes to gathering with God’s people in cooperate worship. As Rainer points out, “We should not go to church to get our self-centered needs met. Instead we go to church to worship the one true God as we serve alongside other believers.” When we understand what going to church is all about we will then go from begrudging participation to joyous commitment. Some people say that they do not want to go to church out of obligation. The problem with that thought is that we are, according to scripture, obligated to go to church. There was a day when the church was the center of the community. All of the family’s activities revolved around involvement in church life. Sadly, this is not the case in many Christian homes today. It is difficult to find very many families today that are fully committed to the life and ministry of the local church. The reason for this is the shift in our culture to a ‘me first’ society. This attitude has found its way into the local church. Many churches today have become ‘preference driven’ rather than ‘outward focused.’ When you start looking for a church that will meet your needs and make you comfortable, you will never be satisfied. Church is not about you. It is not about what you can get out of it. Church is about being a part of a family and how you can contribute to that family in order that it may both mature and multiply. The church needs you and you need the church. When you are not at church both you and the church suffers. I would like to encourage you to examine your level of commitment. I challenge you to increase your level of commitment. In other words, if you are accustomed to only attending church on Sunday mornings then make a commitment to start coming to Sunday evening services as well. If you do come both Sunday morning and evening, then I challenge you to start coming on Wednesday evenings as well as to other gatherings of the church. Your presence goes a long way in helping the church to be all that it can be for the glory of God. Make it a priority in your life to worship with others.