Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12)

Some time ago, I read a blog post by a man explaining why he had recently left his church to join another. One of his reasons was that he was not “connecting” well with the members of his old church, and he felt a bit isolated and lonely there. Someone responded with this comment - “You go to church to hear the gospel - not to have your social needs met.”

Now, I’ve got a heart for those who feel isolated and lonely at church - I’ve been there myself. And it’s always a bit crook when the sanctimonious condemn the miserable. But is the comment correct? Is church about hearing the gospel, and not much else? Are my social needs simply not relevant?

I’ve given this some thought. The gospel is central to church, clearly, but I believe it is wrong to put the gospel at odds with the social, communal aspect of church. The gospel is not opposed to community - rather, the gospel creates community. The word we translate church originally meant “assembly”. Church is a gathering of people around Christ, as proclaimed in the gospel. Church is a community.

Now, what is the nature of this gathering, this community? Do we come together to focus on the pulpit for half an hour, then go our separate ways having “done church” for the week? No! The church we see in the New Testament is a relational gathering, with all the members joined to one another. Paul even likens the church to a “body” - illustrating the diverse yet interconnected nature of our fellowships.

So, is church “about” getting my social needs met? I wouldn’t put it like that. But I would say that church should meet my social needs - it should meet them in a deep and profound way. If Christian brothers and sisters in our midst are feeling lonely and isolated and disconnected, it’s a tragic failure that hurts us all.