You like to stay out late on a Saturday night, why would you take the time and go to church? Church is so old fashioned anyway, right? We know there a dozen excuses for not going to church, but here at the Avenue we see tremendous value in having you not just "go to church" but become part of our family. So here are several arguments we've heard and reasons why you should still go.

• "I Need to Get My Life Straightened Out First..."
  If everyone thought they had to straighten their lives out before going to church, there would be a lot of empty buildings. Society has painted the picture that only the “Ned Flanders” of the world are welcome in church. That's not the case here at The Avenue. We are all in the same boat - we're sinners. It was the sin of every individual that put Jesus on the cross. We've all received grace and are now living transformed lives because of Him. Most of our stories of life change come through our involvement within the church. It took getting out of bed, going to church, meeting people, learning about Jesus and establishing a relationship with Him for us to change our lives. When we went to church as our authentic selves, we left completely changed.

• "I Don't Know Where To Go..."
  It's hard to find a church that "fits" you, and to not get overwhelmed by the number of churches. Our community's churches are here to provide places for people to come and worship God. Churches have different music styles, teaching, and creative elements, but all Christian churches should be here teach about Jesus. Ask your friends where they go to church if you're looking for a new place. You'll find that your relationships will get stronger when you go to church with people you know. In addition, you might see that if the church fits your friends, it will also fit you.

• "I'm Burned Out..."
  If you've been burned by the church; you're not alone. We've met many Christians who have either been overworked by the church, or so deeply hurt, that the thought of flushing their heads down a toilet is more appealing than going to church again. If you're in this boat, we're sorry that happened to you, but here is some food for thought. A great verse in Hebrews says that we should not give up meeting with one another, and to keep at it so we grow in love and good deeds. Becoming a Christian is the easy part, but growing as a Christian is a whole different story. It's hard to grow when you're unplugged from the source. You don't only grow when you hear teaching and worship through music, but you also grow by learning from other people. We encourage you to give church another try if you've been burned and stopped going all together. There is a season for everything, and this may be your season for a fresh start and a new place to worship.

• "I Wanna Sleep In..."
  Doesn’t everyone! However, the benefits that come from connecting with other people and serving others soon outweigh the reasons to stay between those cozy sheets. "Going to church" isn't just about going to church. It's about being a part of a family, joining a community and impacting those around you.

• "I'm A Good Person..."
  There are a lot of good people walking around these days - especially with so many of us recycling and using the curly light bulbs. Society is telling us that if we pick up trash, tip well or wave to our neighbors as we drive by, we are good people. The Bible is clear that it's not good deeds that will get us into heaven; it's our faith in Jesus. There is still a responsibility for Christians to be good citizens; however, instead of it being all about how good we are, we do good things to show how awesome Jesus is. We pick up trash and take cookies to neighbors not to make ourselves look good, but to show Christ to the community around us.