Church attendance is on the decline in America and the rest of the western world for a variety of reasons. Largely this is due to the rise of the religion of secularism where Elohim and the Bible are being squeezed out of modern man’s life in favor of the religion of self-worship. Me, myself and I are my god! The religion of secular humanism and self worship promises much self-fulfillment, but in the end, leaves one morally, spiritually, emotionally and psychologically directionless, empty and hopeless. The problem is that most humans are too ego-centric, selfish and prideful to admit that they need Elohim. Their hearts are hard, rebellious and prideful. Such an approach may look good on paper, but when you read the fine print, it results in despair and  emptiness. 

The Creator designed humans to need him, to have a relationship with him and this is largely done through spiritual community. Here are 41 reasons why everyone needs to be part of Bible-obedient, and Elohim fearing/loving church congregation.

1. In the Torah, YHVH commanded the Israelites to assemble weekly on the Sabbath (Heb. Shabbat) and at the seven annual feasts, which are set-apart convocations (Heb. miqrai kodesh) and appointed times (Heb. moedim, Lev 23:2). This same command applies to all Bible believers down through the ages because YHVH’s words and commandments don’t change.
2. Consider this: How can one properly obey the Torah without assembling weekly on Shabbat and the biblical feasts? To not be part of a congregation (a community of redeemed Israelite believers in Yeshua) and to assemble on YHVH regular appointed times is to disobey the very heart and core of the Torah!
3. Keeping Torah is a community affair. Those who are independent and act like modern-day Robinson Curosoes and Lone Rangers are not fulfilling the requirements of the Torah. Torah was for the nation of Israel, and Israel was meant to be a united community, not a bunch of scattered, selfish, and narcissistic individuals each looking out for himself and doing what was right in his own eyes irrespective of other members of the community.
4. The Testimony of Yeshua (the New Testament) record show us that the first century kahal (church) was a community. The apostles expected that redeemed believers would be attending a congregation each Shabbat (Acts 15:21).
5. The kahal is like a human body; in fact, it’s the spiritual body of Yeshua (Rom 12:4–5; 1 Cor 12:12–30). All the parts cannot function properly unless they come together. Shabbat and the feasts are YHVH’s appointed times when this occurs.
6. In Acts 2:42, we find listed the main purposes of the spiritual community of the redeemed. The local congregation is…
7. a place to be taught the apostles doctrine (i.e., biblical truth or the Word of Elohim).
8. a place to be encouraged to remain steadfast in the apostles doctrine (i.e., biblical truth of the Word of Elohim).
9. a place of fellowship
10. a place to break bread (i.e., the spiritual bread of Elohim’s Word and the physical bread of shared community meals).
11. a place to pray collectively, to engage in synergistic prayer (i.e., there many examples of community prayer are found in the Scriptures (e.g. John 17:1–26; Acts 1:14; 4:23ff). Yeshua talked about the prayer of agreement where two or pray agree as touching any matter, and it shall be done, Matt 18:19–20). This was in a  congregational context.
12. YHVH started his kahal at Mount Sinai (Act 7:38). The community of redeemed Israelite believers is a continuation of that community of Israelites that began at Mount Sinai when YHVH gave the Torah to his people. When the modern saints, as redeemed or one-new-man (Eph 2:11–19) and grafted-in Israelites (Rom 11:25), the Israel of Elohim (Gal 6:16) and children of Abraham (Gal 3:7, 9, 14, 28–29) gather together each week, they are celebrating their eternal and spiritual heritage.
13. The Testimony of Yeshua (the NT) uses the Greek word ecclessia in reference to the kahal of Yeshua. The word ecclesia refers “to a group of individuals called out from the world that is organized and meets regularly.” This is the meaning of the Greek word.
14. The local kahal is a place to learn the fear of Elohim (Acts 5:11).
15. The local kahal is a place to corporately praise YHVH (Heb 2:12 qv. Ps 22:22, 25). YHVH inhabits the praise of his people (Ps 22:3).
16. The local kahal is a place to learn to walk in love and in the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit cannot be walked out fully except in community where people learn to work out their differences, and to cooperate with each other in a selfless way. It is a place where iron sharpens iron, where people learn to turn the other cheek when offended, and to love others unconditionally.
17. The local kahal is a place to grow and to excel in spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:12). Within the local kahal, the gifts of the Set-Apart (Holy) Spirit should be at work to edify, exhort and comfort the believers (1 Cor 14:3). Such a rich spiritual infrastructure can only function as believers come together regularly in the corporate setting.
18. The local congregation is a place to share testimonies of answered prayers, blessings, spiritual breakthroughs people have received and other wonderful things YHVH has done (Acts 14:27). This builds up or edifies everyone and brings glory to YHVH. Through public testimonies the evil one is overcome (Rev 12:11) and all are encouraged and spurred onward and upward spiritually.
19. The local kahal is the pillar and ground for truth (1 Tim 3:15). The truth of YHVH is taught and defended within the local congregation, and there YHVH’s sheep are protected from grievous wolves who, if the sheep were outside the group, would be picked off one at a time by the enemies of YHVH Yeshua.
20. The local kahal is a place of spiritual accountability (1 Pet 5:5). There is accountability for a person’s actions and words within the context of a community where people get to know each other intimately. When the saints, in love and respect, hold each other accountable for their actions that are contrary to the Word of Elohim, this helps everyone to overcome sin and to mature spiritually.
21. The local kahal is a place to provoke (Gk. to incite or sharpen) one another unto love and good works (Heb 10:24).
22. In the local kahal, people learn to die to self by sublimating personal agendas and needs to the greater needs of the community. Those who are stronger spiritually learn to hold up, build up and encourage those who are weaker (Rom 14:1). This brings everyone to a higher level of spiritual maturity.
23. The local kahal is a place where people learn to serve one another (Acts 16:1) as they follow the example and admonition of Yeshua (Matt 23:11).
24. The local kahal is a place to help the needy and to support the ministry (Phil 4:15).
25. The local kahal is a place to receive prayer for healing (Jas 5:14).
26. YHVH’s desire to add to the local kahal of believers (Acts 2:47).
27. The local kahal is a place where like-minded believers come to support each other in times of persecution, to corporately pray or intercede for each other, and to  corporately discern the will of YHVH with regard to what their response should be toward that persecution (Acts 8:3; 12:1, 5).
28. There is moral support in community. People can help each other when they’re down, and rejoice when their up (Rom 12:15; 1 Cor 12:26).
29. A local spiritual community offers a multitude of counselors. There is wisdom and safety in a multitude of counselors (Prov 11:14).
30. The local kahal is a place where people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds can learn to love each other unconditionally as equals before YHVH Yeshua.
31. The local kahal  provides a venue and platform for those with itinerate ministries to be able to present.
32. The local kahal provides a place for people to meet and marry.
33. The local kahal can help support and strengthen weak marriages.
34. The local kahal provides a place for the spiritual instruction of children.
35. The local congregation has pastors, shepherds and elders who can marry and bury people, provide counsel, visit the sick, and care for other needs of the flock.
36. Yeshua taught that the local kahal  is a place of arbitration for people to work out and to resolve their differences — to learn to get along and to live in peace (Matt 18:17; 1 Cor 6:1–4).
37. Elders, servants, and leaders are raised up in the local kahal (1 Tim 3:1ff).The “five-fold” ministry is able to function within the local body of believers (Eph 4:11; Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 12:28).
38. The local kahal is a place where ministries are birthed and launched and from which the kingdom of Elohim can be expanded and the gospel message spread (Acts 11:22). Spiritual synergism occurs when like-minded spiritually oriented people share their wisdom, knowledge, gifts, efforts and resources in helping to advance the kingdom of Elohim. Those who are detached from the local kahal can’t accomplish as much as a group that pools its resources, support, experience and wisdom.
39. As Yeshua is the head over his kahal, so the husband is the head over his wife and family. There is a dynamic inter-relationship between Yeshua and his kahal, and husbands and their families. Paul calls this relationship “a mystery” (Eph 5:32). When Paul uses the word mystery, he is referring to “something that is hidden or is a secret that is confided only to the initiated, and not to the general public.” As one becomes a regular and an active participant in a local congregation, the mystery of how marriage and the family is a spiritual shadow-type of the relationship between Yeshua and his kahal will become apparent. The inter-relationship between marriage, family and the spiritual body of Yeshua—the local congregation—is so important that Paul clearly teaches that a man could not be an elder in the local kahal unless he has been married and has his family in order spiritually. (Eph 5:21–33; see also 1 Tim 3:5 and Col 1:18). Only a man who is married and has raised his children is qualified to be a leader in the local kahal. We may infer from Paul’s statements that only such a man could fully understand this deep mystery, and hence teach it to others.
40. The local kahal is a place for Gentiles (i.e., those who are without God and without hope, Eph 2:12) to be grafted into the spiritual olive tree of Israel (Rom 11:13–24), and for the lost sheep of Israel to regather and be reunited as prophesied (Ezek 37:15–28).
41. The local spiritual community is a place where end-times prophecy of Malachi 4:4–6 can be fulfilled. It is there that the hearts of the children will be turned back to the spiritual fathers of our Hebraic faith, and people will learn the ways of the Torah before the great and dreadful day of YHVH occurs just before the return of Yeshua (Mal 4:4–6).