SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.: CHOICE No. 6- Being committed to the local church.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. Hebrews 10.25

On the day before I leave Cardiff for 3 weeks touring with Third Day on the Revelation tour, it's a good time to look at my sixth 'good choice' in life. My whole life has been spent being involved in local church- from the one I was born into, the one I went to at university, the one I began my ministry life in and met Gill, the one we were members of for the first 10 years of our marriage, and now City Temple where we have been for the last 10 years.

It's easy to pick holes in local church, and even to fool yourself that you can live as a Christian without the fellowship of the local church. Yet once you start reading the Bible seriously you see that the local church is God's idea, it's the body of Christ on earth, and as Bill Hybels says 'it's the hope for the world today.'

I couldn't do what I do without being firmly earthed in a local church.I rejoice in the fact that when I travel to minister I'm being sent from City Temple, and that when I return I'm welcomed back to share stories of what God has been doing. There are countless times when I know I am being carried and supported by the faithful prayers of people in church, and that is an incredible comfort and privilege.

I don't really mind what expression of local church you go for- whether it's very traditional or extremely radical, but in order to fully function in the way God intended you must be involved in church.

One of the growing excitements about touring in this season with Third Day is that our concerts are often in big churches again, after a few years of only playing arenas. It's great to find out what God is doing in these local churches, and I'm making it a priority to talk to leaders and pastors, and to re-affirm their ministry in the local church.