If a Christian lives in a place where there is no church to attend, what should he or she do?

from the old testament

• In times of exile or dispersion, God’s people were encouraged to read, teach, and remember His Word (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Nehemiah 8:1-8). Even when formal assemblies are limited, studying Scripture and sharing it with others is vital.

from the new testament

• A home church can seek to follow the simple habits found in Acts 2:42-47. Even if there is no established traditional church, we can look to connect with Christians in our local area to find a home church or even start one. As long as the home church we are attending follows biblical instructions on leadership, worship, discipleship, etc. it is just as much as a biblical church as a larger church in a more traditional setting.
• In this day and age, we can more easily find other believers. Even if face-to-face options do not exist, we can still build up our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11) virtually through praying for them (1 Timothy 2:1), stirring them up “to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24), and keeping each other accountable (James 5:16).
• Philippians 4:6-7 says: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We should pursue prayer, individually and collectively, continually and can do this without a church building or physical gathering.
• 2 Timothy 2:15 says: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Although we may not have easy access to churches like others do, we can access the Bible and delve into the meaning of it on our own. We can use interpretation tools such as Hebrew and Greek lexicons to help us properly interpret passages. We can study God’s Word and share what we learned with others.

implications for today

The Bible teaches the importance of regularly meeting together with other believers to grow (Hebrews 10:25), but what if you live in an area where there is no church to attend? In China and many other nations, restrictions exist that limit or prohibit official church gatherings. What can believers do in these situations?

First, a Christian can continue to grow personally. Personal prayer, the study of God's Word, and obeying God's teachings in everyday life are important to spiritual health.

Second, seek alternative and creative options such as online church groups, television, or radio ministries by which to connect and grow spiritually. Many organizations have developed to assist those in unchurched areas to grow and connect with other believers.

Third, pray for a few Christian friends you can meet with in a home group or other location to grow together. Church does not require a special building but can include home church gatherings or secret church meetings in a variety of locations. You can begin even with one other Christian who will regularly meet with you to read the Bible, pray together, or sing songs of worship to God.

Fourth, in some areas you may be able to have worship gatherings on special occasions instead of every week. For example, in some areas a Bible teacher is only able to visit once a month to gather with believers in a restricted area. Meeting together at these times is better than not meeting at all. In fact, the New Testament showed that churches often gathered for special meetings when a traveling minister visited the area.

A regular church family is ideal, but in some situations, God may have another way designed for you to grow spiritually with other believers. Do not be discouraged. Instead, seek how God can connect you with other Christians to worship God, grow spiritually, and share Him with others.