5 Church Resolutions for the New Year!

Ordering the new year by worship, fellowship, Word, table, and calendar

Merry Ninth Day of Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As we enter a new year together, I want to offer a pastoral word—less a set of self-improvement goals and more a call to faithfulness. These are not resolutions shaped by ambition, but practices formed by love for Christ and devotion to His Bride. I commend them to you as members of Christ’s local churches.

First, resolve to attend corporate worship every Lord’s Day, unless providentially hindered.
We live in a culture that prizes entertainment, travel, and personal hobbies on Sundays, but God’s command remains clear. The Lord’s Day is not given for convenience, but for communion. When worship becomes optional, we quietly teach our children that God may be set aside when something more appealing arises. The fruit of such compromise is never sweet. Faithful Lord’s Day worship orders our loves, anchors our lives, and forms us over time.

Second, resolve to be engaged in the life of fellowship.
This flows naturally from Lord’s Day worship, though it does not carry the same weight. Community is not discovered accidentally; it is cultivated intentionally. You cannot truly know the people of God if you are present only for an hour on Sunday morning. Wisdom is required. There are seasons when additional gatherings are good and right, and seasons when they are neither profitable nor necessary. Yet for a Christian body to grow in love and holiness, effort is required. Fellowship demands commitment, but it rewards us beyond measure.

Third, resolve to grow in the knowledge of God and His Word.
One of the great spiritual dangers of our age is not hostility, but apathy. Too many Christians are content with a thin knowledge of Scripture and a shallow grasp of God’s ways. Dear friend, indifference toward knowing God is no small thing. To lack desire for growth contradicts the lordship of Christ. Jesus claims not only your Sunday mornings, but your whole life—body and soul. Do not offer Him crumbs.

Fourth, resolve to practice hospitality.
Your home—whether large or small—is meant to be a garden, not a fortress. I encourage you to mark your calendar now and choose one day each month to welcome others into your home. A meal, dessert, coffee, or simple fellowship will do. Some families are especially gifted here and open their homes weekly; others will find twelve intentional invitations a year both manageable and fruitful. Begin there. Hospitality takes planning, but it multiplies joy. If you need help thinking through how to do this well, I would be glad to offer counsel.

Fifth, resolve to live by the Church Calendar.
Everyone lives by a calendar. The question is not whether you have one, but which one governs your life. The Church has her own calendar, shaped by the life of Christ. Depending on your local context, these practices may be corporate or primarily familial. Where possible, learn to order your year by Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and reign. Most Christians assume Christmas lasts only one day, but the Church gives us twelve days to feast. The same richness attends the other seasons of the Christian year, if we are willing to receive them.

In the end, the life of the Church is the only true life there is. Here Christ feeds us, forgives us, and forms us for glory. As you step into this new year, live faithfully within the household of God, and entrust your joys and sorrows to the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you in the year ahead.