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"I don't go to church that much; InterVarsity is enough for me." To various degrees, similar comments can be heard in our campus fellowships across the country. Although we are committed as a movement to encouraging lifelong involvement in the local church, how well are we doing it? Just what is the "church" and what should be our place in it? Do we understand and appreciate the local church? Are we fully obeying the Lord's command of "not neglecting to meet together" with other believers (Heb. 10:25)?

Two Kinds of Churches?
There are two senses in which we can think of the church. First, there is the universal church. It includes all those who repent and believe in the Lord. It is the body of Christ, visible as well as invisible --

• throughout time, including the Old Testament people of God (see the metaphor of the one olive tree in Rom. 11:17-24; see also 1 Pet. 2:9-10);

• throughout the world, since the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile has been torn down (see Eph. 2:11-22); and

• throughout all churches and denominations, since the words "church" and "body" are used in the singular to refer to the whole people of God (see Mt. 16:18 and Eph. 1:17-23.)

An InterVarsity chapter is an expression of "the church" by being a visible expression of the universal church, but it is not "a church" in the sense of being a particular church. This is why groups like InterVarsity^® are called "parachurch" organizations--meaning alongside the church--to distinguish them from particular churches. As a campus movement, InterVarsity wants to promote good, lifelong church habits. This means learning to serve in both "churches," the universal and the particular. Although the degree to which students participate in one or the other may vary, both should be pursued together. How can you as a leader help promote better student involvement in a particular, local church while in college?

Why This Bod's For You
Many excellent reasons to get involved in a church are given in the accompanying main article (Finding a Church); here we offer some other reasons for thoughtful church participation along with Scripture references for further study. By becoming familiar with these points and their biblical underpinnings, you will be better able to articulate your commitment to church involvement as you lead others.

1. We are to be under the care and discipline of church leaders. Obedience to those appointed to lead the church is not optional; it's God's command and it's for our benefit if these leaders shepherd in the good way they are called to do so (Heb. 13:17, 1 Pet. 5:1-5). Yes, our chapters have leaders too, but they hold humanly defined offices and don't have the same authority God has given to pastors, elders and deacons. These biblical offices have high qualifications and great responsibility, and the people placed into them usually have more experience, knowledge and wisdom (see 1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9).

2. There are privileges of membership and the celebration of the sacraments in the local church. These same leaders have not only the authority to discipline church members (or even to expel them from the church), they also have the responsibility of discerning qualifications for membership into a local church, baptizing and overseeing communion. Again, these privileges and sacraments are not optional; they are commanded of all believers (see Acts 2:38-39; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

3. You can hear the authoritative preaching of God's Word by those gifted, trained and approved for such teaching. This will provide greater depth to your learning and growth in your understanding (Titus 1:9).

4. We are commanded by our Lord to keep the Sabbath. For Israel, this meant not only ceasing from work, but setting aside time to assemble with God's people for worship. It was a time to praise and pray to our Creator and Savior and to remember him as a group (Ex. 20:8-10; Deut. 5:12). God promises that as we obey him, we will find our joy in him-- we will ride the heights and feast on our inheritance in Christ (Isaiah. 58:13-14).

5. We can be blessed and be a blessing to those of different ages: infants, younger or older brothers and sisters in the Lord; spiritual fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers (Mark.10:29-30).

6. There are many opportunities for service in the local church: Sunday school teaching, baby-sitting, music ministry, youth work, visiting shut-ins, and more. Involvement in these as well as attendance at such things as congregational meetings and missionary conferences can help you learn how to be a responsible local church member and help you develop and test your gifts for future service.

   See also Helping Students Get to Church.