To church or not to church?

I go to church.
I haven't always gone to church.

When I was a child, my parents didn't go to church. I only got to go church with my best friend and her family, or my grandma taking me to all the VBS programs at all the different churches in town. I knew who Jesus was, I knew the stories but I didn't go to church regularly. I remember as a child, sitting in the hospital ( A Catholic Hospital none the less) and in the waiting room was bible story books. I loved to read them. I knew them. I prayed, not everyday, but often... at bedtime I spoke to Jesus, when I was given a choice, I always asked what should I do, and I got an answer.

When I was older, friends who challenged my belief would tell me it was my conscious, my common sense... nothing spiritual. While I couldn't disagree that I simply used good judgement often, I knew there was someone else watching over me.

I married a Catholic... who thought just because he was raised Catholic, he had to be Catholic. He didn't behave like a Catholic ( or so I observed) or even a "religious person" but he couldn't go to a Christian church because he was always told it was against God to change. We struggled with this for the first 15 years of our marriage. I didn't NEED to go to church, I didn't need to sit in the pews and listen to a sermon, but I enjoyed reading the bible, watching Christian movies, Christian music and living according to the Good Book and the commandments set before all man.
He on the other hand, did not seek to put the effort into living the same way. Not that he was ( or is) a bad person, he just was used to the way he had been living and as we all know, change is hard to do. He enjoyed drinking, sometimes a lot, going to bars, "partying" and such.  I had never been into a bar, never drank alcohol or had the desire to ever be drunk. It was my 30th birthday before I went to a club/bar!! While it was fun to hang out with my friends, have a few drinks and dance, it was not something I desired to do on a weekly or daily basis as most of them did.

Someone who went to church everyday of his life living at home with his parents, lived like this. I someone who rarely went to church, definitely not as "trained" as he was, lived like I thought the "perfect" Christian's lived. It was so odd to me, someone so 'trained' was so far away from God.

I hear at church that all Good Christians need church, Need to worship "corporately" as well as at home, live the life, walk like God would want you to and show the world this life isn't fake, its how you really are.

Well.... I really don't church is required to be a Good Christian. I think some people NEED to go to church, to keep them grounded and in the word of God. Some people NEED to be reminded of the word and the stories and the morals. I don't think everyone needs to be in church every week to be a good Christian. It takes more than showing up to be a good Christian. People can show up every week, for years, and leave the church and act like the total opposite of who they say they want to be.

I could NOT go to church for years and still believe and live in the footprints of God. I would still read my bible, I would still learn and witness, I would still believe and minister to those who need me. I don't think my husband could. He needs that weekly, bring me back. He needs to hear the in sites of others and points of view to the good book.

I think church is an awesome time to worship with other Christians and reflect on worldly problems, seek and get support from other Christians. Church is a great thing!
I don't think its required to be a good Christian, but I think it is something we should all do!!