Do I have to go to church?
Church attendance does not save anyone. But the New Testament knows nothing of a Christian life lived entirely alone.
You are saved by Christ, not by attendance
Nothing in Scripture makes a building or a service the condition of forgiveness. Walking into a church no more makes you a Christian than walking into a garage makes you a car.
Why gather at all
Faith grows the way a coal stays hot: together. You need people who will pray with you, correct you kindly, and notice when you go quiet.
If church has hurt you
That grief is real and God takes it seriously. Take your time, and when you are ready look for a church that loves Scripture, tells the truth, and treats people gently.
What the Bible says
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another.”Hebrews 10:24-25 (KJV)
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”Matthew 18:20 (KJV)
Start with one honest conversation. Community can grow from there.