Social support is no doubt part of the story. At the evangelical churches, I’ve studied as an anthropologist, people really did seem to look out for one another. They showed up with dinner when friends were sick and sat to talk with them when they were unhappy. The help was sometimes surprisingly concrete. Perhaps a third of the church members belonged to small groups that met weekly to talk about the Bible and their lives.

One evening, a young woman in a group I joined began to cry. Her dentist had told her that she needed a $1,500 procedure, and she didn’t have the money. To my amazement, our small group — most of the students — simply covered the cost, by anonymous donation. A study conducted in North Carolina found that frequent churchgoers had larger social networks, with more contact with, more affection for, and more kinds of social support from those people than their unchurched counterparts. And we know that social support is directly tied to better health.

Healthy behavior is no doubt another part. Certainly, many churchgoers struggle with behaviors they would like to change, but on average, regular church attendees drink less, smokeless, use fewer recreational drugs and are less sexually promiscuous than others.

The Benefits

That tallies with my own observations. At a church I studied in Southern California, the standard conversion story seemed to tell of finding God and never taking methamphetamine again. (One woman told me that while cooking her dose, she set off an explosion in her father’s apartment and blew out his sliding glass doors. She said to me, “I knew that God was trying to tell me I was going the wrong way.”) In my next church, I remember sitting in a house group listening to a woman talks about an addiction she could not break. I assumed that she was talking about her own struggle with methamphetamine. It turned out that she thought she read too many novels.

I don’t know what it is exactly that makes getting out the door on Sunday feel so much harder. Maybe it’s because while our weekday routine is pretty set, our weekend schedule is far more relaxed. It’s our time to kick back and recuperate, without always having to DO something. Or maybe it’s that I want to look nice and make sure the girls are looking their best, which sometimes requires a little extra prep time–and effort that I don’t always feel like putting in. I’m guessing we’re not the only family that struggles to get to church sometimes.

For many families, scheduling and making time for the church in the middle of a jam-packed week can feel like a test in itself. Whether you go on Saturday evenings, Sunday mornings or even weekday afternoons, it can be hard to part with what we see as “free” time, especially when it conflicts with other things we really want to do.

But over the years, one thing I’ve realized is that when I get to a point where I feel like I just don’t have time for church, it is a pretty clear sign that I’m pushing myself too hard.  And that usually means that I need to reevaluate my schedule and regain some sanity because, at the end of the day, I’ve never once regretted taking the time to attend church. There’s just something about being there that calms me down, makes me feel connected and whole, and simply allows me to breathe again.

Conclusion

And it’s not just me, apparently. Research shows that people who regularly attend church report stronger social support networks and less depression. They smoke less and lead healthier and even longer lives. In a very real and physical way, Church is literally good for your health.

Which means that if you haven’t been in a while, this might be a great time to start going back, or to find a new church home that fits your personality and your family—one where you click with those around you, make great friends, and feel a strong and welcoming sense of community.