An article in the New York Times, states that going to church may “add as much as two to three years to your life.” It appears that this is one of several health benefits for attending church. Church attendance can boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, contribute toward better sleep, lessen the risk of depression/suicide, improve marriages, and result in longer life.

Personal Story

Going to church regularly has been a part of my life since childhood. I have experienced many benefits from attending services. Some of my favorite benefits are a wholesome mental outlook, a network of close relationships, and a strong marriage. These are a few of the health benefits I discovered in researching for this blog article.

Benefits of Church Attendance

Studies show that the following are some of many health benefits people who go to church regularly enjoy.

• Lower blood pressure in older adults appears to be a by product of a person regularly attending church, studying the Bible frequently, and praying often. This might be a benefit because burdens are given to God and shared with other believers.
• Studies have shown that church attendance boosts the immune system, perhaps by providing motivation to make better choices and have healthier living. Regular church attenders usually smoke less, have less promiscuous lifestyle, and less relationship stress.
• A study shows a connection between church attendance and better sleep. The authors of the study suggest that “religious involvement may be associated with healthier sleep outcomes by limiting mental, chemical, and physiological arousal associated with psychological distress, substance use, stress exposure, and allostatic load.”
• People who attend church once a week or more lessen their risk of depression/suicide. They have sounder support networks and less depression which bring a healthier outlook on life.
• Couples who regularly attend church together tend to have quality marriage relationships. When both spouses have a common outlook on their spiritual lives, they can share conversations and pray together. This results in a closer bond with each other.
• A study shows that women who regularly attend church more than once a week live 33% longer. Those who went to church once a week lived 25% longer. The 2016 study that reported this statistic was based on women, most of which were Christian. Church attendance could add two to three years to a person’s life.

The benefits of going to church are many. Social support is provided when people look out for each other. For example, a small group that attends the same church might take turns bringing meals to families who have sickness in the house or help with projects that need to be done. Thereby, the result of church attendance is better health.

Action

Going to church is a healthy activity.  Look for a church body to become acquainted with and plan to attend church this week so you can start experiencing the benefits.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. How has going to church benefitted your health?

Resources:

https://newyorktimes.com/2013/04/21/opinion/sunday/luhrmann-why-going-to-church-is-good-for-you.html

https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(18)30043-3/fulltext