Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was executed by the Nazis at the end of WWII, said this about the importance of Christian fellowship:
Therefore, the Christian needs Christians, who speak to him the word of God; he needs them again and again, when he becomes uncertain and fails, because from himself he cannot find help, without cheating himself of the truth. He needs the brother as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs the brother solely for the sake of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of the brother; the one is uncertain, the other is certain. Therefore, the goal of all Christian community is clear: to encounter each other as bringers of the message of salvation. Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Without a doubt, it is vital that we have this fellowship amongst us at church. We rob ourselves of something precious and necessary when we forgo these kinds of relationships. But even more important than having brothers (and sisters) to speak these words to us—we are called firstly to be the brothers and sisters who speak these words to others.
Rick Hall
Senior Pastor