What the church isn't

In the March issue of ec, we spent a lot of time talking about what the church is supposed to be. If you don't know what we're talking about, check out Amanda Jensen's "Here is the church" cover story on page 27. After you read that, you'll know what the church is supposed to be, but what about what it isn't?

Here are a few things church is NOT:
An event: something you do once a week and then go home. Believers are the church. It’s part of who you are 24/7.

A club: You’re probably part of a local church and some of your friends may also go there. It’s natural to have those relationships, but don’t let them become cliques. Let the Holy Spirit open your eyes to those you need to serve.

All about you: Or even necessarily all FOR you. It’s easy to think of church as only about you, meeting your needs and making you feel good. But that’s not biblical. Church is about worship (focusing on God and what He has done through Jesus) and reaching those who are lost.

A location: Scripture is clear that the church are those who are united as followers of Christ. Your church meets in your building. Your church is the people and your church goes out into the world and says something about Jesus by the way you live your lives. What is your life saying? What is the lives of those within your church saying?

About protection: The church isn't some place where believers can go to protect themselves from the big, bad world. Instead, the church is the place and the people who help you prepare and encourage you to minister to the big, bad world. Church isn't about cutting ourselves off from the world; it's about coming together to find a way to reach that world through Christ.

Scripture is clear that the church is the way God has chosen to further His kingdom and declare the gospel message until Jesus returns. Be the church and do the work God has called us to.

Top 10 list: Unity destroyers in the church

by Leslie Ann Jones

Every church has them. People and things that rip apart its fragile unity. Sadly, it doesn’t take much to splinter a church and turn an isolated incident or minor disagreement into an all-out family feud. Here are 10 of the most common destroyers of church unity.

10. The gossip.
Most famous for disguising rumors and gossip as prayer requests, the gossip loves a good story. She just wants you to know what’s going on in everyone else’s private lives so you can faithfully pray for them.

9. The know-it-all.
The know-it-all doesn’t care that the pastor went to seminary and holds an advanced degree in theology; he always knows the correct interpretation of a controversial passage, and he’s not afraid to share it—loudly.

8. The control freak.
Blessed with the spiritual gift of leadership (or so she thinks), the control freak believes she should be in charge of everything. It’s all for the sake of putting to use the gift God freely bestowed upon her, even if it means she has to stifle other people’s gifts in the process.

7. The color of the carpet.
When it’s time to trade out the dusty rose carpet for a more subtle shade, be prepared for a major rift between the “Khaki Kamp” and the “Camel Crew.” Who cares if khaki and camel reside just a few shades apart on the color wheel? Choosing the right color is one of the most important decisions the church will make. After all, we’ll be stuck with it for at least 30 more years.

6. The big screen.
Meet one of the most controversial fixtures making an appearance in traditional churches today. Everyone knows that the hymnal is second only to the Bible in holiness. Giving it up in favor of words on a screen is just plain ­sacrilegious, not to mention wasteful. Do you know how much those hymn books cost?

5. The dynasty.
Most churches have at least one dynasty, a ruling family that makes all the important decisions in the church by throwing around their collective weight. The real problem arises when a church has two dynasties at odds with one another. When that happens, take cover and look for an escape route: chaos is bound to ensue!

4. The stick-in-the-mud.
Famous for refusing to change, the stick-in-the-mud lives in the past, basking in the good old days. Convinced that anything new comes straight from the Devil, the stick-in-the-mud spends all his time resisting the newfangled ideas that the trendster (see next entry) throws at him.

3. The trendster.
In contrast to the stick-in-the-mud, the trendster lives for change and floats along on the wave of what’s popular right now. One day that might be the big screen, the next it may be the hymnal. Her favorite phrase? “Everyone’s doing it.”

2. The complainer.
Nothing can please the complainer. The carpet is the wrong color. The big screen is too big. The money is being wasted. The dynasty is too controlling. The stick-in-the-mud won’t change. The trendster changes too much. The gossip keeps spreading rumors, and the know-it-all doesn’t know anything at all.

1. The money.
The source of many problems, the money divides congregations simply by its presence . . . or absence. When the money makes an appearance, it’s sure to ruffle feathers over tithing or start budget wars. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

(Now, we've delivered our list of the top 10 unity destroyers with a healthy dose of sarcasm, but we hope our point is clear. We, the church, often get caught up in conflict over things that have absolutely no eternal value. The church exists so that we can invite others into a relationship with God. Our actions, ministries, decisions, and decision-making as the church should point others to Christ. Some decisions we face as a church are eternally significant and we should treat them as such; others aren't. But everything we do should bring glory to our God.)

Thoughts on the March issue

I love the church. I love God’s people. I love being part of a family, especially since most of my immediate family lives no less than four hours away. I love shared meals, hallway hugs, quiet conversations when someone knows you’re hurting, and being united in purpose and passion. I love knowing that I’m surrounded by people who know and love the same God who has saved me and aren’t afraid to sing His praises at the top of their lungs.

But when I was in high school, the local church I loved almost broke my heart. Things that shouldn’t have been said were. Gossip reigned. People I knew, loved, and respected said and did things I didn’t expect or respect. Agendas and plans became more important than people. And instead of displaying God’s love and hope to our community, we put on a pretty good display of sinfulness. Why would anyone want to be a Christian when we can’t even love each other?

That’s a question that resounds all around the world. How are believers supposed to be light in a dark world when we can’t even get along? There are things that happened in that time of disunity in that church that frankly still hurt when I think about them. It took me a long time to forgive and to realize that God could even use that situation to grow me up in Him, but it still doesn’t excuse the carelessness with which we all treated the bride of Christ, His church.

I contend that you cannot read the New Testament and come away believing that the church isn’t important to God. It’s what Jesus died for; it’s the way God has chosen to reach the world with His message of hope. I’ve heard it said that “you can’t love Jesus and hate His wife,” a reference to the church as the bride of Christ. There’s truth in that. If you love Jesus, you want to be with His people and work to see His mission fulfilled on earth. And you can’t do that alone.

That’s what this issue of ec is all about: the church. This world may say that church isn’t relevant, but we at ec don’t agree. Just read Amanda Jensen’s article on page 26. We also realize that the church isn’t perfect, because those of us who make it up aren’t perfect, either. Just check out Randy Fields’ story on page 45 for more about that. This issue of ec is full of articles, devotions, and even quotes designed to help you realize the kind of life God has called you to live and the people with whom He has called you to live out your faith—the church.

Remember this: Christians aren’t perfect, but Jesus is. Make Him your focus and see how it changes your church.