Something I heard alot about at YC was the purpose of the church. What do you think is the purpose of the church? What is the church? This is what I learned last weekend.
The church is not the building that we gather in every Sunday, but the body, the people. If the building burnt to the ground, we would still be a church.
The church exists to equip it's members to go out and benefit the world! I think that far too often we think that the church exists solely to benefit it's members. We have lots of church potlucks, church picnics, church bible studies and care groups, etc. We spend a lot of time building relationships within the church, and little time building relationships outside of the church.
That being said, if what your church is doing is not working, it needs to be changed. If your church is not growing, there is a problem. And growth does not include having children or believers that move into your area. It means that you are getting out there and sharing the love of Jesus, and new people are coming to Christ. If what you have been doing for the last 52 Sundays have not worked, what makes you think doing the exact same thing next Sunday will?
Question everything. Why do we do the things we do each and every Sunday? If you don't like something in your church, if you do not think it is working, do not just leave the church and go to a new one. Change it! I can really relate to that. Sometimes it just seems easier to leave, or stop going. But I don't think that is the right thing to do.
The weekend really challenged me!
2 comments:
Sounds like a great message. Part of the church's job though is to train disciples, so that they are able to go out and reach others. So think of Sunday morning as your boot camp. Think of Bible Study as a way to learn more about God, so you can share it when you meet someone who doesn't know. I agree though, that much of what the church does is to feed itself.
Yeah, i think the saying, "be the change you want to see in others" really applies here. It is easy to complain about things in the church (not that you are, i know) but to actually start something yourself (or myself or anyone's self) is the key. What is also exciting is going to events like YC to give us ideas of how we can be that change, and knowing that God gives us what we need to be that change.
That is my prayer,
Eric
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