What is church?


What is Church?

Most of the problems regarding how to “do church” and what goes on “in church” could nearly be solved by simply answering the question “What is church?”

What is Church?

It seems that most of us believe that church is something we do on Sunday morning. It is where we meet God, and therefore, we have to dress up to “go to church,” and act a different way “at church.” Though there are new types of buildings that hold “churches” they are typically built with red bricks, stained glass, and a white steeple. It is “at church” that we sing songs about God, read the Bible, and listen to a pastor teach. Church is where we get spiritual instruction. Church is where we go when we need a spiritual “pick-me-up.” Church is an American tradition.

But is that what “church” is? No. Absolutely not!

What is Church?

Biblically, the church is made up of all who have believed in Jesus for eternal life worldwide and througout time. That is the church. 

Therefore, church is not something you can attend. It is not a place you can go. ”Church” just is, and you are either a part of the church or you are not.

When this truth is grasped, it revolutionizes the way we go about being the church. We realize that since we can’t go to church, what is this “thing” we are doing on Sunday morning? If that’s not church, what is? If we can’t “go to church,” what are we supposed to do about church? How are we supposed to “do church”?

Weigh in below and join us tomorrow as we begin to look for some answers.


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Trackbacks/Pingbacks:

  1. TILL HE COMES Blog » Purpose, Mission, Values, Vision, Strategy - March 24, 2008

    [...] be doing, and how they are supposed to do whatever it is they are supposed to be doing. As I have argued elsewhere, some of this confusion is due to a poor definition of [...]

  2. Who is the Church Service For? (Part 3) - March 30, 2011

    [...] suggested that the solution to this dilemma is to ask different questions. First, What is church? and second, What is the church service? With basic answers to these questions, we can now see that [...]

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