COMMUNITY & THE CHURCH

TODAY it is not uncommon to hear people say that people like the idea of Jesus, and redemption, and forgiveness, but are skeptical of the church. Many of these same people would describe themselves as "spiritual" but not "religious". Commonly they are spiritually searching and have either had bad experiences with the church, or have had no exposure to the genuine church whatsoever. When asked the question, "What is the church?" Their response is that the church is nothing more than a building, a religious institution, where a few people gather on a regular basis to hear religious teaching and give money. Not only do they not see a purpose for the existing churches in their city, they are deeply confused as to why someone would want to start a new one from scratch. The church is considered to be an outdated institution because it has become irrelevant to the culture as a whole.

OFTEN THE KEYto understanding comes from learning to ask the right questions. If you ask those same people the question "what is community?" they will eagerly tell you that community is people helping people. They will tell you that community is important to society. That a healthy community is a place where you feel welcome and comforted. It's dependable, and encouraging. It's about growth and cooperation, and creating a better place to live. They will tell you that people within a community should value one another, and that a community is more than the sum of its parts. Interestingly this description of community matches the description of the church given throughout much of scripture.