What is Church Really About Anyway?

The title of this blog poses a question that I have been wrestling with for several months now.  There was a time not so long ago when I thought I knew the answer but more recently I have had to rethink everything. I have been taught for years that everything rises or falls on leadership and though there is truth in that statement it does not reflect the whole truth.
Here’s the rest of the story. If you’re a layperson whether the congregation thrives or dies is ultimately up to you and the other members of your church family. Your pastors can teach, preach, coach, lead and inspire but the ultimate outcome will be a result of how the congregation relates to God, to one another and to their community.

A congregation that is truly being the church brings people into a loving, life-giving relationship with God and others that is transformational. When people are experiencing a community of faith like this they want to share the benefits with the people they care most about in their web of relationships. Those receiving invitations accept because they believe they’ll receive something of worth based on the experiences of those whose lives they have seen transformed. This is what the church is really about – lives transformed by the power of Christ.

Congregational renewal is a renewal of the people’s understanding of their relationship with God, with each other and their relationship with their community. The end result is a congregation that is a life-giving resource in the lives of both those that already attend and those that soon will come at their invitation.