The Challenge of Church
Some say Christians are their own worst enemies. There never seems to be a shortage of church scandals and character failures. These offer people struggling with their faith, or those on the fence, the ammunition to argue against church.
Many people come online having either walked away or never having been to church. They have been hurt by others or have met too many “Christians” that have not made faith or church an attractive part of the spiritual journey.
It has also become culturally acceptable to create your own faith without true community. We often hear things like “I don’t need a church to grow closer to God” or “I prefer to just do church online”.
God did not design us to live alone. We are all created for community. We are stronger when we are living with others and not trying to live life outside the body of Christ. This is especially true for struggling or new believers.
We all need other believers around us to encourage, teach, pray and worship together. Church should reflect how Jesus loves us and be a place where we can connect with others, be taught according to scripture, and held accountable.
All that said, there are no perfect churches. We encourage seekers to look at a church’s beliefs posted on its web site and visit multiple times. Here are some of the questions we encourage them to answer when looking for a church:
Does this church hold a proper view of Scripture? When investigating a potential church home, pay particular attention to how it views the Bible. Does it hold to the inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures? Where do they stand on such crucial issues of the Christian faith as the virgin birth and deity of Jesus Christ; the depravity of mankind; the work of Christ on the cross; His death, burial, and bodily resurrection; salvation by grace through faith alone; the second coming of Christ; and the ordinances of baptism and Communion?
Is there an emphasis on Bible teaching? Does this church practice what it preaches and provide a place for meaningful growth, worship, community and accountability based on Scripture? Are there bible study groups or classes available in addition to worship? Does this church care about sharing the Gospel in the community and is it committed to evangelism?
Is this a church where I am encouraged to serve God’s people and use my gifts for its benefit? Is this a place where the people make up the church or where the church is expected to do everything for the people? Is volunteering and service mandated or expected of all members. How does the church welcome newcomers and explain their positions on these critical issues.
It is good to be honest with people’s fear and questions. Church does not save us. It is helpful to share how church is referenced in the Bible. The original Greek word for church is translated as gathering or assembly. The idea being that followers of Jesus would gather to live in fellowship with one another. They would be united by Jesus, study God’s word, love one another, encourage each other through difficult times, help each other grow closer to Jesus and live as a Christian family.
Another aspect to community is the concept of serving the “body of Christ.” The idea is that each follower of Jesus is part of the universal body and we each serve a different purpose that together makes us whole. We are called to care for one another and recognize that if one suffers, we are all hurting.
When church is seen for what it is meant to be, people are often more excited to find good examples of that in their community today. Encourage people that those type places do exist and to not give up if there first attempt at finding Christian community falls short.
