What is the best thing a church can do in the community? Perry Noble, New Springs Church, asked this question during a recent podcast and it resonated with me.
When we think of reaching our community, we immediately think of tangible outreach. We think of going out to the community, working with ministries, schools, etc.
But, what if the community needs us to be a great place to worship and meet Jesus? The best thing we may be able to do for the community is to provide a great worship service that invites and involves people. This would really be an asset to the community – a growing church that is making an impact on people’s lives helping them to become better moms and dads, better neighbors, stronger believers, more faithful parents, and on and on!
The best thing the church may be able to give to the community is to be a great church! To provide great opportunities for worship and growth in faith. There isn’t any other organization in your area that is putting a priority on worshiping God and building a deep faith in people. The best gift we have to offer is Jesus who can change people’s lives as they encounter Him.
It’s not that other outreach ministries, volunteering in community events, helping people or picking up trash along the road is bad – in fact, it will be an outpouring from members of a strong, healthy church. But if it’s our first goal, we will become watered down, Sundays will be second priority and we will not be able to have the kind of impact we are called to have on the lives of people in our region.
The local church ought to excel in love, in worship, in community and in hospitality. It’s the best thing we can do those in our geographical area.
If every local church is truly the church in their area, wouldn’t the overall church grow? If you think about each local church as a franchise, it’s a mind boggling organization that has the power to accomplish amazing kingdom work!
Here’s the steakhouse theory that has always stuck with me: If you want to be the world’s greatest steakhouse, you start by being the best steakhouse in your community.
Do what your church does best, what only a church can do in your community. Offer Jesus Christ to people, offer great opportunities for people to worship on Sunday, and pray for transformed lives.
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A Word to Those Called to Ministry
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I love this article because it reminds us, “to keep the main thing the main thing.” As a directing pastor in an awesome community of people, my experience is that there is a great temptation for the church to be everything but the church. By that I mean we are lulled into thinking that it is the church’s task to become all things to all people when in fact that is the surest way to compromise the mission of the Church. Jesus did not call the church into being to serve as our personal social club that meets our personal affinities. The Church exists for one reason and one reason only to expand the family of Jesus one heart at a time so that the world may be transformed by Christ. My personal mission is to know and to make Christ known to others. In order to live into my mission I must be willing to position myself to be invited into the lives of others. This positioning of one’s self is personal evangelism that involves making space and time for another to encounter Christ through the love and grace that we offer to them; this becomes their GPS pointing them to Christ. Church folk tend to conceive of evangelism as having just the right words to say or the right mantra to offer when in fact, sometimes the most effective evangelism happens when we are quiet and attentive to what others are saying. The church is called to be the hands and feet of Jesus but first we are called to be the ears and heart of Jesus. Thank you for this awesome report.
Thanks for your thoughts!