Here are three things every church should be about:
Pursue People – Don’t ever forget the Gospel message is one of pursuit – God is after us, going to great lengths to restore a relationship. Jesus pursued individuals like Zacchaeus who was seeking him, awkwardly. He sought out the woman who touched his robe – even though his closest associates scoffed that he would never find her in a crowd like this because “so many people have touched you”. Jesus pursues us and the church, the body of Christ, isn’t authentically living like Jesus unless they are, as a whole, pursuing people. Invite people. Love them in.
Exceed Expectation – The church is more than an organization, it’s a living, life giving force that has the power to transform lives. Christians don’t just add church to the list of their lives – the church is who is we are! Each one of us, in our giftedness, adds to the power of the church topping the meter of expectation. As people receive hospitality, help, encouraging words, opportunities, we can exceed their expectations. No matter the style, setting, or situation of your church, you can begin to have a culture of doing the very best with what and who you have been given. There are resources in your congregation – people, money and gifts – that can help the church move forward. Part of exceeding expectations means you need to clearly know what you expect. What is your vision and your markers for excellence? The scripture often turns things backwards – if we want to excel in leading, we serve. If we want to become great, we humble ourselves. When these attitudes invade our congregations, unchurched people in our communities will be blown away with love and power of Jesus Christ.
Offer Christ – We offer Christ to people. When Peter and John were stopped by the beggar, they didn’t have any money, but they offered healing in the name of Jesus. I don’t have much to give, but I give you Jesus. We are the body of Christ and we point to the head of the church – Jesus. We can serve people in many ways – through helping the poor, providing ministry to children, teaching adults, reaching out to the community, providing a place to stay, preaching, creating music and art in the community, and the list goes – literally – on and on. But the foundation of any Christian ministry needs to be to offer Christ to the world.
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