TN124 What's the point of church?

First published on this website in June 2020 and last updated in May 2022

Synopsis

These notes aim to answer this key question, which needs to be the starting point for any decision-making, programme planning or administrative exercise.

The first section takes an overview of what Scripture says on the issue which leads into a listing of how churches too often centre their thinking on different ideas. This is followed by four developing answers as to what we as church members might be:

• Viewers – of a building
• Attenders – of services
• Members – of a body
• Disciples – of Jesus Christ.

The answers given by other writers lead into a three-fold suggestion for a way of answering our question. Any church should own:

• A God-ward development: growing in our relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• An ‘us-ward’ development: growing in our relationship with each other.
• An outward development: growing in our relationship with the world.

There are then six tests for any church’s ‘purpose statement’.

These notes have been updated in May 2022 with minor alterations to the text.