The Point of Church

What is the Church supposed to do? What is the mission of the Church? What are the tasks God has given her to accomplish? Why do churches exist? What is the point of going to church?

Have you ever asked those questions? Lots of Christians don't have a compelling reason to go to church or a clear understanding of what the church's mission is. Many people go to church simply because that's what they've always done. For ministers, the Sunday-to-Sunday grind has a way of making us forget why the Church exists and what she is supposed to do.

Do you go to church? If so, do you know why your church exists? Do you have a clear sense of what your church does and why it's so important? Do you see how you are a part of your church's mission, and do you participate in achieving that mission?

Jesus gave the church a mission after his resurrection. It's recorded in several places in the Gospels, but perhaps Matthew records it best: Go and make disciples of all nations... The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus. So how's your church doing with that? Is that the mission of your church? Is that what you're becoming? Is that what you're participating in?

The point of church is to make you a disciple of Jesus. Everything about church should be centered around Jesus. If he's not at the center, it's not a church, it's a pagan temple. Everything the church does should be with the aim of making disciples, that is, preaching the gospel to those who haven't heard it (evangelism), and helping those who have heard the gospel live it well (edification).

I'd love to hear how your church is doing. What are some creative ways that your church is making disciples? How have you been invited to participate in that process? What could your church do to more effectively evangelize nonChristians and edify Christians? Please leave a comment!