What the Chruch is Not

Some may assume or rationally think that the church is a building to be filled with Bible Studies, churchy music, hi tech sound and lighting shows, movie clips, entertaining skits, hymnals, pews, paid workers to do all the work, pastors who do all the studying then present the cliff notes of it both verbal and in the program also would be nice (keep it to 20 min or less please) of what the bible says and do all the evangelizing of course, programs to meet their needs (financial, marriage, how to get rich, how to get God to do what you want Him to do, est.), something to keep the kids busy for an hour or two, a program to teach the kids all bout the God stuff so the parents do not half to, prayer groups to do all the praying, oh lest not for get about the free Starbucks and donuts in the foyer, etc., est. And service to God is reduced to changing diapers once a month, handing out the programs at the door or directing traffic in the parking lot and working the book store of course where you can pay to get copies of the sermons and the pastors book that you paid him to do.

But church is Not for more studies to debate personal theology and continually add to the list of don'ts. Not for only prayer about my health and personal needs or a new $500,000 sound system to bring in more people. Not for couples to choose to only live in isolation from the world and surround themselves with only believers. People who say church is Sunday and Wednesday night only and has nothing to do with the rest of the week. Church is the building I invite people to come to, to be entertained by our professional entertainers and get plugged into one of our programs for the paid professionals to deal with them. Not for people who think that being a conservative Republican in their views is being a light, being a Christian or how God is working in America.

Basically dismissing the idea that each person who knows Christ is to function as the church in their everyday life 24/7, and the church exist is to carry out the " Missio Dei ", to join in, be part of the Missio Dei, the Mission of God.

The church is a gathering of sent people who are individually living as the church by being a Gospel centered people who are on Missio Dei, living missionaly 24/7. Who come together to corporately be the church as a whole on Missio Dei, God’s mission. To celebrate and worship God and their part in His mission. And each person is excursing their spiritual gifts and calling to the body so there is no need for paid professionals. To live in community with each other 24/7, and love, build up and support one another. And they are a people in motion, that is going out into the world to take the gospel to the world, being sent out into the world as Christ was sent, so we are being sent to be agents of reconciliation and transformation to the world, joining in with God on His Mission to redeem the world, in our neighborhoods, work, schools, grocery store, Wal Mart, the city as well as other countries. We do not invite people to go to church, we are the church and are about taking it to the people, we are on Missio Dei.