The Purposes of Church

April 7, 2008

By John W. Kennedy

Recently I read an insightful and articulate book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Evangelical Christianity, by David Cobia, lead pastor of Bay Marin Community Church in San Rafael, Calif.

Cobia points out that evangelicals measure the marks of a healthy church by Acts 2:42-47. These include meeting together in the temple courts, devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, having everything in common, giving to anyone in need and evangelizing so that the number who found salvation in Jesus grew.

Those building block purposes of the Early Church, Cobia notes, today could be defined as:

* Corporate worship

* Spiritual growth

* Community

* Service

* Extending the faith

Congregations that are growing today are using innovative methods to accomplish these purposes for a modern audience. Worship, even singing a 19th-century hymn, might be accompanied by guitars, drums and a synthesizer. Teaching may make use of Scripture verses amplified on a projector. Small groups help people recover from substance abuse, divorce and abortion. Evangelism outreach could mean giving away groceries, haircuts and job information to those in the surrounding neighborhood.

Certainly we have made numerous technological advances compared to the church 2,000 years ago. We can drive to services in cars, hear sermons preached over a headset microphone and experience worship with electrified instruments. But the American lifestyle, particularly in an urban or suburban context, may be a hindrance to doing church. It’s difficult to get to know the fellow seated next to you in the pew if you work 60 hours a week and live 15 miles from the church.

Our busy schedule too often means that church isn’t about living in community. A once-a-week Sunday morning appearance is filled with superficial acquaintanceships.

At the other extreme, some churchgoers are so busy attending church committee meetings to plan events or programs that they don’t have time to be spiritual.

There also is a danger that we try to become too culturally relevant and thus stray from sound biblical foundations. Our weekly encounter with the Lord and those in His body shouldn’t be derailed by a desire to feed our own bodies with Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the lobby. Men’s groups shouldn’t forsake the Bible as their guide in favor of hunting and fishing outings. Cell groups shouldn’t avoid delving into Scripture because they are consumed with weekly hikes or gourmet cooking classes.

The bottom line is that Cobia has it right. While the methods may change, the basic core goals of a church should remain similar to what happened in Acts 2.

— John W. Kennedy is news editor of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel and blogs at Midlife Musings (jkennedy.agblogger.org).