What is Church?
Certain words can mean different things to different people. Church is one such word!
To many, church refers to a building or an activity that goes on within that building, usually on a Sunday. However, the church is far more than this. It is a community of those who have been reconciled to God and to one another, enjoying relationship with God Himself and the love they receive from Him being reflected in love for one another. The church is at its core a community of those who follow Christ.
However, the church is not just a community that enjoys relationship with God, it is a community of people created by God for a purpose. Throughout the Bible, whenever God calls people into relationship with Himself, it is not only to bless them, but also to make them a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3). The overarching story of the Bible shows how from the beginning God has been in the business of creating a people for Himself who would demonstrate His character to the nations by living and speaking Good News amongst them. The Church is therefore God’s means of carrying out God’s mission.
This understanding of what church is has lots of practical implications for how Cornerstone functions.
To many, church refers to a building or an activity that goes on within that building, usually on a Sunday. However, the church is far more than this. It is a community of those who have been reconciled to God and to one another, enjoying relationship with God Himself and the love they receive from Him being reflected in love for one another. The church is at its core a community of those who follow Christ.
However, the church is not just a community that enjoys relationship with God, it is a community of people created by God for a purpose. Throughout the Bible, whenever God calls people into relationship with Himself, it is not only to bless them, but also to make them a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-3). The overarching story of the Bible shows how from the beginning God has been in the business of creating a people for Himself who would demonstrate His character to the nations by living and speaking Good News amongst them. The Church is therefore God’s means of carrying out God’s mission.
This understanding of what church is has lots of practical implications for how Cornerstone functions.