What the Church Does

A unified body of Christ will be an unshakeable representation of God's love to and truth for the world. We can find these words in 1st Corinthians 12:
(24b) God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

So, from this passage, we can see that the body has been "composed" by God - the Church has been ordained by Him.  And, we are called to walk in unity with one another; certainly we will not always think or act the same, but we are bound together by the guiding principles we see in God's Word and are focused on the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Collectively, we worship and honor Him by loving as He loved and speaking as He directs.

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The Bible lays out for us the role and responsibilities of the Church. We are the body of Christ, called to represent Him, to shine His light. 1st Timothy 3 states:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

In light of a major gathering that took place earlier this week in New Orleans, one might question the role of the church.  We recognize that the local church is an expression of the entirety of the body of Christ, the big-C Church, if you will.  Each of us, in our own communities, should be an expression of the presence of Christ.  Our church attendance provides the opportunity to connect, to learn, to grow, and to be equipped for service.  Some churches are denominational, others are not; some denominations are governed top-down, others bottom-up.  But, the ultimate allegiance we have is to the head of the body, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Church is described as His bride.

The Barna Group has published some survey data recently that examines the perception of the Church.  The summary on its website says:

There are some stark differences between what pastors and their communities around them think a church should focus on. In general, pastors see many ways the Church could show up, but think the local church should mostly be focused on evangelism and discipleship—telling people about Jesus and helping them grow in the faith. Eighty-four percent of pastors say the local church’s role in community is to “tell others about Jesus,” and 75 percent say it should “help Christians grow.”

Non-Christians, on the other hand, think local churches should focus outward, providing practical help for people in their community. Non-Christians’ top choices for the role of churches in their community are to provide hands-on help (39%) and practical assistance (38%). Crucially, however, 26 percent of non-Christians selected “none of the above”—a reminder that the church’s role is sometimes perceived to stop at the church’s door.

The organization surveyed Protestant pastors last year, and did a broader study of the view of the church in the community in 2020. In that study, according to the summary: "62% of Christians select 'help Christians grow' and 58% say 'tell others about Jesus.'" 51% say that "churches should provide hands-on help" and 46% indicated that "practical assistance" was a role of the church.

But, a declining number of pastors believe their churches are being effective. The summary indicates: "Barna finds that 76 percent of pastors feel that their church is at least somewhat effective at discipleship and spiritual formation, but only 39 percent feel they are at least somewhat effective in terms of outreach to their community."  The latter is interpreted as reaching the unchurched. That's down from 87 and 63 percent, respectively, in 2015.

And, this perceived lack of effectiveness, according to the article, can be a contributing factor for a pastor who wants to leave the ministry.

The Church is the visible representation of Jesus Christ in the world, and has a number of functions, according to the Biblical model - certainly those who are part of the church should be involved in growing in their walk. And, pastors play a key role, according to Ephesians 4, which names pastors and teachers among church leaders who are called to equip those who are followers of Jesus.  But, we are also called to go into the world, as Matthew 28 relates to us, and that involves doing ministry outside the church.  

So, it really is an inside-outside concept - we minister to one another in the church and to others outside the church.  What we may receive in the form of Bible teachings and mutual exhortation can propel us to be influential in the lives of those around us. Christ-followers are light-bearers, and we shine the light of the Lord as we walk in obedience to Him.