The Church and Its Mission: Spreading Love and Hope
The church is not a building, it is a body of people called believers. These people believe in the only Son of the Highest, Jesus Christ.
The existence of the church began after the ascension of Jesus Christ after forty days of His resurrection. He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they have received the power from on high. Acts 1.
The disciples did as the Lord had commanded them and on the day of Pentecost as they waited in one accord. On that day, the power of the Holy Ghost rested upon all of them and that birthed the inception of the church as three thousand of souls were saved. Acts 2.
This began the spread of the gospel and the persecution of the believers. The persecution that arose spread the foundation of the church and it went beyond the four walls of Jerusalem at the conversion of Paul, who was the greatest persecutor.
Since inception, the church has always played a vital role in society, serving as a beacon of hope, faith, and love.
Its mission extends far beyond the walls of a building; it encompasses a commitment to making the world a better place.
In this blog post, we will explore the essence of the church and delve into its mission to spread love, compassion, and faith.
The Church's Foundation
At its core, the church is a community of believers who come together to worship, support one another, and serve the greater God.
It is a place where individuals seek spiritual guidance, find solace in times of distress, and celebrate moments of joy, fellowship with brethren, and commune with the Heavenly Father. It is a place of encounter. However, the church's mission extends beyond its members, denominations, it is reaching out to the entire world.
The Great Commission
The first mission of the church as recorded in the book of Matthew 28:19-20 is to preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and make disciples of all nations. The first agenda of every church is to make sure that people of the world hear about Christ, and they are saved. This is done through different mode of evangelism.
The church also makes sure that disciples are made through the follow ups in discipleship trainings.
The Mission of Love
One of the central missions of the church is to spread love. As the saying, love encompasses all the laws. Love is a fundamental teaching of Christianity, embodied in the greatest commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27.
The church encourages its members to love not only those within the faith but also those outside of it. This mission of love transcends boundaries, emphasizing compassion, kindness, and empathy. The mission of love in the church is beyond the love of the world.
Service to the Community
The church plays a crucial role in serving the community.
It often operates food banks, shelters, and outreach programs to assist those in need.
By providing physical and emotional support to the less fortunate, the church fulfills its mission to be a source of hope and relief in a world facing various challenges.
Spreading the Gospel
Another vital aspect of the church's mission is the spreading of the gospel.
This involves sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ and the message of salvation with those who may not have heard it before.
The church seeks to inspire faith and hope in individuals, guiding them towards a relationship with God.
Promoting Social Justice
In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the church is called to address issues of social justice.
This mission involves standing up for the oppressed, advocating for the marginalized, and striving for equality.
The church's voice is a powerful force in promoting fairness, inclusivity, and righteousness.
Global Outreach
Modern technology and communication have enabled churches to extend their missions globally.
Social Media evangelism has been adopted to aid the fast spread of the gospel.
Mission trips, humanitarian aid, and outreach efforts often take church members to distant lands to provide assistance, share their faith, and build relationships across borders.
Conclusion
The church and its mission are deeply intertwined with love, compassion, and faith.
Its purpose extends beyond religious rituals and services; it reaches out to communities and individuals in need, promotes social justice, and spreads the message of hope.
As the world evolves, the church continues to adapt and find innovative ways to fulfill its mission, serving as a source of light and love in an often dark and troubled world.
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Building a Strong Christian Community: Where Love and Acceptance Thrive.
A long time ago, I once had a friend whose parents were Elders in her church who got pregnant out of wedlock. The shame was much for her parents that they had to be suspended from their position in the church. She was exonerated and asked to step down from all her activities in the church. It was an open shake as they were called out in the church while the church decided on what would be done to them.
My friend after this trauma she stopped going to church and she refused to have anything to do with the body of Christ and this made her sink so deep in what the church thought they were trying to save her from. Whenever I remember her story, it pushes me to think about the community that the church is building at this time and this era. The church is no longer a place of comfort, the church has turned into a den where love no longer strives and acceptance is difficult in the body of Christ.
What God expects of us as believers is not what the church has become now. In the beginning, the community of Christ was built on love and acceptance of all irrespective of who you are, what you have and what you have got to offer.
The whole group of believers was united in their thinking and in what they wanted. None of them said that the things they had were their own. Instead, they shared everything. [Acts 4:32].
This was the foundation of the church when it started after the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles. The church was made a house of love, that at some point, rivalry wanted to arise, yet the apostle, through the help of the Holy Spirit, chose seven men of honor and accountability in order to revert rivalry, hatred and all sorts of strife in the church. This is to show us that the church is not just a community of worship or prayer alone, the church is the home of love and acceptance.
How then do we build a community of love and acceptance?
There was a scenario of the church that we have now in the scriptures, it happens that rivalry and hatred arise due to tribes differences.
Acts.6.1 - Now about this time, when the number of the disciples was greatly increasing, complaint was made by the Hellenists (the Greek-speaking Jews) against the [native] Hebrews because their widows were being is
overlooked and neglected in the daily ministration (distribution of relief).
Acts.6.2 - So the Twelve [apostles] convened the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not seemly or desirable or right that we should have to give up or neglect [preaching] the Word of God in order to attend to serving at tables and superintending the distribution of food.
Acts.6.3 - Therefore select out from among yourselves, brethren, seven men of good and attested character and repute, full of the [Holy] Spirit and wisdom, whom we may assign to look after this business and duty.
Acts.6.4 - But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word.
In order to build a community of love and acceptance, some things should be put in place which include;
This is the first step to building a strong community of love and acceptance. The world we live in is a spiritual world and all things must be viewed in the spiritual lens. A strong Christian community must be built on a high spiritual quality in order for love and acceptance to thrive. Without a high level of spirituality, the community won't be a strong one but one filled with strife.
This is the second step to building a strong Christian community. A strong Christian community must be built on accountability and this means that everyone in this community is accountable for one another. The community of Christ must be accountable for one another and this way, the love will grow and her people will find peace and acceptability.
This is the one that we've missed out on so many times in the Christian community. We have lost lovely corrections and discipline, instead we allow emotions to cloud us that we forget that we are not correcting people but rather, we are chasing them into the lion's den. Correction must be done in love and with love.
A Christian community is one that should accommodate, love, accept and also help her members to feel loved and accepted even amidst strifes and sorrows of life.
The community should be built on love and acceptability through high spiritual quality, accountability and lovely corrections. Taking these steps as the apostles did in their time, will take the church back to her original position.
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CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.
Recently, due to school which made me change my environment, there was a need for me to attend another church. The first church I attended in school did not feel like home to me, so I decided to attend another one and I felt at home, so I told myself that there is no need to change church again. My first day was accompanied by various instructions and I wanted to be a part of the church as I found peace in my mind.
We all have a church that we are a member of and we feel at home every time we are there. In this blog post, we will delve into the intricates of church membership and how individuals can be a part of the church.
WHAT IS A CHURCH?
This was the first question that I was asked after I showed my interest to become a part of the church I finally decided to attend while in school. It is not a strange thing to our ears, but most times, we mistake the church for a large cathedral or a small building that we gather to fellowship every Sunday or midweek.
It is not all buildings that have the inscription church that is a church. There are indicators that we must see that makes us believe that this place is a church.
Let's take a look at what the scriptures meant by the church.
Acts.4.32 - Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
Here, we will discover the word the company of believers. That is what a church is- a company of believers who come together to share, inspire, love, embrace, help, encourage, advice, worship, fellowship, commune and join hands together to promote the gospel of Christ. That is what the church is. The church is not just a large cathedral or a small building, rather the church is you and I. Though the building is required due to the fact that we need a place to put our heads from sun and rain, but the essential part of a church is the head- Christ and the body- you and I.
Now that we have established what a church is, let's proceed to what membership means. According to Merriam Webster, membership means the people who belong to an organization. So as a Christians, we are members of the church because we belong there. You can't be a member of a place if you do not belong there, until your membership is confirmed, you can't be called a part.
Now, what is CHURCH MEMBERSHIP?
It is a company of believers who belong to the organization of Christ. So as a member of that church that you are, you are not just a member because you are attending there, but you are a member because you belong there.
Now you might be wondering, how then will I be sure that I am a member of a church?
1. Salvation.
This is the first level to being a part of a church. This is your identity card that shows that you are a member. Every organization has their means of identifying their workers. For example, my school mode of identification is the school ID that shows that you are a member of the school. You can't claim to be a student if you don't have an ID. If you like, live in the school for a year, attend classes, when it is time for assessment, you will not be allowed to write the exams because you don't have what makes you a member. The same way it is with believers, until you have your ID (salvation), you can't claim to be a member even if you are the most fervent person.
Acts.4.32 - Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
2. Baptism
The next level to being a part of a church is baptism. Baptism shows that you have died, and now you are living with Christ.
Rom.6.4 - We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in the newness of life.
Our baptism shows that we have been inclined with Christ.
3. Sharing.
This is the third thing that shows our membership. It is our slogan as believers. We share together in sorrow, in death, in love, in gifts and even in gifts. We share burdens, enlighten each other and this makes us different from others.
Acts.4.32 - Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
4. Truth and Love
Trust is one of the identity as a part of a church. Our credibility as a member is shown by the trust we have, by the truth we share and by how much love we have.
Being a member of a church is not just attending the midweek services or Sunday services alone, but it is sharing, saving and being baptized in the love of God who died for us.
"Remember, the church is not just the building, but it is you and I."
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We should correct in Love
ReplyDeleteThanks Bro
Correction should be made in love and this way, we would be able to build a community of love and acceptance.
ReplyDeleteGOD bless you sir 🙏
ReplyDelete