A man once said, “The local church is the hope of the world”. That’s a pretty big statement! But it is also completely true.
The Bible tells us that a local church, in a unique way, is like God’s workshop in the world. It is the place in the world where God lives by His Spirit, where He works changing lives as people care about one another, and the place where He blesses the world by revealing His love, His truth and His power for all to see. God works in people’s lives and through people’s lives when they are part of a church in a way that happens no where else.
God’s intent is that a local church is a community of people seeking to know and love God so that they can love one another and the world. All of us were made for relationship – God wants our first circle of relationship to be people who are striving to look up, to know the God who is there. God has made us, God loves us, and God has sent a Savior for us. Nothing is more important that to spend part of our life seeking to know God better.
In the local church we can pursue knowing God with others who are on the same journey. And as we seek God together we also find ourselves moved to help one another in every area of life. We do that because Jesus, who we are seeking to know, is like that. A local church is not just people seeking to know God, but also to be like Him in every way. “We love because He first loved us”. But for people in a local church, serving one another is not enough.
They are also drawn to do good in the world they live in, because Jesus, who they are seeking to know, did good to all when He was on the earth. The local church is God’s workshop for all our lives. The local church is God’s family, meeting, relating and working together. The local church has a God designed place for every person who wants to know God and be changed. It doesn’t matter how hurt, or broken or sinful one’s life, the local church – Jesus’ church – is the right place.
No matter who you are, the local church is the right place, God’s place, for you. That’s why this region of local churches exists. To support one another in being the local church in the way Jesus intends. So that each local church can accomplish the incredible mission of being community, helping one another find and know God, and follow His heart in loving one another and the world.