Attending or Being the Church
I have been thinking and praying through a topic recently. It is the idea of “being the church” versus the idea of “attending a church.” As the pastor of a small church for about a year now, the difference in these two things is very evident but also very difficult to explain/comprehend.
Attending a church is simple. You show up, at least somewhat frequently, at the church when the doors are open. Whether that be for a small group, worship service, prayer time, etc. You know other people in the church and may have been going there for quite a while.
There is another aspect of attending church that many people would equate with being the church, but I am sure there is a difference. These attenders may be on committees, show up for special events, and even serve as leaders in a congregation. Those things seem like actions of people who are “being the church” and they may be. But just like all squares are rectangles but not every rectangle is a square, not everyone who serves in a church is a person who is being the church.
In a large church, it is easy to come and leave unnoticed. In fact, depending on the size of the church, you could be an attender for years without anyone ever noticing you are there or asking who you are. You can live in relative anonymity and even go to a small group without ever being noticed by leadership or asked to do anything more than show up.
In a church like ours, Glendale Community Church, it is impossible to attend for very long before we put you to work! In fact, to be very honest, in a church the size of ours, visitors are immediately noticed and then talked about the following week. Not in a bad way, but in a way that everyone noticed you were there and are very curious if you are coming back.
I say all of that to say that many people probably make the same mistake that I have made in the past and assume that it is easier to “be the church” at Glendale Community Church and easier to attend the church at the big First United Presbyterian Baptist Community Church down the road.
The truth is, whether you are attending or being the church has little to do with your physical attendance, abilities, or the committees on which you serve. Being the church is about the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” - 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
As followers of Christ, we each have talents and gifts given to us by God that we are supposed to exercise for the body of Christ. We exercise those gifts as a part of a larger body of believers, and we are operate as a part of that body. That means if you are not using your gifts and talents at a local church, two people are suffering:
You are suffering as a body part with no body!
The church is suffering as a body missing one of its parts.
Any small church, like ours, would love to have new body parts come and use their gifts and talents to help us reach our community. Just be warned, from me and all other small church pastors, you will be noticed if you walk through our doors. You will spoken to, prayed for, and immediately loved by people who barely know you. It can feel a little strange at first, but it’s genuine and it’s true.
Any large church, depending on the size, may not notice you at first. You may come for 2 months and see completely different people each time. Rather than be noticed right away by the entire congregation, you will be able to come and go as you please. You will also have to work and fight your way into positions where you can use your gifts and be a part of that body.
The answer is simple, being the church is all about the Holy Spirit living in you and working through you. Should you come to Glendale at the expense of every other church in Jacksonville…Yes (just kidding), but no matter where you end up going, please go there with the expectation of being the body of Christ rather than simply attending a few services each month.