What is church

Church. What comes to mind when you hear that word? A building you can get married in? A place where only good people are allowed? A place your parents made you go as a kid, but it never seemed relevant.

Churches today have big screens, websites, billboards, coffee shops, bookstores, and counseling facilities. All of those things are fine, but none of those things are church.

Here’s what the church really is.

The church is a gathering of people who worship God, support each other and share Jesus with the community around them. In its purest form, it has nothing to do with a building – the church began 2000 years ago with people meeting together in homes. Fundamentally, church is all about the people.

It’s important for Christians to regularly meet together. It’s not an obligation that makes God happy. Christians meet together to be reminded of God’s goodness, to support each other, and to participate in a movement that’s bigger than one person.

Since church is all about the people, there’s no such thing as a perfect church because every person is flawed. You may have met Christians who claim to be perfect or good but with all due respect, they’re lying. A fundamental part of being a Christian is recognising that you’re not good and that’s why you need Jesus. So take the pressure off – there’s no need to pretend to be perfect.

You don’t have to be a Christian to go to church and you don’t need to believe to belong to a community of faith. You’re welcome anytime.

So, what can you expect when you visit a church service?

Singing - This is called worship, and it’s a way for Christians to celebrate and acknowledge the goodness of God together.

Preaching - This is an encouraging message usually about Jesus and how the teachings in the Bible can help you live your best life. The message can be anywhere from 20 minutes up to an hour depending on the church.

Offering - Generosity is a foundational principle when it comes to following Jesus. The offering is one way to express generosity and it’s also how the church community supports the church organization and its ministries. If you’re visiting, there’s no pressure for you to contribute.

Communion - Christians often remember Jesus through symbolism. The bread and wine or grape juice shared during communion represent Jesus’ death and resurrection. Remembering the power of this event has great meaning for Christians. If you’re visiting, you are welcome to participate or just watch.

Other - Every church is unique and will have creative and different ways of outworking a church service. As a visitor, there’s no pressure to join in – you can just come along and watch.

Why not give church a go this Sunday? Search for a nearby church online, or ask a Christian friend if you can go along with them. They’ll be stoked you asked and you’ll probably be surprised how much you enjoy it!