The Power of the Church

At first glance the title of this blog can be found more as the punchline of a joke than a statment of a reality. Since the Amerian population grew by more than 18% between 1990 and 2004, but the church attendance decreased by 3% during that same period, the word "power" does not seem to fit in the same phrase with "church."

However, over the past several weeks I have been able to observe the local church make a lasting impact in a community.

• Family relationships once thought irrepairable, now restored
• Children who long attended church alone, now brought by their parents
• Couples once without food on the table, now able to share
• A church facility that sat empty at night, now used for the homeless when the weather gets cold.
• Single dads deep in debt; now with a plan to live debt free and make eternal impact with their money.
• Single moms and Senior Men, who have lived their lives apart from Jesus, now brought into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I believe the quote of Bill Hybels, "there is nothing like the church when the church is working right." But why does it seem that it is more of a rarity than the norm for the church to "work right"? I think it is because the church believe THE CHURCH is the power. when the church thinks it is the power, egos rule the day. when the church thinks it is the power, the here and now guide decisions, instead of the eternal. when the church thinks it is the power, it serves the spiritually convinced, instead of those who have yet to hear. when the church thinks it is the power, it operates as a hotel for saints, instead of a hospital for sinners.

The reality is that THE CHURCH is not the power. The source is God's power working through the church. If the church starts taking the credit and relies only on itself, it won't be long before the doors will be permanently locked and the community around it won't even know it.

God is working today through His church. He has the power. I pray the church will be available to do and be what God wants.

For His Fame,

Brian