Saline Community Church – Connecting People... Changing Lives... in Saline, MI

Well here we go with my very first blog.  I have to admit that this is brand new territory and I am a little unsure but excited about it at the same time.  The goal of the SCC blog is for encouragement, challenge, laughter and community.  

That being said, as we are going through the book of Acts I want to share some thoughts about the church.  It seems that the church is going through a major transition across the globe.  There are so many books written about what a church should be and what a church should do.  It seems like the large churches put off an air that if you don't do it like them then you are not really doing church.   At the same time smaller churches come off like the jealous younger brother who is throwing stones at its bigger brother (large churches) saying that they are watering down the gospel or it is so impersonal.

As a pastor for over 12 years for every person that comes to your church saying this is just what they are looking for you have on that leaves because they want something different.  This is true of both small and large churches and all the ones in between.  One mega-church in our state records that for every 2,000 people that come in the front door 1,000 leave out the back door to some place else.

What is the church?  I have been reminded that the church is not a building whether big or small.  It is a group of people living in community with one another to understand and live out our identity in Christ.  Is it possible to live in community in a mega church, you may disagree but I think it is.  Is it possible in a smaller church, yes I think it is.  Is it possible to not experience community in both a large and small setting and the answer is yes.

So much of that is up to you.  Will you bloom where you are planted?  Will you step out of your comfort zone and begin to share your life with other people--the good, bad and ugly.  I love the CHURCH.  There is so much written about all of the problems, pitfalls and hangups about the church in America.  It is to big, too small, to organized, to inward, to outward, and the list could go on.  I am not suggesting to put our head in the sand and ignore the problems of the church.  I believe as we live out who we are in Christ that CHURCH will be as it says in Ephesians 5:27, "and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless".  

May the bride of Christ stop focusing on who we are not or who we are striving to be and focus on who we are in Christ.