In order for the Church to operate effectively in our towns, cities and nation, as ministers of God in the marketplace taking the kingdom of God to where the kingdom of darkness is at work, we need to think again about the way we operate.
The word of God says that our minds must be renewed: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2). I am increasingly aware that there is a process we must go through to see our towns, cities, and nations transformed by the kingdom of God:
- First, we must be transformed ourselves by the renewing of our mind – we must change the way we think.
- Then we must also transform the way we think about and do church.
- Only then can we transform our towns, cities and nations.
In the UK, where I live, I believe that we are moving towards step 2 in this process. Many of God’s people in the marketplace are being transformed in their thinking about their role as members of Christ’s body day to day in their sphere of influence. But most of us have not yet seen the way we do church transformed.
Having spent most of my life with a yearning to see the Church be everything it was intended to be, and years working to equip the Church in its existing congregational setting, I am convinced that the only way to see the Church operate effectively will be to completely rethink our established paradigms, to build on biblical principles and proven models of nation transformation. What I mean is that we need to return the Church to where it started, by moving it deep into enemy territory.
In fact, of course, the Church is already in enemy territory, through its members in the marketplace every day. My proposition is that we make this tangible as we minister day to day, rather than restricting ‘church’ to our programme of congregational meetings and systems.
The opportunity is huge – to operate with no distinction between pastoring the church and pastoring the town, city, region or nation.
What will this look like?
Church that operates in this way will be a diverse group of people, as the apostle Paul describes the body with its many parts. It will feature a range of marketplace roles that its members may be called to. This may include people working in government, police, or prisons; healthcare and emergency services; students at schools or colleges; parents at the school gate; and people in all kinds of businesses.
I believe that we will need to put down the religious systems we know and let go of ‘the way we do things’. For example, we may need to rethink the way we use words such as ‘church’, ‘pastor’, or ‘worship’ as we rediscover the biblical understanding of these terms.
For new believers who are saved in the marketplace, they should not be taught that the only context to do ministry is for them to come out of the marketplace and into the four walls of a church building, rather they would be taught to operate effectively right where they are and would be equipped from the start as ministers in their marketplace environment.
The heart of this concept is reflected in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians where he provides some practical guidance for the Church: “Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.” (1 Cor 7:21-24)
Congregations in the town, city and region
A congregation of such a church will never be referred to as ‘my church’ or ‘your church’ by its members but rather it will be just one of many congregations of Jesus’ whole Church operating in the town or city, and region. With many such congregations in a region, each would serve and bless the rest of the region, including other local church congregations.
In such a region of Church congregations, each would work in partnership with others in their region and nation, truly operating as one Church, without competition for members as if there were more than one body of Christ. Gift ministries would be shared between the Church congregations, equipping the whole Church to operate effectively to the glory of Christ.
This blog is a call for a return to the kind of Church that I believe Christ had in mind when he said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). In future posts, I’ll explore this in more detail.
