Church in layman’s term is a place of worship. It is a building adorned with religious objects and symbols where people sharing the same faith gather to worship God.
In a deeper sense, church is a community. It is a group of people who are sharing the same faith and worshipping the same God.
In Christian sense it is a community, sharing the same faith and God and has been instituted by Christ.
Church in the Christian context should be the symbol of Christ. Thus If Christ is the symbol of God to humanity; therefore a Christian church should share in the same symbolism. In the same token, if Christ’s mission is to show the love of God to humanity, then a Christian Church must also share in the same mission.
In order for a Christian Church to be they symbol of Christ and to carry on Christ mission to the world, the following traits should be found in a Christian church: A church is people of God who is in the world, with world, for the world and against the world.
A Christian church must be in the world. Where else? If a church is to be Christ symbol, then she should be a symbol for others. If the church is not in the world, then what is the use of her symbolism? The church should not be serving itself alone but the world.
A Christian church must be with the world. A church must not only in the world but must also be playing an active role in the world. The church must not take its back on the world but rather she must go with the world. The world is constantly changing and growing, therefore the church, whilst preserving her essential elements must also adopt changes so that she can still be a good symbol and can still fulfil her mission to the world.
A church in the world, growing with the world, must also be serving the world. In doing service to others, a church realizes her symbolism and her mission. Christ taught, cured the sick, and exorcised evil spirit when he was still on earth in order to show people how God loves. In the same manner a church must also do concrete actions in order to continue what Christ have started. Such actions may take different forms, but as long as they show how God loves, then such church is indeed a true Christian church.
When the world is being led astray the church must bring her back to the right direction. Therefore, any activity in the world that is sinful and in contradiction to what Christian morality, a Christian church must explicitly denounce such action. Being in the world, with the world and for the world do not mean that a church must blindly goes with the world, but rather she must be actively taking part in leading the world to God.
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