The Indispensable Church

"If your church closed tomorrow, would anybody notice?" -- thought provoking question. How would we answer it? To phrase the question another way, "How can the church become indispensable to the community?" Chuck Warnock points out that years ago the Celtic Christian abbeys were built at crossroads or next to a village. The purpose was so that the abbey would become the center of the community. As Warnock writes, the abbey "became necessary for the community's survival because they fed people, cared for the sick, gave shelter to the homeless, provided refuge for the weary and wanted, and lived out the Gospel in tangible and essential ministries."

The church does not exist merely to perpetuate an institution, but to impact a community for Christ. Warnock goes on to write, "I want us to touch more lives during the week than we have bodies in pews on Sunday. I want people to ask us to stay in business because we've made a difference in their lives." We want to position ourselves part of the body of Christ to make a difference in our community. As we are involved in challenging times, here is our opportunity to serve our community and make a significant impact for Christ. Please pray that God might grant us the privilege to have the same kind of impact for Christ, that our Celtic brothers did centuries ago.

Have Ideas? You are encouraged to list your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section. (Here is Warnock's full post)