What Makes a Church a Church?

Everyone has their own image of what a church is. Mot of the time that image is a building with a few crosses either inside or outside, or even both. There may be a few rows of pews and maybe an organ or a piano. The pastor stands up front and the congregation is in their Sunday best. The thing is a church isn't necessarily that image. There are a lot of things that make up a church, but a building, organ and even crosses aren't want makes a church a church. A church could even be held outside, and it could have chairs instead of pews, which most churches today do.

The building a church is in doesn't make the church what it is. The church is actually a body of believers gathered together to worship God. It could be ten or ten thousand. A church is Biblically sound, meaning sermons, youth group lessons, and Sunday school lessons are all taught from the Bible. The music doesn't have to be traditional hymns we are all so accustomed to, but a church can have a band or a worship team that uses CDs. A church also doesn't need crosses displayed everywhere. A cross is a symbol of Christian faith, but we carry that faith in our hearts as well. Also a church does not need to have alter calls as many Pentecostal churches do, but a church does need prayer and the offer to accept Jesus as our Savior.

One main thing many people think a church is out to do is take their money, but the reality is that a church is not a business. Churches aren't out to make money, but save lives. The tithing that church members do help keep the church running; it helps pay the bills. Rick Warren says in his book "The Purpose Driven Church" "The Bottom Line in any church should not be 'How much did we save?' but 'who was saved?'" A church is more concerned with spreading the word of God and living according to the Bible.