400

3 Months ago I returned to Greencastle, PA from the most challenging, stressful, exciting, but fundamentally maturing place of my life. Returning from Bible College and from one of the most spiritually in tune churches in America back to rural life of area code 17225 was like a brick wall to the forehead. I was getting married in a few months and, long story short, I wanted to find a church with Biblical doctrine and God's kingdom goals. So innocently enough I take to the internet and phone book to find out what my options are. For the purpose of journalistic brevity, I just tell you that I found more than I expected and was now faced with the daunting task of sorting through what turned out to be more than 6 pages of churches in the Yellow Pages, over 400 churches to my best estimate. In a 15 mile radius.

I'm now married and the task of finding a home church is weighing on me more than ever. I've found a few with the vision that God had called for in the New Testament. I've even entertained the idea, with close family and friends, of planting a church. But for months my slogan has been, "There are over 400 churches in this area. We don't need another one, we just need one that works."

A church that works. Imagine that. A church that works for God and does the work that Jesus did. A church that does more work and sees more working miracles of God outside of its four walls than inside on a Sunday morning. A church that outwardly evangelizes and inwardly disciples, without getting the two flip flopped. A church that works with other churches because it realizes the kingdom of God is bigger than their ministry and their congregation's wallets. A church that works for the truth. A church that works out of faith because faith without works is dead. A church that works out of hope because we have truth to stand our hope on top of. A church that works out of love. The greatest is love after all.

Recently my father-in-law was conversing with a close friend of his, who happens to pastor the church I've attended for a few weeks. Specifics aren't important but the pastor revealed that his passion was church-planting. Excuse me? There are 400 churches in this area and you are passionate about church planting? By the way I think 90% of the churches had already been through they're own ascension and descension of spirituality before this guy was even born.

That struck me in such a weird way. How could a guy pastoring a seemingly kingdom advancing church, be passionate about planting churches in an area already over flowing with churches. Why would God plant that desire inside of him to see new churches start and flourish? This revelation hit me harder than the previous brick wall.

The fact that there are over 400 churches in this area doesn't matter anymore. Just because 50 people sit in the same building at the same time on a Sunday morning doesn't mean they are doing the work of The Church.

There aren't too many churches in this area. There aren't enough. Just because you own a building that has the sign and symbol of your denomination doesn't mean you're The Church. Just because you have a tax exempt number doesn't mean you're The Church. Just because you sell DVDs, CDs, MP3s, and have a podcast on iTunes doesn't mean you're The Church. And for that matter, even if you had 3,000 people sitting in your building on Sunday morning doesn't mean you're The Church.

Thank you God for the buildings that You've provided for Your people to minister through. But if Your ministry will only hold enough to fit inside of a variety of shapes of buildings, I'm serving the wrong god. I know you've heard the saying that you can't fit God inside a box. Well, your building is your box and God is not fitting inside so now that only leaves you. Wake up Church. This generation is searching for truth like never before and God is what needs to fall on them. All The Church needs to be is the insignificant bearer of God's love.