Building a Strong Church

The American church of today is not as strong as it once was. When the nation was started whole towns were built for the sake of providing a community-wide environment of spiritual unity, growth and enjoyment. However, though the church has perhaps lost some of its luster, in no way has it died. The death of a church comes from within, but in the same way growth and strength come from the heart of the congregation.

Christ said, in John 15:1-2, that "I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." As Christians, we make up the body of Christ, which is His church. He is the head of the church, and we are those who care for it and cause it to spread and flourish.

It is our commission within the church and acting as individual members, to bear fruit. The surface level meaning of this phrase, used so many times in the New Testament, refers to spreading the gospel. Now of course evangelism is paramount to the growth of God's kingdom, but "bear fruit" also speaks of growth within the church itself.

Any church, whether it existed at the time of the Apostles or it exists today, can only be healthy if the members within constantly engage and challenge each other. Accountability within the church, as with any group of Christians, is absolutely crucial.

God said that if two or three are gathered in His name, He is there. When we come into the presence of God in His church, we come realizing that we are sinners but have His grace and blood that heals us and sets us free to follow after Him. Thus it is out of love that the fellowship and community within any church is a medium for healing, growth and encouragement.

Acts 20:28 says, "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." We are the caretakers for Christ's church. It is our duty to grow it to be a strong and prolific environment for the praise and worship of our Father and the spreading of His gospel.

1 Corinthians is an excellent resource for the provision and order of churches, and in chapter 12, verse 12 it says, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." Ultimately, the greatest truth to church strength and internal growth is that each member is as important as any other. The pastor, elders, deacons and so forth are no more critical to stability than the congregation itself.

Frankly, there is a disease in the modern church: this disease strikes the heart of what Christ developed the church to be, an active body of believers. The greatest symptom is the mentality that promotes the preacher, and his sermon, to a holy and sacred level, while the congregation nods and goes home, only to return next week for more nodding.

Small groups, prayer groups and general fellowship both during the week and on Sundays themselves are vital for actual growth. Anyone can listen to a church service and walk away unchanged, missing the point altogether, but when we enter God's house, we enter into His presence. It is our privilege as Christians to use our respective churches as spawning grounds for discussion of scriptures, personal relationships built on the foundation of Christ and honest friendship reflecting God's love. If we treat the church as a building of meeting, rather than a body of encouragement, we waste what Christ died to give us.