Christians are not meant to just meet in a “church” building because they are meant to be the church.

"For we are co-workers in God’s service, you are God’s field, God’s building." 1 Corinthians 3:9

You see, we can meet within four walls and a roof; however, the true building is the followers of Christ—human beings. Don’t get me wrong; I wholeheartedly believe that we as Christ followers should gather together to worship God, dig deeper into His word, be surrounded by fellow followers, and be fueled. In fact, the Bible even tells us to do so.

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another; especially now that the day of His return is drawn near." Hebrews 10:25

Now, let’s take a look directly at scripture to witness the main goal of all of Christianity.

"And then he told them, 'Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to everyone.'" Mark 28:19

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19

We are meant to go out into our communities and into the world to reach those who don’t know Christ as their Savior. We can reach them by sharing the Word, but more simply being the essence of love and light just like Christ was.

The importance of the “Church” building.

To reach the unchurched we must actively share our faith and invite them to attend “church.” Inviting is vital to reaching the unchurched.

There is a longtime debate about what churches should be as far as physical appearance, worship style, service types, and the list goes on and on.

For us as Christians, physical appearance shouldn’t be much of concern; however, to the churched, it is. When dealing with the unchurched, we are competing with the world. In today’s society, everything is so hi-tech, so professional, so modern. Therefore, they expect the “church” to be the same. So, if the main goal is reaching people then we must be up-to-date with the culture we live in.

Let me paint a picture for you.

You are an unchurched person. You park in the designated guest parking, and you are immediately greeted by an enthusiastic volunteer. The doors open, and you see a nice, freshly painted, up-to-date building full of people. You spent all morning worrying about what to wear, but you look around and see that everyone is casual and welcoming. You immediately hear the upbeat music and see a coffee table in the back. Everyone has genuine smiles on their faces because they are glad you joined them. You find a seat and get comfortable.

As the countdown ticks on, you become more anxious about what the service is going to be like. Although you may not know the words, you are comforted by the familiar beat of the drum and the strum of the guitar. You quickly catch on and begin to worship along to the obviously well-rehearsed music. As the worship ends and the pastor begins to preach, you realize that what he is saying is so applicable to your life and what you are currently going through. Overall, you had a great time.

Let me paint a second picture for you.

You are an unchurched person. You pull up in the parking lot, unsure of where to go due to the lack of signage. You enter the building, and it is clearly outdated. It hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. No one greets you. You get harsh glances as you realized that you are wearing jeans and a shirt, while everyone else around you are in suits and dresses. You begin to feel like an outsider who wasn’t even welcome. You find a place to sit.

The sound of the piano and singing of outdated and unfamiliar songs fills the atmosphere. You begin to feel even more like an outsider. After the long, drawn out music comes to an end, the pastor preaches a message that was completely hard to understand. You leave the building feeling even more confused and alone. You never want to go back to “church” again.

If we are a part of the “church” that was like the second scenario, we are failing at being the church. We as Christians should do everything short of sin to reach those who are lost, and if that means we must have the best music, the best facilities, the best teachers, etc. then we must do so without apology. Not only do we do this to reach the lost, we do this to give God our best.

We are all a light to people. We embody the true church. When we walk around, we are a representation of God because he is the gardener, Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Most of us have made the decision to become one with God, meaning that we don’t need a building to satisfy our spiritual life; we just need other fellow followers to keep us fueled. The real church walks out of the building and goes into a world that is filled with darkness. As Christians, we must rally together to be the light in the darkness.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bulb. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16