No one needs to tell you that millions of people today are questioning “church as usual.”
While people within the traditional church often complain that those who leave their “church” are abandoning God’s church, the ones who leave actually feel that they are finding church for the first time. They are learning what it means to follow Jesus into the world, to experience true community with other believers, to read Scripture in a new light, and to serve others out of love rather than compulsion.
One of the people leading the way in these new forms of being the church in our communities is Mark Winter, and he has recently published a book called, Was Church God’s Idea?
This book is a good reminder to all of us who are seeking to follow Jesus outside the four walls of a church building that church has not always consisted of big buildings, paid clergy, and endless programs.
Mark shows us through good historical information and biblical insights that if we ask the right questions about church, we can change the way we function as the Body of Christ so that we truly live out our purpose in this world of living in relationships, advancing the Kingdom, and bringing redemption to others.
I have come to the question about individual churches, religions, denominations, and sects, being a part of God’s purposed “Way” in Christ. The original question that launched this question was why does Christianity appear so weak and stagnated? I have been on a spiritual journey, in Christ, outside the gates of religiosity for some years now. The Holy Spirit, our primary guide, has awakened me to such questions. I now see that others are experiencing questions arising in their hearts also. It is encouraging.