When was the last you revisited your church’s purpose? You can get help with that on the MinTools.com site which has a section devoted to the church’s purpose beginning with a look at God’s unchanging priority. The TrainChurchLeaders.com site also deals with God’s purposes for the Church and how it affects various leadership responsibilities.
Do We Align with God’s Priority?
Based on what Jesus defined as the greatest commandments, we could conclude that our purpose would be to live out those commandments.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37-39)
The next verse cues us in to the importance and priority of these commands. Jesus asserted, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
If the Law Hangs on Love for God and People, So Should our Church Purpose
The Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20 are ways to show love for God and love for people.
Love for God:
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
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Love for People:
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house … wife.
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The theme of love for God and love for people runs through Scripture with the various commands lining up under these purposes. God’s objectives haven’t changed. Consequently, we should be able to make a two column chart for our church with the headings Love God and Love People. What we do should be able to fit under one column or the other. That which does not clearly fit, should be examined for its value of the time and resources it takes in light of these purposes.
The question we must ask is if we are actively pursuing and lining up with God’s purposes as a church. If not, why not?
Need Help with Revisiting God’s Purposes?
In addition to content provided on the above mentioned sites, check out the Church Purpose Bundle. The Church Purpose Ministry Manual builds off of the content on the MinTools.com site and the Steering the Church Toward God’s Purposes Leadership Guide from the TrainChurchLeaders.com site. Together, these two resources provide a more comprehensive look at our church purpose but they can also be ordered individually.