To Be or to Attend ... That is the Question

I recently preached to a congregation that is currently searching for a pastor.  In challenging them that day to consider this time of transition, I asked four questions.  As I reflected afterward on those questions, it occurred to me that they are good questions to ask any congregation, whether they have a pastor or not.  So, I'd like to consider those four questions one at a time in this blog for the next few weeks.

Question #1 - How is your congregation being the church right now?

All too often, church members see church as an event or location.  We are going to church Sunday ...  I go to the church on the corner of ... Are we going to Sunday School today or just church?

Common statements, but not very Biblical.  I can find nowhere in the New Testament where "church" is seen as an event to attend or a location to show up at.  The "church" is the company of Christ-followers who meet together for worship and discipleship and disburse for ministry and mission, being the visible representation (Body) of Christ in the world.

It sounds goofy to say it this way, but to say, "I'm going to the church-house to meet with a local gathering (congregation) of my fellow Christ-followers, who make up part of the church, so we can be prepared to go out and be the church in our community and participate in the church beyond our community," might be a more Biblical statement than any of the above.

If all you are doing is meeting, singing, preaching, praying, and teaching in a central location, how is that being the church?  What needs to happen for your congregation to be the church in your context?