Love Your Church

Church isn’t an event we attend. Church is a family we belong to.

That is the core behind the book, Love Your Church, by Tony Merida. This short read helps us see the local church not as a place where we simply watch, listen, and leave, but as a people we have been joined to by the grace of God. In Christ, we aren’t an audience. We are brothers and sisters. We are members of one body. We’re a family with a shared mission.

Merida writes, “God's grace and glory is displayed in a diverse people who have been called, redeemed, given, made alive, and united in Christ.”

That is a beautiful picture of the church. We aren’t united because we are the same age, share the same background, or simply enjoy the same things. We are united because we belong to Jesus. He has called us, redeemed us, made us alive, and brought us together for His glory.

As Grace Church, we exist to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ across the street and around the world. That mission isn’t just for pastors, staff, or ministry leaders. It belongs to every one of us. Every follower of Jesus has a place to belong and a part to play.

Over the next several weeks, the In the Loop article will walk through eight privileges Merida highlights in Love Your Church: belong, welcome, gather, care, serve, honor, witness, and send. Each one helps us see what it means to be engaged in the life of the church family.

So as we begin, consider this simple question:
Am I participating in the life of the church as a beloved member of the family, or am I just being part of the audience?

By God’s grace, let’s be a church family that does more than attend together. Let’s belong together, grow together, serve together, and go together for the glory of Christ.