Five Distinctives of the Gathered Church
So who are we? What makes us different? Why would people want to come to your church?
1. The Gospel. The Gospel isn’t something you hear once and move on to “greater things.” The Gospel should be the center of every gathering and the centerpiece of our every day. We are prone to wander, prone to forget. We need to be reminded continually that Jesus came, Jesus died and Jesus rose again. This is what defines us as the people of God. This is the good news that never grows old. If it ever feels like old news, it’s not the Gospel’s fault. It’s our own hearts.
2. The Holy Spirit. What happens when the people of God come together? The Holy Spirit is there. The Holy Spirit is moving, awakening, drawing hearts. He’s healing, speaking, working wonders. This is what sets our gatherings apart. We aren’t just gathering to remember but to experience a fresh outpouring of God’s love and grace through the power of the Holy Spirit. Worship Leaders, this is the biggest game changer for you. Stop taking yourself so seriously and get to know the Holy Spirit more.
3. Communion. There’s something about the habit of gathering around the cross and partaking of the Lord’s Supper together as the body of Christ. It may be the most powerful habit in the life of a Christian. This is a distinctive of our gatherings—we’re remembering our true identity. We’re remembering that apart from the cross, we have no hope.
4. Participation. What sets church services apart from concerts is that everyone has a responsibility. Sure, at a rock show people sing and go crazy, but it’s not their responsibility to. As the church, we are all called to bring something. It’s not simply a place to watch the professionals do their thing and be inspired.
Let’s go a little deeper. Where else in the world do people gather for the purpose of singing together? The church is a gathering of people from all walks of life who come together to sing. We gather to participate.
5. Mission. It’s not our calling to simply have great meetings or to love the message. Or to love the worship. The church gathers so that we can be reminded of our mission. We are called to be sent. We can’t just appreciate the Gospel, we need to share it. If our gatherings lose this sense of mission and “going,” we’ve missed the point.
What would you add to this list? What makes us unique and how do we hit that target each week in our services?
