I have been asked many times, “So, where is your new church going to be? Do you have a location?” This question is rooted in the thought that a building, maybe with a cross or a steeple, is the church. Church only happens in that building. If we want to hear from God, we have to go to the church [building]. But none of that is true. The church is not a building, the church a people.
So the right answer to the question, “Where will your church be,” is “In homes. In schools. At restaurants and coffee shops. In markets and laundry mats. Orphan City Church will be where the people are.”
The church is not a building, the church is a people.
Sometimes we forget the church is not a building. The church is not a fixed location where we must go to hear God’s voice or the only place to worship Him. The church is where you and I are every day, not just Sundays. I have been meditating on whether having a fixed location for the “church” actually helps the church. Ask a Pastor that owns a facility how much they spend on upkeep. Then ask them what ministry could they do with that money. There are things a church that owns property solely for church activities can do that a church without it can’t do easily. But that challenge forces the church to create partnerships with community organizations, local government, and schools, hopefully pushing the church out of four walls and into the community.
Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” This isn’t limited to buildings with crosses or stained glass, but every place people meet in Jesus’ name.
Next time someone asks you where your church is, tell them it’s in the homes, schools, and the places you meet with God. And if you’re just meeting God in a building on Sunday mornings, it’s time to look for Him outside of those four walls. Look for Him in your workplace, school, and home. He wants to meet you there too.
