God's Blueprint for His Church

What is the Christian church? Is it a building, a denomination, or is it more? What should the church believe? Is there one doctrinal truth that all Christian churches are obligated to adhere to, or are we free to make it up as we go along? How should the church operate? Are we on our own or do we rely on the power and leading of the Holy Spirit? What is the central message of Christianity? What kind of government should exist in our churches? What kind of leadership do we need and where do we find them? How should we view spiritual gifts? Should we accept and use them or reject them for being too factious? Should we actively evangelize or wait for God to do the job? Who is part of the church? How do we join? Do we sign a membership book, take a class, or are we automatically a part of it because we are Americans? And what is this “born again” thing all about anyway? These kinds of questions have fueled Christian debate for years, sometimes spawning entire denominations.

Some Christians try to avoid these questions entirely, claiming they are divisive and jeopardize “Christian unity.” On the contrary, questions like these compel the church to wrestle with the vital issues that impact its nature and purpose. It is our opinion that those who ask these questions are performing a genuine service to the Body of Christ.

We believe that God’s blueprint for the Christian church is not hidden in some ancient medieval monastery or buried in some mysterious cave guarded by mythical beasts, but is found on the pages of the New Testament. Anyone who cares to investigate can read those pages and discover how God wants His Church to be.

In this Blog, we will open up The Book of Acts, and examine this blueprint for the church. It is our ardent belief that if today's church is going to make the kind of impact that the early church made on it's world, we must do the kind of things it did, and be the kind of followers of Christ that they were. Join us in the journey!