Describing Church

So, how do you describe the church?

Sociologists will tell you our age, gender and class demographics. They may survey our opinions and analyse our “society”. All of these are valid methods for sociologists and we may find the data useful.

Organisational analysts will talk about our structures, our decision-making processes, and the distribution of power within churches as institutions. All of these are valid methods for organisation analysts
and we may find the data useful.

Business analysts will look at our reason for being in the context of our market, our success at delivering our product and the consequent cash flow. All of these are valid methods for business analysts and we may find the data useful.

But as the church, we must start with defining the church in relation to God, i.e. we must begin with a theological understanding of church; a definition written in “God-talk”.

Significant “God-talk” understandings of the church include:
• People of God;
• Body of Christ;
• Community of the Spirit;
• Herald of the Good News;
• Servant of the Servant Lord;
• Sacrament of Salvation.

In what way do you describe the church? How does that affect the role of the church in your life as a Christian? How does that affect your hopes and dreams for this community of faith—Armidale Uniting Church?