How about people? Do you think of people when you think of church?
The new United Methodist Church campaign invites us to rethink church. Church visionaries have been engaged in the process of re-envisioning church, and are encouraging the rest of us to do the same.
“The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people”says the first verse of UMH # 558.
"I am the church, you are the church we are the church together."And so we are all encouraged to be church, not just go to church. We are encouraged to “Stand on the promises" (of God) rather than just “sit on the premises” (a book title).
In being the church we become the Word of God, a word of love, a word of hope, a word of abundance a word of grace for a world that too often senses hatred, despair, cruelty and lack.
In being the church we invite all of God’s people to join us. In being the church we truly have open hearts, minds and doors (I know, lots of you liked that one!)
Rethink church is a challenge for not only are we asking those outside the church to rethink how they think of us, we challenge ourselves to re-think how we “be” church and then do church in a new way. Not just because it is trendy to reinvent oneself, but because, quite frankly, as we look at God’s blueprints and honestly examine our lives, we have much to improve. SO let’s together rethink church and redo church for the sake of the gospel.
For more information see the links to the Rethink Church campaign and to the 10thousanddoors.org website that is an aspect of the campaign as found on a new page on our website, Links To United Methodist Resources.