What is the church for?

So we could validly ask: what is the church for?

We could sometimes wonder at the effectiveness of the training and the information that we receive, but there is one thing that is always at the forefront of the life of the church (at least it should be).

The church is to spread the love of God revealed through Jesus Christ.

As the church is trained in the practice of safe ministry, the underlying reason is because we respond to the love of God that is shown through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The reason the church has a response to family and domestic violence is because it responds to God’s love through Jesus.

So, the answer lies there, at least in part: the church is to show the love of God as revealed through Jesus Christ.

You may not think that is the case. In the past, churches have not always done the right thing.

The church has been held to account by the Royal Commission that examined the way that it responded to abuse, and the church has spent time repenting and attempting to return to its roots of sharing the love of God through Jesus Christ.

Some might think the church is always on the lookout to improve its financial position.

Can I say that for the church to complete its mission and ministry, that is, sharing the love of God, it has to resource itself. That is why it asks for money of help in times of need.

The church is to show God’s love, the church is to show God’s forgiveness, the church is to bring people together so that they live in unity in the community, and the church is to join people to God so that they know what love truly is in our community.

What is the church for? So that the love of God is known to the world - or at least our part of it!

∼ Contributed by Fr Tim Fogo from St Paul’s Anglican Church, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.