Element Church Insider

Over the past year, I have grown increasingly weary of the labels we make for ourselves as the church.  We are a “traditional” church.  We’re “contemporary” (Which in my opinion, the contemporary church is fast becoming the new traditional).  We’re “missional” or “attractional” or “emerging”.  HUH?  I have a post HERE from several months ago, talking about “Why can’t we be both missional and attractional?”

Adam and I were talking about it yesterday, and we were again venting about all the labels we have made when we are just called to be the STINKIN’Church.  There isn’t a correct model.  There isn’t a name we should pursue OTHER than the BRIDE OF CHRIST…THE CHURCH!  But, we are humans and so we gotta foul everything up.  And we have done a masterful job at it again when it comes to “naming” our model of church.  Well, I hadn’t heard a “prominent” church leader share on this idea of it being possible to be “all” the models at the same time, not just one.  Perry Noble posted a blog about it this morning.  I think he NAILED it on the head.  You can read his post called “Terminology or Transformation?”  HERE.

I just want to be the church that GOD has called us to be.  Sure, when you are describing a way a church does things, some terms might help you get a picture of their method, but folks, we’ve put our METHODS far above the MASTER and it’s high time we start pursuing the MASTER first and foremost.  Is there a style that Jesus really prefers?  Even the most traditional church is NOTHING like the one Jesus went to in Jerusalem.  There may be some elements of EVERY style and EVERY label in our churches…but I just want to be THE CHURCH!

Trying,

Jeff