Your Church's Vision is Too Small

Craig Groeschel:

For years, I wondered why some people seemed more excited about parachurch ministries than church ministries. Perhaps it is because our vision for the church has been too small.

Almost daily, I hear great church members excited about their “outside the church” ministry. Instead of whining about why they don’t give, serve, or care about the ministry of the local church, I’ve made two commitments:

1. I’m going to cast such a compelling vision for the power of the local church that the vision would draw their hearts back to the local church.
2. I’m going to celebrate and embrace whatever they are doing to make a difference.

Not surprisingly, God is turning many hearts back to loving his church!

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I like what Craig says here, but I would qualify it a bit. I don't think the power resides in the local church. I think the power resides in the Gospel. The church is the vehicle through which the Gospel should move forward with the power of Holy Spirit. I believe our churches should be so caught up with the Gospel and the various implications of it, that we are overflowing with vision for how to see it made manifest in our culture through loving and serving individuals.

If we only cast vision for the "power of the local church" then we walk too dangerously close to forgeting the Gospel. What is only assumed is quickly forgotten. We can make an idol out of the local church if we are not careful. The only "power" the local church has is the power of the Gospel. If we emphasize the local church without emphasizing the power of the Gospel our vision for the local church will soon dry up.