What is a Church?

   Perhaps you think “everybody knows that!” or would tell me that the answer to this question is common knowledge in the United States … but you are wrong! In recent years there are many (and that number is growing) people who have no idea what a church is or what a church stands for.
   A recent survey (2018) asked the question, “Aside from weddings and funerals, how often do you attend religious services?” 46% (almost half) answered seldom or never. About ten years a group went door to door in a small southern town and asked the question, “do you belong to a church or religious organization in this community?” An amazing 80% answered “no.” Christians who encourage each other by saying, ‘people will come to church if we just invite them,’ fool themselves. Most people who do not regularly attend religious services have no idea what happens in a church, synagogue, mosque or temple.
    And how would people know what goes on in a place they seldom attend? Think about it … do you know what goes on inside the building of another religion? Do you know what their services are like? What holy book they use? What they teach, or how they interact with the community? Do you know what they think about your religion? Do you even know how to approach them?
   During the months of August & September 2019, I will write several short blogs about the church. I will look at what it is, what it is not, and hopefully raise awareness so people of the church, or synagogue, or mosque or temple can understand there is a perception problem and better explain who they are and what they do within their local communities.