What Is a Church?

1. What Is a Church? Vision 2020: Examining the Future of Southern Hills Baptist Church

2. What is a Church? • A Church is a PLACE you go to get involved in Christian Fellowship • In the NT era, churches did not have buildings • They understood that the “House of the Lord” was the Body of Christ and the people who make up that Body.

3. What is a Church? • A church is an organization which I join and in which I serve. • The NT Church had little of the organizational or institutional aspects of modern church • No “programs” • No conferences or curricula • Yet the Early Church accomplished God’s work in amazing ways

4. The Sad Fact • Most of what we believe is essential and necessary for a church to be a church was not part of the NT church ministry.

5. The NT Church • Had no buildings • Had few resources • Had no Sunday School • Did not meet at 11 AM on Sunday • Did not have ANY of the musical instruments that we fight over today • Did not have a complex organizational structure

6. What is a Church? • “Ekklesia” an assembly of free citizens summoned (called out) by a herald to handle public affairs • The church has been called out by Jesus’ sovereign grace to engage in the work of the Kingdom. • The word “ekklesia” is used in three distinct ways in the NT • One church, with three “presences”

7. My Three Churches • The Greater Church • Universal Church, Invisible Church • All the redeemed in all the world (and of all the ages) • “We were all baptized in one Spirit into one body and given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:13). • “The Church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32, Galatians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 15:9)

8. The Geographical Church • “City-Church” The Christians in a city were seen as part of one congregation • The “church at Ephesus”, “church at Corinth” • Not true of regions • 1 Thessalonians 2:14 “The churches of God in Christ Jesus in Judea” • We are part of the One Church of Sioux City

9. The Gathered Church • The “Local Church” • Most common reference • The local church met together for worship and instruction, fellowshiped together and ministered in the name of Christ, in cooperation with other local churches • In the NT era, they often met in homes • They met in smaller groups but also saw themselves as part of the larger group

10. What is a LOCAL Church? • A local church is a gathering of redeemed people who worship and receive instruction from God’s Word together, who fellowship together (sharing their lives as they grow in Christ) and who serve the interests of the Kingdom of God in the sinful world.

11. The Essentials • A local church must worship God and His Crucified and Risen Son! • It is our highest calling to praise and worship God. • It is the only activity of the church that will carry on into heaven! • There is nothing in the Bible that speaks to worship style • Glorify God, worship Christ, focus on truth and SING!

12. A Church must fellowship together • Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship… • Acts 2:44-46 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes…

13. Fellowship • Fellowship is NOT just eating together and having fun • It is “sharing” our lives with one another • A commitment to seek the good one another of and put the welfare of others ahead of our own • Sacrificial and Spiritual

14. A local church must receive instruction from God’s Word • 1 Tim 4:13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. • 2 Tim 3:16-4:2 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

15. A local church MUST do the King’s work in a sinful world. • Missional living • Philippians 1:21-26 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

16. But… • Everything else we do as a church must serve those purposes, not become an end in itself! • We do a lot of things because that’s the way we do them because that’s the way we’ve always done them, because we do them that way!

17. So… • Whatever style we worship in, whatever programs we use, whatever structures we maintain, we need to keep our eyes on the prize, and keep the main thing the main thing. • We worship, we fellowship, we study God’s Word, and we serve God’s kingdom!

18. Worship Fellowship Instruction Ministry Foundation Stones of the Local Church

19. Worship Fellowship Instruction Ministry Foundation Stones of the Local Church

20. Modern Realities • There is a greater cultural gap between older/traditionalist people today than there has (perhaps) ever been before! • Younger folks and older folks simply do not speak a common language. • Churches often have to choose whether to appeal to tradition or to youth

21. The Church Style Spectrum 11:00 PM 8:30 Traditional - Blended - Contemporary - Rock

22. Realities • We have two (or more) churches worshiping together in one building • Mostly at peace • Different opinions on music • Different opinions on dress • Different opinions on ministry • What can we do? • Accommodate both • Pick a winner • We are currently plateaued

23. My Beliefs • Ultimately, SHBC is targeted to a narrow band of people: traditional, conservative tastes, middle class, children, youth, families – people with a church background • We are not reaching the unchurched, contemporary-minded young persons

24. A Possible Solution • Church Mitosis • Mitosis is the process of splitting one cell into two cells, which each can then grow to gain the size and function of the original.  

25. Mitosis Method • We intentionally look to plant more churches, of DIFFERENT styles throughout Siouxland • Southern Hills would remain the anchor church, to become the BEST traditional Baptist church we can make it • We would start churches at Lake Forest and South Sioux • The new churches would reach people that SHBC will not

26. What About SHBC? • This would be the anchor church • Continue to provide children’s ministries and youth ministries that would be shared by the new cells • It would return to ONE SERVICE • That service would likely be a traditional/blended service • Piano/organ • Choir

27. Lake Forest? • Those involved in that ministry need to decide its future • What they want to be • How they want to get there • What they want from SHBC • We would work out an agreement with them once they decide exactly what they want to do.

28. South Sioux? • Why South Sioux? • It is evangelically underchurched • A sense of leading from God • What Would this ministry look like? • It would be a satellite (at least at first) • Our early service would move to a different location • Our church staff would serve both

29. It would be a contemporary church • Designed to reach the younger, unchurched generation • Church in their language • Probably not called “Baptist” • It would be “Simple Church” • It would meet for worship • It would focus on small group fellowship • It would minister in the community

30. Describe “Cardinal Church” • It would meet for worship at around 9:30 on Sunday Morning • Casual environment • Probably in a rented facility at first • Contemporary music – passionate, expressive worship • A biblical sermon (by a pastor NOT wearing a tie or coat!) • Small group discussion/prayer

31. It would be small-group driven • Small groups would meet after the service to discuss the sermon and support one another • Children would have SS classes at this time • Small groups would meet during the week in homes - discipleship and fellowship • Great need: a few families to serve as leaders of these small groups

32. The church would be led by a small group of leaders who would steer it in the right direction (simple structure) • They would report to and be guided by the leadership of SHBC • They would operate under the doctrinal parameters and in fellowship with the SBC

33. The Process • Sometime this spring (?) we begin this system HERE • To build a core group • When we find and secure a place for worship, we begin off-site worship • Dave and Si share preaching duties • When this church grows to the point that it could be self-sustaining, both groups decide together what to do.