I Will Build My Church – Jesus

“I will build my church" - Jesus 

We often equate Jesus' statement about building his church in reference to the building where we personally attend Worship. I wonder if that is really what He had in mind? 

For many years I worked in denominational leadership and I have pastored churches. During my time in these positions I was largely focused on what happened in a particular place at a particular time each week. Of course we had outreach events and tried to engage in the community but if I am honest there were other agencies who were much more effective in sustained ministry to non believers and the community at large than we were as we operated from the church building. 

Preparing sermons, managing a facility, training volunteers, counselling, and board governance demand a lot of time. From the church building we are pretty good about meeting the needs of those who come to us. We are also pretty good about sharing the good news and discipling those who come to us. The big problem is most of the people who need to hear the good news and get help do not necessarily come to our buildings and events. 

Simon Makokha, the F4L National Director in Kenya, recognized the problem and did something about it. Simon is an evangelist and even though he was successful in seeing many people expressing belief in Jesus they were not maintaining their connection to a church over the longer term. He decided discipleship was the missing piece and contacted F4L for help. He explains what changed. 

"In Kenya, we had believed in Jesus but had missed this point of Jesus working with us and through us by staying within the four corners of our churches waiting for Jesus to do the work by bringing people to the church. However things changed when we allowed Jesus to work with and through us by making disciples of Jesus across the street and around the world. From the time we allowed Foundations for Living Society to train us and offer us materials for training disciples we have seen Jesus working with us and through us."  

Simon's work outside the church walls includes ministry to street boys, prison ministry, small group discipleship training. The neat part of this story is that the local church benefits greatly from this work done outside the church walls. One of the street boys is now a pastor. Prison inmates are becoming Jesus followers and are discipled. When they are released from prison they are given help to reintegrate into society including attending worship services. 

The bottom line is, Jesus blesses all the work done in his name. There is a high value for communities to have physical places where Jesus followers gather for worship. Work outside the walls of the church is also important. Jesus is able to use all of our efforts to successfully build his church.