Nature and Mission of The Church

The earliest name of the Christian Church was “The Way”. It consisted of a group of persons professing trust in Christ. The symbol for the early church in the history of Christianity was the “bat”. The church was an ark of salvation for the lost. The church is described as the body of Christ in Paul’s letters. Some theologians believe that the church exists only in the preaching, hearing and obedience to the Kerygma (the act of preaching). The content of preaching in the New Testament is centered on Jesus. The preaching about Jesus concerns the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are two elements in the church. The first element is God. The second Nature and Mission of The Church element is the body of believers in God. The church has a profound mission. Its mission is to develop a sense of reality of God in the life of each believer. Experience is an excellent way to sense the reality of God. The scripture plays a major role in experiencing God’s grace. Christianity is practiced by Christians. Believers were called Christiaris first in Antioch because they were Christ like. A Christian is one whose life and behavior is Christ-like. Christianity is a kind of life that is to be lived each day. When the church becomes aware of its mission of spiritual leadership it will become a commanding place of influence in today’s world. The mission of the church must be to become aware of its leadership in the world. The church must provide and become aware of its role in world leadership. This involves a new type of training for its ministries, its leaders and mission workers. There is a need for concrete and specific guidance for the young generation in today’s churches. The church is the major institution in the community. We must not forget that the church is Christ manifested in flesh. The church begin with Christ, therefore wherever Christ resides there is His church. The church belongs to God. Let us make the church seen as the body of Christ and a place where we devote ourselves and lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and establisher of the Church.