What is Church to you?

Part 1

“We will never change the world by going to church. We will only change the world by being the church”

- Author unknown

What are we looking for? Why can’t we seem to find it, and who are we becoming more like?

Rethinking “Church”: A Call for Genuine Connection in a Modern Age:

Over the past several months, really, closer to half a year, I’ve sensed God nudging me to take a closer look at what “church” means today, particularly in the varied ways it is expressed in modern America.

How are we showing up for Jesus, for ourselves, and for others?

What does this word, one most of us have known or heard our entire lives, truly mean, and what does it stand for in practice?

For many, the word “church” might evoke images of a stage bathed in lights, perhaps even a haze from a smoke machine. For others, it might call to mind a high-energy youth pastor eager to connect with the next generation. These are not inherently negative images. In fact, the desire to share the life-giving message of Jesus is a worthy one. But I’ve sometimes wondered about the difference between genuine connection and the appearance of connection.

I’ve met well-meaning leaders whose intent, I believe, was sincere, to encourage, to speak truth, to offer hope. Yet at times, the interactions felt transactional. The conversation might start with a question about my day or my dreams, but instead of a back-and-forth exchange, it became a bridge to deliver a “word” or insight I hadn’t asked for, without the context of a relationship. It left me feeling less like a person truly known and more like a name checked off a list for them to build a crown of admirers. 

In moments like that, I can understand why some people choose to “tune in to the livestream” while folding laundry rather than engage in person.

To be clear, this is not a critique of youth pastors, creative worship teams, or the tools churches use, such as lights, technology, or even structure. I believe deeply in the power and purpose of the body of Christ. My concern lies more with the heart of how we live out that calling.

We often talk about longing for authenticity and vulnerability, yet sometimes those qualities remain ideals we discuss rather than realities we embody.

Of course, wherever people are involved, there will be imperfections. As the saying goes, “People are messy.” No church will fully match the ideal in our minds or the perfect vision in our hearts. But my own years in different church environments have left me wondering: is there a better way?

It’s easy to dwell on what a church lacks, the worship song we didn’t enjoy, the greeting that felt too brief, the sense of connection that didn’t happen on a first visit. But if we only focus on what’s missing, we risk losing sight of what’s present. We need to understand the vision we are moving toward, the picture of heaven on earth, expressed in us individually and together. 

How do we paint that picture if we haven’t first seen it for ourselves?

In exploring this, I want to look beyond personal preferences and even beyond nostalgia for “how it used to be.” I want to examine what Scripture says about the church, both in the Old Testament and in the New, and what Jesus intended from the very beginning. I also want to understand how cultural context, both nationally and globally, shapes our interpretations and expectations.

I have seen good church culture and community. I have been a part of this image in beautiful and glorious God honoring ways. As I hope we all may have had a taste of at least once in our lives, but I want this to be the many, not the least of our experiences in church.

My hope is that by combining biblical truth with honest self-reflection, we can see more clearly how our modern expressions of church align with, or drift from, the vision God has given us. And perhaps, together, we can take steps toward a more authentic, Christ-centered community.