Terminology reaps huge outcomes..

The terminology we use reaps huge outcomes. In fact, the terminology we use dictates the results we get. Let me give you some examples:

"Church planters" - Is not biblical because we don't plant churches God does. Our call is to make disciples and as we do that -God births new Churches.

"Let's go to church today" - puts an emphasis on "going" as the most important thing or going to something it really isn't.

"There's a nice church over their" - puts the emphasis of church on a building or location which it will never be.

It is sad that I have to use the term "church planters" in order to find leaders who will join with God in expanding disciple making movements of God. Using this term infers that we are the ones who plant churches. Our responsibility is to make disciples. When we think we are planting the church -we look for ways to plan an event or ministries to attract the multitudes while focusing on what we can do to make it happen. If we would focus on making disciples who make disciples God would birth a movement much larger and growing much faster than anything we can possibly do ourselves with our smart methods and styles and multimedia efforts.

It's also sad that when people refer to a church "over their" or "the church" as a place to go. This subtle change usually causes us to miss the fact that we are the Church everywhere. Is it any wonder that many who go to church fail to realize they are the Church and are supposed to love, give to and serve the world by showing the world who Jesus is everyday. If the shift was from a place to a person or a people representing Jesus in the world we would finally have positive impact. The burden of being Jesus to the lost would cause us to act different and the standard of loving, not criticizing and not judging others would be what Jesus demonstrated and taught and we would treat people like Jesus would.

I prefer to call the Church the body of Christ -we are the Church. We should never say, I'm going to church, or I'm joining this church. We should say, I'm going to be with the Church that gathers at such and such or I am committing myself to serve in the world with this or that particular part of the Body of Christ in the world. Can you see how our subtle uses of terminology changes the truth of who and what we are? Does anyone have any ideas on how we can get away from terminology that has subtle and damaging consequences for the expansion of God's kingdom around the world?

What about the competition factor of referring to church as our church at such and such a place?
When we look at church this way, we live to protect ourselves, expand ourselves and keep what resources we have for ourselves. When we become the Church as the body of Christ there is no room for competition or boundaries or control issues or protecting our turf -we will work together and help others in the Body of Christ succeed in discipling others to Christ and with Christ.