Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box

I live in a Bible Belt in Western Canada and get this question from time to time.

“Where do you go to church?”

However, it’s the wrong question because it misses what Jesus called us to.

You cannot ‘go’ to something you ‘are.’ 

We who are in Christ, ARE the church, the body of Christ. He is the head, not the pastor or priest. He gathers His people in groups as small as 2 or 3.

“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20 NLT)

Focusing on attending gatherings misses the real power of living the life of Jesus.

When you simply make disciples as God’s Spirit leads you …anywhere, with anyone, in Jesus’ name, church happens!

Family happens.
Discipleship happens.

Jesus said: Make disciples.
Never did he say: go to church.

So, the true question could possibly be: “How’s disciple making going?”
and not: “Where do you go to church?”

¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)

I remember the first time someone asked me: “What’s God been saying to you lately?” It’s become one of my favourite questions to ponder with others. It focuses on relationship and being in union with Jesus, and not on passive rituals.

The Lord is inviting his followers on adventures by embracing the idea of first simply being with Him, hearing His voice, and then making disciples and seeing church happen in a variety of expressions: over zoom, in homes, the marketplace, etc. These settings can provide rich opportunities to explore the Bible, learn about Jesus, encounter Him, and discover what it means to be a disciple—a true follower of Jesus.

Whenever I am invited to minister in an institutional church setting, my heart is first to lead people to encounter God’s heart for them, and then to encounter each other’s hearts. God is community and we are created for community. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 includes that we would be in union with God and each other. Yet, too often institutional church buildings and services facilitate a very individualistic setting despite having a group of people around you.

Jesus came to earth to spread the good news about the Kingdom of God, where God in people’s hearts can transform lives, families, neighborhoods, and the entire world.

Jesus also called the body of Christ to naturally flow as His Spirit leads. We see God’s people moving and flowing like a river, adapting to various formats, from large congregations to small gatherings of friends and neighbours in living rooms. In these settings, we embrace the teachings of the Word, we support and care for one another, and follow leadership guided by God’s Spirit, as described in Ephesians 4:11-12.

Dig Deeper:

Disciplemaking is a lifestyle of intentional spiritual friendships following Jesus.

Here’s my own very vulnerable story and numerous stories of women with me on this very adventure of ‘being’ the church!