Why This Church?

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

Crossing Thresholds Prayer Guide, Day 2

“Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink.”- I Corinthians 12:12-13, CEB

“There are many churches in your community. You could be part of any one of them. But you choose to live out your faith through this faith community. What is it about this church that you are drawn in, that you are here?”

I love this question. I’ve grown to love it over the years because of what it reveals and how people light up when answering this question. We often use it during church consultations, learning about the essence of a church. Most of the time, disciples in churches respond with life giving answers, describing how this church and their personal faith journeys intersect in powerful ways. Occasionally, people give more ordinary answers, like “I married in,” or “I was raised here and never left.” Even less frequently, people hesitantly share answers of which they are clearly not proud, “It’s just my habit, what we do on Sunday mornings.” These last statements provide an opportunity for personal reflection on their why.

So what about you? Why are you part of this church? What is it about this particular church that you choose to live out your faith with and through this church? Your answers may include deeply personal insights right alongside logistical reasons. Sometimes slightly shifting the question draws insights to the surface like, “Why do you continue with this particular church?” Those who have been a part of their church for a long time will sometimes share that their current answers are different than their original answers. “We started here because we wanted to raise our children with other families in a Christian community of faith. Now, our children are grown, yet we remain so that we can love on the younger families who are doing what we did here.”

When enough people in a particular church answer this question, those paying attention begin to understand the core commitments of this church, even the DNA, the essence of this church. Certainly we are all different, with different faith journeys. At the same time, we are drawn to particular church communities because of that church’s identity.

Prayer Prompt – What’s coming to you, rising in you, as you consider this question? Please share your answers under Insights For This Church. Then, in an attitude of prayer and reflection, consider what your answers might suggest to you. Looking at them, what insights come your way? How do you feel about these answers? What do they say about your faith life? Perhaps this suggests how you might pray for yourself and for your church this day.

Crossing Thresholds Prayer Guide is a new book of 40 daily devotionals with Prayer Prompts and Response Pages for churches pursuing visioning or discernment. Though we have not “officially” launched this new book, three churches are using it during Lent, preparing their people for visioning after Easter. Crossing Thresholds can be found on Amazon, or we at Pinnacle can secure them for a lower price when ordering multiple copies.