What is Church?

What is church? It's a husband and wife that invite several troubled teenagers into their home to give them a safe and positive place to live. It's a woman who has next to nothing who comes to church every Sunday morning to serve and not be served. It's a man that has next to nothing who goes out of his way every Sunday morning to pick up a woman and her troubled son so that they can go to church. It's a men's group that reaches out to a blind man who has been rejected by other churches. It's teenagers who can't wait to come to church on Sunday to feed the homeless. It's a 15 year old girl from a troubled home that can't wait to come to church because of the love she receives. It's 30 to 40 homeless men and women who come to church every Sunday. They don't come to church for a free hot breakfast. They come because they are loved and accepted. They come because the church is a safe and secure oasis compared to the chaos they deal with on a daily basis. It's a divorced couple that come to church with their son. It's people that give socks, blankets, backpacks and sleeping bags to the homeless so that they can stay warm during cold winter nights. It's a group of Christ followers who go to a cruddy, crusty bar on Friday nights to do Karaoke. When these Christ followers show up at the bar the staff says, "We're so glad you're here. You really make Friday nights fun!" It's a group of Christian men and women who understand that discipleship is sometimes defined by being "normal" and not "creepy". It's a man who sits in the lobby of the church with an addict who is crying uncontrollably. It's a man who hugs a homeless man that smells like urine, feces, body odor, alcohol and vomit. It's a man who lives in a home that gives a job to a man who lives in the woods. What is church? The church is NOT a building. "Or, to put it another way, you are God's house." -- 1 Corinthians 3:9 (The Message) "...ye are God's building." -- 1 Corinthians 3:9 (King James Version) "...you are God's building." -- 1 Corinthians 3:9 (New International Version) The church is all people who are guided by the Holy Spirit and seek to continue Christ’s life and ministry wherever and whoever they are. From http://churchformenflorida.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-is-church.html Multumesc!