The Core Mission of the Church

According to an article on The Christian News web page by Donna Birrell the Peterborough Cathedral in England is planning to hold an Ibiza-themed concert in November.

This concert, set to take place on “All Souls day” is being strongly criticized by church leaders across the Church of England.

In an interview with The Telegraph Daniel French, who serves as the vicar of Salcombe, said the event was “incongruent with the Christian message,” and that it “doesn’t feel quite right.”

In the final analysis, the critics of the concert were saying in various ways that “the cathedral has lost confidence in its core mission.”

While there is much in the theology taught and practiced by the Church of England with which we would disagree, they are correct on this issue.

Sadly, we have witnessed over the past 50-60 years so many churches in American deviating from the apostolic message, leaving the core principles of the gospel, and seeking to appeal to people’s carnal nature through entertainment and other pleasure appealing activities.

In addition, many churches have become more interested in a political agenda, solving social ills, and amassing great wealth. Some have even renounced Biblical morality, the sanctity of life, and God’s design for sexual fulfilment in a heterosexual monogamous marriage. Truly, such attitudes and activities are “incongruent with the Christian message.”

Even churches that have not compromised the Truth are too often just meeting without a clear sense of their “core mission.”

Preachers, pastors and all churches need to return to the Biblical pattern clearly enunciated in Acts 2:42-47 and exemplified by the Jerusalem church.

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The Jerusalem Church and other New Testament churches saw their “core mission” with a spiritual purpose, a spiritual focus, and a spiritual ministry. Specifically, this text speaks to five areas  repeated throughout the book of Acts as the gospel and Christianity spread across the Roman Empire.

#1 Worship. They assembled to praise God, pray, and eat the Lord’s supper, and preach the gospel.

#2 Fellowship. They were a family-bonded church, encouraging one another, and participating together in spiritual activities because of their commonality in Christ.

#3 Discipleship. They taught and embraced the apostles’ doctrine, which they received from the Holy Spirit. As they were edified by the Word, they sought to follow Christ and model His character.

#4 Service. Their relationship issued itself in serving one another’s needs and ministering to those less fortunate.

#5 Evangelism. The spread of Christianity in the first century was due to an evangelistic fervor fueled by mission-minded disciples who eagerly desired to share their faith.

When churches and their leaders depart from the inspired message of God’s Word, they will forget their core mission and fail not only their ministry, but fail the people they’re seeking to serve, and fail the Lord.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman