Building The Body By Gary L. McIntosh And Phil StevensonSample

Day Three

Keeping the Oxygen Flowing

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Oxygen is the lifeblood of the body, as it is for churches. So what keeps oxygen flowing to the vital organs of a church? A focus on outreach, effective evangelism, and community engagement. These activities bring new energy to a church body to keep it living and breathing. 

An outward focus is the beginning point for outreach. Outward-focused churches are aware of the culture in which their ministries take place. Other churches may aspire to reach out but the internal fellowship is so wonderful the members forget those outside the church. This problem is so common among churches it is called “koinonitis.” Koinonitis is present when those within the church become selfish. They wane in their desire to reach the unchurched. Their thinking, planning, and concern are all about them. At other times, perhaps most of the time, they just lack focus. Any outsider would find it painfully obvious that the church is not outward-focused, but no one inside the church can see it.

Churches that are building the body work diligently to get, keep, and expand an outward focus. This outward focus becomes the epicenter of missional engagement. The result of an outward focus is improved cardiovascular endurance—the foundation on which effective evangelism and community engagement are built. 

Evangelism is one of the primary characteristics that help churches become fit. New birth, growing believers, and an inflow of newly connected followers of Christ breathe life into faith communities. 

Churches that are building the body are attempting to be effective in evangelism. Churches need to find how they can be effective in reaching others with the gospel. It is not the numerical size of the church but the passion of the church that matters.

Community engagement is the third aspect of cardiovascular endurance. Looking outward, equipping your people to share their faith stories, and reaching into your community supplies the oxygen to the body of Christ. Community engagement forces the church to interact with a world unlike itself. 

The church today must not allow the culture to dumb down its message. When a church makes the determination to engage the culture, it risks its reputation. There is never any guarantee the community and/or culture will not influence the church more than the church influences the culture. But it is worth the risk. 

In what ways do outreach, evangelism, and community engagement help internal fellowship in a church thrive?