It’s easy for churches to get busy doing a lot of activities. Many of these activities are good, and they are done in a sincere attempt to serve Christ. Other activities distract attention and divert funds from what the church ought to be about. However, regardless of a church’s motives or the effect of it’s activities, the question we must start with is this:
What does Scripture say the church should be about?
Church Activities According to Scripture
That’s the real issue, not surveys, trends, business models, or even the needs of those to whom we’re called to minister. We get our orders from the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, and he has not left us in the dark. He has told us in his Word what we’re to be about. In Secret Church 9: The Body of Christ, David Platt lists seven activities that the church should be about (SC 9 Study Guide, pgs. 33-87). Here, according to Scripture, is what the church does:
1. The church evangelizes.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . .” (Matt 28:19)
2. The church baptizes.
“ . . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:19)
3. The church teaches.
“ . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:20)
4. The church nurtures.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship . . .” (Acts 2:42)
5. The church worships.
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23)
6. The church prays.
“And they devoted themselves to . . . the prayers.”
7. The church multiplies.
“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” (Acts 9:31)
What is the Priority of Your Church Activities?
Now certainly some of these activities will be carried out in different ways depending on the church. For instance, there will likely be multiple ways church members gather for prayer and fellowship. However, on the whole, these priorities should mark the church’s activities.
Do these activities mark your church’s ministries and budget?
Additional Resources Secret Church 9: The Body of Christ, Radical Together, Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God.
