Total Christ
Total Christ Church
We want to be a church that truly represents Christ. Augustine called it a “total Christ church.” He believed that a church like this reflects Christ’s presence in the world. According to Augustine, such a church can be recognized by these characteristics:
First, Gospel-Centered
In a Gospel Church we see:
– People feeling certain of God’s love because of his grace in Christ alone.
– People whose identity comes from being children of God, not from what they do.
– People who are are open about confessing their wrongdoings or sins.
– People who see suffering as a way to grow and learn instead of as God’s punishment.
– People who are motivated to serve out of personal gratitude instead of just feeling like it’s their duty.
– People who are more and more set free from a self-promoting, self-defending, self-justifying, blame-shifting approach to life.
– Instead, these are people who love following God’s laws and find that it helps them and their community to flourish.
– People who enjoy taking a break on the sabbath day and trusting that God will provide for them.
The gospel isn’t just the A-B-C’s of salvation, but the A-to-Z of the Christian Life.
Tim Keller.
Second, Missionally-Present
Being a church that is centered on the gospel is very important. However, in our individualistic culture, we often only think about our own relationship with Jesus and forget about the importance of being a part of a community of believers. We believe that the gospel isn’t just about our own personal salvation, it’s also about being connected to Jesus and to other believers as a part of His Body, the Church. This is what we mean when we talk about the church being a representation of Jesus in the world.
Instead of just being a place that sends people out to do good things, the Church is where we come together to be like Jesus and show His love to the world around us. Our understanding of the Church is different because we believe that we are a part of Jesus’ Body on earth, which is made possible through the Holy Spirit. This changes everything about the way we think of “church!”
We believe that local, Christ-centered churches are the center of Christ’s saving presence on earth “against which even the gates of hell cannot prevail!” and that the church’s presence is God’s missionary strategy to the world (Mt. 16:18, John 1:14, 20:21 with Eph 1:22-23, 2:18ff)!
In a church that sees itself as the Missional Presence of Christ we see:
– An emphasis on evangelism as sharing the good news about Christ with people in ways that are helpful to them, not just try to win arguments.
– Welcome of people who are not Christians into the life and worship of the church
– Worship that participates in the mystery of Christ’s “transcendent otherness” and also accessible, through the incarnate presence of Christ, in local styles and customs.
– A willingness to make personal sacrifices for the sake of the “elect” – both the ones who already go to church and the ones who don’t.
– A confidence that the outward means of grace (Word, prayer, sacraments, community) are important ways to reach people with God’s message.
– A church that thinks of themselves as missionaries, both locally and globally.
– A church that knows itself to be God’s strategic presence in its city or town.