Growing the Church God's way

This weekend we have a church day away at which we are going to think about where we are as a church and then where we are going.

It has been great to take some time to think about the fact we are God's church and we are to grow according to the pattern God sets. The book of Ephesians overflows with the wonder of God's church. In it the church is described as:

• Gathered by the gospel (Eph 1:13)
• Marked by the presence of the Spirit (1:14)
• Waiting in hope (1:18)
• Christ’s body of which he is head (1:23)
• Saved by grace for good works (2:8-10)
• God’s new humanity (2:15-16)
• God’s household built on the Apostles and prophets, with Jesus as cornerstone (2:20)
• God’s holy temple in which the Spirit is at work (2:21-22)
• designed to reveal God’s wisdom and glorify him (3:10)
• engaged in helping each other be changed by the gospel (4:1-16)

The challenge when we think of church is to lay aside what we would like church to be and to be captured by the vision which God has for his grace filled, overflowing people.