The Ven Andy Broom, Archdeacon of the East Riding writes:
Fortunately for the Church, the Trade Descriptions Act does not apply to us, otherwise I wonder sometimes whether we might be liable for a complaint under it?! The Church is so many things. We are:
- at the heart of our community, a local cohesive force for good
- a place where God can be known and worshipped
- the Church of England, there for everyone
- the Institutional Church, on hand for civic and national events
- the Diocese, a collaborative organisational network
All of this is true and it’s all part of the picture of being church. But does any of this actually get to the heart of what church is, and what it’s for? The Acts of the Apostles depicts the church as a group of people who became convinced that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and they were completely transformed by their encounter with him and with his Holy Spirit. Their lives were shaped by Christ and, as we say in our diocese, they set out individually and together, to Live Christ’s Story. Living for him, and with him, was their priority.
The Church has many purposes and different ways of expressing itself. There is so much we can offer, so many ways that we can serve. We may need, though, to come back to the ‘core business’ of church, of knowing Jesus and the power of his Holy Spirit. For when that comes first and is foremost, the church is at its most effective – just look at the Acts of Apostles!
