More Than an Organization? (by Tiffany Malloy)

In Sunday School, we’ve been talking about the nature of the Kingdom over the past few months and what that means for the way we live within that Kingdom.

Out of this discussion we’ve talked about various organizations in Columbia and around the world, and the value that they add to peoples’ lives. Some people choose to serve in and through the local church only, while others see the great things that secular organizations are doing to lift people out of poverty or help them in some other way. We even talked about how sometimes the secular ones are more “successful”, maybe because of the time, energy, and money that is put in those, versus a bunch of volunteers in the church doing one thing a month to help the local neighborhood.

BUT, what if God wants us to focus more time on working through a local church, EVEN IF we’re replicating what’s being done by a secular organization. I know, I know, last week I would have said that was silly. And maybe it is.

But.

What if God wants to use the body of believers, together, to reach our communities and world IN HIS NAME? Does the work of the Holy Spirit pour special favor out on those who working together with the local church specifically? I guess a deeper question would be what is the ultimate mission of God? Is he most concerned with people being fed and clothed? Or is he most concerned about people coming to know Him? And how does He want to use His Bride, specifically united and as a unique body, in that?

Now, I know that the HS works through us individually in the places we’re serving. I get that. BUT, what if that’s a little too individualistic? What if that line of thinking has grown out of a very individualist culture? What if the community DOES matter? What if the collective is MORE important than the individual effort? What if God is wanting to use us more as an organized body of brother and sisters, reaching out to people … but in the name of Jesus?
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Tiffany Malloy is a mom of three and a wife of one living in Wilmore, Kentucky where she is finishing up a degree at Asbury Theological Seminary and trying to live a kingdom-building life. Loving God. Loving Others. Loving Myself. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog.