We had a lively discussion at our staff meeting yesterday over what the church should be. Several topics were discussed, but the conversation came down to, “What kind of church do we want to be?” (By the way, the sign of a great team is being able to have discussions like these – I serve with an exceptionally intelligent group of people who love to think through tough issues like this)

I said, “It boils down to 2 things: We can be a church where when you walk in and look at everyone from the staff, the volunteers, and the attenders, people can be wowed by what they can become. Or they can walk in and see a work in progress. A place that is a friend of sinners. In this scenario, they can be wowed by God’s grace.”

My 2 cents: I’d rather be a church that’s a friend of sinners because I am one. I’d rather be a church that’s a work in progress because I am one. Any church that sets itself up as ‘this is what you can become once you hang out with us for a while’ makes me want to puke. Maybe that was the problem in Laodicea? They didn’t think they needed anything, but they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. In a word: sinners.

I have a church full of sinners. In our tribe, that makes me the chief…of sinners.