What The Church is All About

The church is like a home. 
Portal 
Porch 
Path 
Purpose 
 
The PORTAL of a church is the entry point.  The portal must be visible, accessible and inviting in order for people to become interested in entering.  For the church the portal is not only the door, but the "First Impressions" people; the ushers and welcome-center personnel.  The PORTAL is also our website, Facebook Page and Twitter account.  
The PORCH must be a place of comfort, informality and welcome.  This should be a place where those coming through the portal find a welcome and feel "at home".  For most churches this would be the Worship Center.  It should be a combination of beauty, style and comfort.  The layout should foster interaction rather than isolation.  It is on the porch that immediate relationships are formed with special emphasis placed on the pre-service and post-service behavior of members.  The PORCH is our lobby & Welcome Center.  There should be happy, smiling Welcomers on the PORCH.  
The PATH begins with Sunday School or Small Groups where deliberate discipleship happens.  It continues with the various ministries that are available to those who wish to  participate.  The PATH is like a guided tour through the house.  It shows people where things are and how to access them. 
 
PURPOSE is the answer to the question "Why are we here?"  What is the reason that our church exists?  Once we know that we can proceed with fulfilling our purpose.  Our overarching purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission.  However there are some specific "hows" and "whats" that determine our specific purpose tailored to the gifts and abilities of our members.  Here are a few of those "specifics". 
  1. To provide a place for older Christians to serve, thrive and grow. 
  2. To expand our outreach to the community around us. 
      3. To provide something for the community that no other church does.
There are expansions under each of these specifics that we will deal with in another post.  In the meantime, I'd love to get feedback from you.  Please give me your ideas for expanding these specific purposes.  You can do that via the comments section below or via  our website http://www.faithbaptistchurchlp.com or one our Facebook page.  Or you can email me at bcole39@gmail.com.
 

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