Practical Steps to Help the Christian Church

One of the reoccurring themes in the Elmore article is that faith draws Christians to the church, and the church community is a place for everyone to worship together (97-109). Elmore quotes the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians and compares the church to a body, where different parts come together to make a whole (104). However, one of the chief complaints from the community about the church is that it does not “express more love to the world…”, causing the presence of religion and conflict within the community (Elmore 109). Christians can begin with two small steps to remedy this issue while helping the church to adhere to Christian principles and better reflect the body of Christ within their community.

First, the church must begin by being more welcoming to new members. Instead of rebuking newcomers to the church, much like the disciples rebuked the little children going to Jesus, the church community must welcome everyone into worship as Jesus did, to be a better reflection of Christ (Matthew 19). The doors of the church should be open to everyone.

Second, the church must be more tolerant of diversity within the church community. While the text says that each part of the body performs a necessary function for the whole, the church is not always perceived as being inviting to those who are different than the congregation at large (Elmore 105). Churches can hold outreach events to the community in order to welcome visitors to the church, and encourage everyone to join in worship, regardless of how they look or how much money they have.

These two steps, although not a remedy for everything wrong with the church, can begin to help Christians make the church reflect Christ better within their community.

Works Cited

"Matthew 19." The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments: translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revise. New-York: Stereotyped for the American Bible Society by D. & G. Bruce, 1817. Print.

Towns, Elmer L. “Christianity is an Interactive Community.” Core Christianity: What is Christianity all About? Chattanooga, Tenn.: AMG Publishers, 2007. 97-109. Print.