A Community, Not a Club
“I’m not interested in country club Christianity.”
I sat quietly in my seat, waiting for my friend to explain his comment.
“You know, sometimes church can feel like a country club. I don’t think that’s what the local church is all about.”
He was right. We grew up together and had witnessed the same phenomenon. Sometimes, the local church does feel like a country club. People dress up to attend. They pay their “dues” (tithes). Then they sit back and enjoy the privileges of membership—programs catered to them, worship services that fit their tastes, events planned for their amusement.
None of those things, on their own, is wrong. Wearing nice clothes to a gathering, giving financially to the work of the ministry, enjoying church programs and services, and attending events are all neutral—or in some cases, even good—actions. But when our attitudes match those of country club members and those activities become the sum of our engagement with a local body of believers, we are missing a key aspect of the Christian life.
The local church isn’t a country club; it’s a community. We are not a people organized for our comfort; we are a people mobilized for gospel mission. We exist for each other, and for our faith-deficient friends in our community and around the world.
A biblical church isn’t transactional; it’s relational. We are not a collection of individuals who all happen to frequent the same religious establishment. We are a community of believers who are there for each other when life is great and when everything is falling apart—constantly refocusing each other on the gospel. A local church should be defined by transformational relationships—deep connections among believers that allow for joy-filled moments and difficult conversations.
Let’s examine Fee Fee Baptist Church. Or, even better, let’s examine our own approach to the local church. Are we a country club or a community? Is your relationship with the local church primarily transactional or missional?
Whatever your response, let’s grow to look even more like a community together.