The Church and the Christian Life Cycle

By Brian Mitchell

    Who Needs the Church? And, Who does the Church Need? Do you need the church; does the church need you? Do the lost need the church; does the church need the lost? Does your family need the church; does the church need your family? Do children, singles, young families, older families and retirees need the church; does the church need them?
    The fact of the matter is that all of these groups need the church and the church needs them. The church is about people—all people—but churches are only as strong as the people that they are composed of. And the people they are composed of are only as strong as they and the church working together enable them to be. That is why it is so important for the local church and the family to work hand in hand for the betterment of both institutions. 
     The Church is a part of God’s eternal plan—Eph.3:10-12. That church in the local sense was designed to bless God’s people with emotional, social and spiritual well-being, regardless of what group they might fall in (seniors, children, families w/children, singles etc.). Even though the Bible does not record it, I can imagine that when the Lord saw the church founded that He had a similar reaction that He had to His creation of the world. I believe as our Lord looked at His church He probably said that “it was good” because of the positive effects it would have on mankind. 
    The truth is that when organized properly and conducted biblically, the church provides great benefits to all who are a part of it. When it isn’t, well the opposite is generally true. The local church offers many blessings to people that simply cannot be obtained anywhere or in anything else—not drugs, power, fame or material wealth—Just ask Solomon if you don’t believe me.
    I say all of this because in this church we have: Children, Singles and Singles Again, Young Families, Families with Teens and Retired/Senior Members. Here is the question; does the church here have anything to offer—emotionally, socially and most importantly spiritually—to those who fall into these various groups? It should!!! The church that is strong will offer something for people in all of these stages of life in order that they might become stronger in their faith and more fruitful in their service.
    The church is always the strongest when every part of the body is working together for the benefit of the whole. “But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Eph.4:15-16).
    Though composed of many members—in different stages of life—the church is still one body in Christ. Thus, it is important that we work together as one body while acknowledging the fact that certain segments of the church have certain needs, abilities and opportunities that are specific to their place in life. Thus, let us as a church make sure that we do all we can to meet these needs, cultivate those abilities and provide them with opportunities for growth and fruitfulness.

- Brian Mitchell preaches for the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net