Church vs. Para-Church

There are two things that I have a passion for, yea, three that I am gifted in. Ministering to men through feasting, evangelizing through feast and games, and mentoring children through sport.  Hm...tried to make a little chiasm there, might have pulled it off.

There are some things that I'm good at. Some that I'm not. The things listed above are definitely things that I'm good at. So I've coached basketball with Christian ministries. Started a rugby club that threw amazing parties. Got Baptists and Catholics and Reformed types together for discussion and cigars through my business. Got other businesses involved in a beer and hymns night for dudes. Some of this on my own, some of it with big para-church organizations. And now I'm a proud member of OMI Internacional, a para-church ministry if ever there was one.

Christians worship together ever Sunday, are fed every Sunday, and are commissioned to go out into the world every Sunday. And sometimes they form organizations built to build certain things out in the world as they fulfill the great commission. But none of these other organizations, whether they be a few Christian friends who get together to minister to their town or vast multinational ministries that bring the Gospel to millions, are the church. The Church is the Church, and the Church is a hot mess that comes down from Heaven even now, bringing the city of God with it.

Allow me to turn on my camera and talk about two things the Church brings the world that para-church simply cannot.