Church is not a building or a financial entity. The church is the bride of Christ made up of believers who bring the Holy Spirit into the sanctuary with them whenever they come to worship. These precious souls make up the body, the congregation. They form lasting friendships and live life together, sharing in their worship times and in activities outside the facilities of the church. I joined a small group at FCCF and formed strong bonds with them as brothers and sisters in Christ. We learned together, sang together, laughed and even grieved together. They are my church family even though I am now miles away. My church family expanded, as I have more brothers and sisters in Christ here. We learn together, sing together and grieve together, sharing life together in the Holy Spirit. The body is not bound by the walls of buildings, though we are told not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together. Whatever congregation we decide to join should be led by gracious and godly leaders who believe in and operate under full transparency before the members.
“Then I turn to the people, because the congregation is all about the people: the sermons they hear, the loyalty to their church home, their attachment to their pastor, and their deep sense of hurt when they discover the truth of what their leaders hid behind a veil of creative stage settings, dim lighting, and fog machines.” (Taylor, Joy S., A View from the Pews — The Inside Story of a Broken Church, 2022, Lily of the Valley Publishing, Santa Claus IN, p. 12)