What is a local church?

A local church can be defined in a number of different ways. Primarily, the local church is viewed as the point in a community that the nearby population congregates to participate in a worship or religious service. This in itself can have a number of different meanings. As a noun, a ‘church’ can refer to a physical location or building, but also can mean a collection of worshipers presiding over a service, or even the action of the service itself. Interestingly enough, the connotation of the word ‘church’ invariably points to the Christian religion.

As the physical structure is not of the intent of the question, this will be dispensed with. The local aspect of a collection, or body, of worshipers can also be viewed at a couple of different levels also. ‘Local’ can mean in relation to a geographic proximity to the physical structure of the church building, or it can take on a more abstract meaning. This definition is more in line with the conventional wisdom of what a local church is, a collection of individuals that meet at a particular locale to partake in a worship service. The purpose is primarily driven by the Bible’s exhortation that all believers are to come together in corporate worship. The expectation is that the local church will also serve as the center of worship and instruction for the believers in the community with the purpose of glorifying God and spreading his wisdom to the universe as noted in Eph 3:10 & 11. The believers congregate to participate in a worship along a common vein as determined by the doctrines of the Bible. From this direction a pastor/minister will be aided by the elders and deacons using the church’s bylaws and mission. Good or bad, the direction would be maintained by the leadership of the church, using discipline as necessary, provided such a policy existed. The church would also oversee the standing of all of the members of the congregation morally so that the community could maintain the proper ordinances as laid out in the Bible. This was to include baptism (Matt 28:19), communion (1 Cor 16:1,2), etc.

For the individual, the local church would provide guidance, encouragement and support for the member and his family in their worship. The church would instruct everyone on the principles of the Living God and guide them on the proper worship activity, from baptism to learning the Word. Essentially, the church provided the individual the arena to worship their God without fear of persecution or ridicule. Also, the church could also act as a single entity in performing services for the benefit of the community. The church could delegate to a committee for the oversee of widows and orphans or disaster relief for those who suffered property loss, or for any other charity that the church leadership felt needed to be addressed. The local church also was a networking center for the community where services could be scheduled to be given and received by individuals for the betterment of themselves and their community. All of these items helped the community grow strong and bond, helping them overcome difficulties that would invariably strike the population. To further help with these issues, God places in the congregation a collection of individuals with different skills but all individuals are connected by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, in 1 Cor 12:25 & 26, Paul calls us to be unified in all of our different spiritual gifts and that we should be concerned with the welfare of our brothers and sisters. He continues by reminding us that if one suffers, all suffer, and that if one rejoices, all rejoice.