I’ve read many thoughts and ideas about what the mission of the church is.  I’ve heard lots of debates about it to.  And for all the debates, there still seems to be a whole lot of uncertainty.

I saw this quote from Gary Vaynerchuk the other day talking about Apple and why Apple is so unique as a company –

“Apple focuses on building a relationship that will last by deploying all of their energy into branding and showcasing how your life will change once you switch to iphone.”

Read it again.  Let it sink in.

Now, substitute a few words.  Instead of Apple, insert your church’s name.  Instead of iPhone, insert Jesus.  Take out the word branding and slightly alter the ending.

Now read it.

Here’s a sample – I’ll throw in the name of the church I serve – St. Stephen Lutheran Church

St. Stephen Lutheran Church focuses on building a relationship that will last by deploying all of their energy in showcasing how your life is and will be changing once you have an encounter with Jesus.

This quote is about as good of a mission statement for a church as I have ever read.

And it is exactly what we as a church are called to be and do.

Are we showcasing how our lives are changed because of an encounter with Jesus?

If not, why not?  If not, what has to change?  Does Jesus change our life when Jesus encounters us, becomes incarnate and dwells among us?  If not, then are we really encountering Jesus?  And what’s the point of church anyway then?

If Jesus is changing our lives when we encounter him, yet we are afraid to share these stories, then I have to ask – why?  Why is it ok to talk openly about how the iPhone changed our life, but we become shy when it is Jesus?

What makes the church unique – different from any other social service, community group, club, or anything else is Jesus and how Jesus changes our lives when Jesus encounters us.

Tell that story – it’s our mission.