CHURCH AS COMMUNITY OF

DISCIPLES WITH A MISSION

Prayer: Direct we beseech you, O Lord, all our
actions by your holy inspiration and carry
them on by your gracious assistance so that
every thought, prayer and act of ours may
always begin from you and be happily ended
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the learner will be able
to;
• Explain the meaning of the church;
• Clarifies the mission of the Church; and
• Responds positively to the call of God in
their day to day living.
 How do churches
and buildings differ
from one another?
What is the Church?
What is the Church_.mp4
 Old Testament - qahal - as ‘congregation’ or ‘assembly’
New Testament – ekklesia - ‘called out’

Both terms mean “the people of God called together,” or

an “assembly convoked by God.” Thus, they stress the
action of God in calling the people together. The Church
thus claims to be a faith-assembly whose root cause is
God’s free call to all to share His divine goodness and love
in Christ.
On the following verses in the
Bible, identify the church's
mission.
 Mark 1:14-15 NIV
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he
said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and
believe the good news!”
Matthew 28:19 NIV
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit
 Mark 16:15 (NIV)
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to all creation.

Luke 24:47 NIV

and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be
preached in his name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem.
 Matthew 24:14:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the
whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will
come.”

Acts 1:8:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
What is the mission of the
church?
How can we participate in the
mission of the church?
 Mission of the Church
The reason the Church exists is to evangelize: to send
Christ-bearers into the world to live and preach the Good
News, transforming the world into the Kingdom of God --
"on earth as it is in heaven." This is primarily the work of
the laity, who has a unique knowledge of and presence in
the world.
 Gospel Living

How we live out our lives focused on the

Gospel:
continuing our conversion in relationship
with Jesus, living lives of discipleship, and
sharing our faith with others.
 Faith in Action
Create a poster, using drawings or images
from magazines, that shows ways you
participate in Jesus’ mission. How do you,
and how can you, serve others?