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What is the work of the local church? For any organization to succeed, it must know its mission. No business can effectively reach its goal if it does not know what the goal(s) is. The same is true for local churches. They have a God-ordained role to play in the lives of their members.
God has blessed the church with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. These are the key players in the work of the local church. They are gifted, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12, KJV).
Some church members, perhaps many of them, believe the work of the ministry is mainly for the pastor and other staff members on the church’s payroll. But the main focus of church leaders should be to feed the flock so that they can grow to maturity. In turn, these are to do the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. This is how the local church becomes strong and less susceptible to false teachings and false prophets.
A number of benefits exists for being a member of a local church. The church is a platform for us to corporately worship God. The local church also provides a means for having fellowship with people of like faith. That’s important because you may work in a place where few, if any, believers exist that you can connect with and speak openly about your faith and be encouraged. But the church is also the place where you become better equipped for the work of the local church.
Sad but true, some local churches don’t have an effective plan for the spiritual growth of her members, nor for their involvement in the work of the local church.
