Introduction
Are you willing to move from merely attending church to actually being the church, growing as a disciple who knows Jesus deeply and makes Him known courageously? The central teaching I want to press into your heart is this: the purpose of the church is to know Jesus and make Him known, like a city on a hill shining the light of Christ into a confused world (cf. Matthew 5:14). We’re living in a cultural moment where people feel stirred, weary, confused, even heartbroken, and many are showing up to church looking for answers and direction. Coming to church is a good first step. But I want to give you vision for why we do what we do, because every healthy church needs occasional “family meetings” to remember our purpose and align our hearts. Just like a household needs clarity and direction, so does a church family. Here’s the simple mission that shapes everything: we exist to know Jesus and make Him known. That’s not only a mission statement for a church, it’s a beautiful filter for your whole life.
Main Points
Are you willing to move from merely attending church to actually being the church, growing as a disciple who knows Jesus deeply and makes Him known courageously? The central teaching I want to press into your heart is this: the purpose of the church is to know Jesus and make Him known, like a city on a hill shining the light of Christ into a confused world (cf. Matthew 5:14).
We’re living in a cultural moment where people feel stirred, weary, confused, even heartbroken, and many are showing up to church looking for answers and direction. Coming to church is a good first step. But I want to give you vision for why we do what we do, because every healthy church needs occasional “family meetings” to remember our purpose and align our hearts. Just like a household needs clarity and direction, so does a church family.
Here’s the simple mission that shapes everything: we exist to know Jesus and make Him known. That’s not only a mission statement for a church, it’s a beautiful filter for your whole life.
Mission Shapes Vision and Direction
Let me start with a simple reality: the mission makes the vision. Vision is about where we’re going and how we’ll get there, but mission is why we exist in the first place.
So when you ask, “What is the purpose of church?” we’re not talking about an event, a building, or a weekly routine. We’re talking about a people gathered by Christ, for Christ, living on mission. Our mission is straightforward:
- Know Jesus: grow in relationship with Him, learn His Word, follow Him, love Him.
- Make Him known: step out in faith where God has placed you, home, neighborhood, workplace, city.
If you ever feel lost about your purpose, I want you to come back to this: Know Him more today, and do something today that helps someone else see Him more clearly.
A City on a Hill: What Church Is
Jesus gives us a picture that explains church life beautifully:
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)
I want you to see the church as a “city within the city”, a community where people belong and where God’s glory is meant to be visible. Whether people admit it or not, they’re searching for belonging and direction. Jesus says His people together will be like a lit-up city, noticeable, distinct, and impossible to hide.
That means we don’t gather just to be informed; we gather to be formed as citizens of heaven who show our world what Christ’s kingdom looks like in real life. In our case, we’re planted in Boise, but we’re also part of something bigger: the people of God shining in the place God assigned us.
From that “city” picture, I want to give you the three fundamentals that help a church fulfill its mission:
- Core Leadership
- Corporate Worship
- Community Discipleship
Strong Shepherding for Scattered People
A healthy city needs good leadership, and the church does too. Jesus looked at the crowds and identified a core problem:
“When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
People who are weary and scattered need shepherding. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, but He also raises up under-shepherds to care for His flock. That’s why Paul told Titus:
“…set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city…” (Titus 1; cf. Titus 1:5)
In other words: when a church is out of order, when it needs strengthening, when it needs to shine brighter, one essential piece is godly leadership.
So I want you to understand what we aim for in leaders, drawn from the pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, Titus):
- Qualified character (blameless maturity, Scripture gives clear categories and traits)
- Healthy households (their primary ministry starts at home, wife, children, integrity)
- Good reputation (people inside and outside the church recognize their credibility)
- Sound doctrine (leaders anchored in Scripture, not swayed by culture or opinion)
I also want to say gently: no church has perfect leaders. We need grace. But we also need conviction, because leadership affects the health of the whole church family.
Leaders Who Serve, Train, and Multiply
Part of our church’s story is that God has sustained us through storms, and one reason is His grace in providing leaders who want to shepherd well.
I’ve even seen this stir faith from afar. A couple from Tampa, Florida, tuned into livestream, reached out, and seriously considered selling their house and transferring jobs just to be part of this church family. When they visited, one of the greatest joys wasn’t showing them a building, it was introducing them to the people who carry the shepherding and serving weight of this church: pastors, elders, ministry leaders, and community leadership.
Here’s what I want you to understand about leadership among us:
- Pastoral Team: men who shepherd “a flock within the flock,” and who are available for pastoral care, prayer, counsel, hospital visits, anointing the sick, funerals, weddings, teaching, and spiritual guidance.
- Pastors in Training: because we must always be investing in the next generation. Healthy churches raise up leaders rather than only relying on a few.
- Bivocational Pastors: men serving in everyday vocations while also carrying specific ministry responsibilities, expanding our capacity to shepherd beyond what a limited staff can do.
- Teaching Team Development: a weekly rhythm of sharpening Bible teaching and training men to handle Scripture faithfully, so more voices can preach Christ clearly in our time.
If you’re newer, I want you to know this: leadership here is not about titles; it’s about service, shepherding, and equipping the saints.
Partnering for Valley-Wide Renewal
Another part of our leadership vision is that we don’t want to be isolated. After COVID, many smaller churches struggled to survive, and God opened doors for us to step into church revitalization in our valley. We’ve been able to partner with churches by sending pastors and even sending people, so those congregations could be strengthened rather than disappear.
This kind of partnership has also created shared mission opportunities, like baptisms together and plans to collaborate in missions.
I want you to catch the heart behind that: a “city on a hill” mindset doesn’t only care about its own streets, it cares about the wellbeing of the surrounding region, for the sake of Christ’s name.
Women Fully Functioning in Church Life
I also want to speak clearly and appreciatively about women in leadership.
Scripture delineates distinct roles for men and women in the home and church, and at the same time, women are crucial to the life and health of the church. The church cannot function as God intends without women fully engaging their gifts and callings.
Our conviction is this: Scripture reserves the role of elder/pastor (the governing, overseeing office of the church) for qualified men, while women lead powerfully and visibly in many other essential ways, hospitality, outreach, administration, conferences, discipleship, children’s ministry, education, and more.
In other words, we aim to live with a complementarian conviction that isn’t restrictive in spirit, but honoring in design, men and women working together as God intended, for the good of the church and the glory of Christ.
Conclusion
I want you to remember the simple purpose behind everything we do: to know Jesus and make Him known. In a world where people feel weary and scattered, the church is called to be a bright “city on a hill”, a place of belonging, clarity, shepherding, worship, and discipleship.
As your discipler in this moment, I’m asking you to respond personally:
- Will you commit to knowing Jesus more, not vaguely, but deliberately through His Word and obedience?
- Will you commit to making Him known, through courage, love, and faithful presence where God has placed you?
- Will you pray for and support the kind of leadership that helps a church stay in order and shine brightly?
Let’s not only come to church in a cultural moment of confusion. Let’s become the kind of church Jesus described, visible, faithful, shepherded, and on mission.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your compassion for weary and scattered people. Thank You that You are our Chief Shepherd, and that You gather us into Your church as a city on a hill meant to shine. Help us as a church family to stay centered on our mission: to know You and to make You known. Raise up strong, humble, qualified leaders who love Your Word, shepherd Your people, and model godly character at home and in public. Strengthen every woman and man in this church to serve fully in the role You’ve designed, with joy and unity. And for those who are searching, confused, or returning to You, draw them close, give them clarity, and meet them with Your grace. Make our church bright with truth and warm with love, for Your glory. Amen.
Conclusion
I want you to remember the simple purpose behind everything we do: to know Jesus and make Him known. In a world where people feel weary and scattered, the church is called to be a bright “city on a hill”, a place of belonging, clarity, shepherding, worship, and discipleship.
As your discipler in this moment, I’m asking you to respond personally:
- Will you commit to knowing Jesus more, not vaguely, but deliberately through His Word and obedience?
- Will you commit to making Him known, through courage, love, and faithful presence where God has placed you?
- Will you pray for and support the kind of leadership that helps a church stay in order and shine brightly?
Let’s not only come to church in a cultural moment of confusion. Let’s become the kind of church Jesus described, visible, faithful, shepherded, and on mission.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your compassion for weary and scattered people. Thank You that You are our Chief Shepherd, and that You gather us into Your church as a city on a hill meant to shine. Help us as a church family to stay centered on our mission: to know You and to make You known. Raise up strong, humble, qualified leaders who love Your Word, shepherd Your people, and model godly character at home and in public. Strengthen every woman and man in this church to serve fully in the role You’ve designed, with joy and unity. And for those who are searching, confused, or returning to You, draw them close, give them clarity, and meet them with Your grace. Make our church bright with truth and warm with love, for Your glory. Amen.