Is that a "Real" Church?

The three defining marks of a church

Last summer, I was at an event near my home.

As I sat enjoying the warm weather and people-watching, I was approached by a young child. She kept staring at me… well, not at me but at Penny, the fuzz-ball dog asleep in my arms. Quizzically, she approached and asked a question,

“Is that a real dog?”

“Yep,” I answered. “She’s a real, true dog.”

Penelope Mae, my 16-pound labradoodle, is as real as any other dog, but she comes in a small body. She does the same things a big dog does. She eats dog food, chases birds, and has all the DNA that makes her a canine.

Just because she’s designed to be small doesn’t mean she’s not real.

The same could be said of microchurches. More than once I’ve been approached by someone and quizzically asked, “Is that a real church?”

What is a Church?

So, what makes a church… a church?

Is it the number of people who attend or the size of the budget? Is it owning a building or finding a stable location? Not really. No matter the size, budget, building, or model (traditional model, microchurch, alternate expression, etc.), the essential elements of a church’s DNA are all the same.

These elements can be found in megachurches and microchurches, but like my small dog, Penelope Rae, it’s often the latter that is questioned. Bree Mills, a missional thinker and practitioner from Melbourne, Australia, shares her thoughts,

“Microchurches are the primary form of church in the New Testament and in most movements around the world. However, they have often struggled to be recognized as such in the Western world, which includes my homeland of Australia. Given what we see in the early church, it’s clear that “microchurch” is simply a new name for an old idea.”

She goes on to write, “It is a form that has existed throughout time in different movements, such as the Moravian Revival and other non-Western church-planting movements that have brought the gospel into new places.”

When we look at the essential ecclesiology of the early church in the Book of Acts, there are three defining elements– Worship, Community, and Mission (Acts 2:42-47). As the believers met together, shared meals together, worshipped and learned together - and as God added to their numbers daily – they gave life to the minimum or essential ecclesiology of a church.

Let’s take a look at each of the three elements mentioned.

The DNA of a Church

Worship – Sharing the DNA

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). 

Worshipping and growing together is an essential part of a church. While this can look different stylistically, the foundational idea is to grow in our understanding and worship of Jesus. He is the Lord and has a calling on our lives to walk in obedience to him.

If a church is not oriented around Jesus and facilitating worship and growth in Christ, then it’s not a real church.

Community – Contextualizing the DNA

“They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:45). 

We all need community. The surgeon general recently released the results of a study that declared loneliness to be the greatest health risk to our society. We were designed to be in communion with Jesus and with one other. While churches of all models should provide a place for fellowship and community, this is often a special element in microchurches.

In smaller groups, it becomes easier to live life together, work alongside one another, and journey together in community.

Mission – Reproducing the DNA

“…praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). 

Matthew 28:19 tells us to “go and make disciples.” We have been given a clear mission to be vessels of hope to everyone in our radius. As we grow in worship and community, we live on mission to make disciples and mobilize disciple-makers.

In a recent study about the effectiveness of smaller churches on mission, my friend Andy Merritt, Planter, Pastor, and Executive Producer of Church Planter Assessment Centers for The Wesleyan Church, cited an amazing statistic. He writes,

“In the first year, large-launch churches had an average combined evangelistic impact of 20 salvations and 16 baptisms. On the other hand, smaller churches that are evangelistically focused saw double that with 40 salvations and 30 baptisms.”

His conclusion was that smaller churches focused on evangelism can have as great of an impact as larger ones. Mission is an essential part of the DNA of a church.

Jesus at the Center

Planting a church of any model means nothing without Jesus at the center.

In every church, the nucleus has to be Jesus. He is Lord. While it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people, the essential marks of a “real” church are 1) worship, 2) community, and 3) mission.

This is the example of the early church in the Book of Acts.

The next time someone asks, “Is that really a church?” use these filters to form your answer.

• Is it creating a place for worship, growth, and learning?

• Is it providing a place for fellowship and community to see needs being met and lives transformed?

• Is it living on mission as an engine for disciple-making?

• Is Jesus the center of the faith community?

A church is often described as “a worshipping community on mission,” and yes, a microchurch can be a “real” church.

If you feel a burden for your community and the people around you, and God might be leading you to start a small expression of the church, I’d love to talk with you.

Aimee Pratt is the Director of Next Initiative and also serves Mobilize the Church and The Wesleyan Church. You can reach her at aimee@next-initiative.com.