1.21 Church

The Church is both a people and a place. It is the people who, by faith, belong to Jesus and seek to follow him. And it is the place where God meets with, cares for, and nurtures his people. In our current setting, churches have a tendency to emphasize one of these aspects of the church over the other, with the result that they are unbalanced, and fail to provide for important aspects of the Christian life. At 1.21, we’re far from perfect, but our desire is to emphasize both aspects of church life for the glory of Jesus and the good of the church. To that end, our church exists in two forms: Corporate Gathering and Mission Groups.

In Corporate Gathering we emphasize the church as place. This is where week after week we meet with God. In corporate worship we do act, but the most important actions are performed by God, who meets with us, speaks to us, guides us, and feeds us through preaching and the sacraments. What happens here is indispensable for the Christian life.

In Mission Groups we emphasize the church as people. Church doesn’t end at 11.30 on Sunday, because we are the church. Throughout the week we share life together, and work through what it means to follow Jesus, as we seek to live like him, and join in a common mission. What happens here is indispensable for the Christian life.