We and our churches  have been placed in a community / neighborhood  / city for a purpose.   One purpose is to serve the community / neighborhood  / city its people and institutions with the agape’  love that has been shown to us by Jesus.   This type of love doesn’t  expect a return or even a recognition.   But another reason we, and our churches are here is that  God would use the community around us to help us.

One way to evaluate our church is to look at Sunday attendance, the size  of the congregation or the offering  or how many were baptized.  Another way to evaluate our church is to look at the health and well-being  of the community around us.  Looking at the needs of our community is daunting.  There is far too much unnecessary illness, poverty, abuse, chemical dependency, divorce, child trauma, homelessness and violence for us to handle. We need the Holy Spirit, the whole Church and the help of the whole community to tackle these issues effectively.   One of the best reader board signs on a church:  Your help is needed