It takes a church to reach a community

At conferences we often get the pastor of some ministry up to explain how things are going, sometimes even to share their tips for doing that sort of ministry.  Here's my problem with that, it makes it seem as if one man has all the answers, as if it is a one man work, as if it can be replicated.  Or as if one man or family can just drop into an area and do this or that with these tips.  But here's what I have learnt it takes a church to reach a community.

In our situation that is so clear.  The church loving, welcoming, discipling, supporting and caring for the community has opened the doors of the church to the community.  In fact it has taken church outside of the doors in serving the community where they are by means of coffee mornings, painting peoples houses, doing community projects, and so on.   People are not coming to church because of the pastor but because of the people.  They aren't coming because of my ideas or theories but because they have been loved by the church.  They come because they know they will be welcomed and loved by everyone not just by a few people.  That people in church will look after them and their children, speak to them, and more importantly listen to them and care for them.

Creating this culture within the church is the work of the elders who must model it and teach for it as we apply the gospel not just individually but vitally to the faith family as a community taken up with the gospel.  But it is not exclusively the work of the elders, rather they are just the examples and catalysts for it.  It  takes a whole church to reach a community with the gospel.