Should a church be focused on the people inside it’s walls or the people outside it’s walls? This has become a big question with many perspectives. Here are some of my early observations. I think the great commission itself shows that both are necessary…both need to be vibrant. We need to be continually “Going” and we need to be continually “Making.” Going seems to most easily happen OUTSIDE the walls of the church…Making disciples seems to most naturally happen INSIDE the walls of the church, or small group, etc…

God made humanity in a way that it’s hard to fit us in a nice, clean box. The Going and the Making can happen at anytime and anywhere. We saw one of the greatest ways a church was able to do outreach and reach those around them after September 11th, 2001 was to have a building. When God shakes someone to the core they generally head to a church building, they think the people there know something about God. Additionally, Ed Stetzer’s research shows most people look for a traditional looking building over a contemporary space.

We know disciples are also made all the time outside of the four church walls. When you read about William Wilberforce, the Clapham Sect and others who powerfully changed 18th-19th century England for the sake of Christ…you hear a lot about mature Christians but not very much about church buildings….

I’m biased because my background is in church history, but I’m becoming convinced that a church moves forward on its knees…unashamed of its building…unashamed of God…unashamed of Scripture…and with an equal heart loving the people inside the walls and outside the walls.