One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.”

–Acts 18:9-10

Church leaders are scratching their heads these days. One common question I hear is: How do we get people back into church? This question, full of concern and doubt, driven by monetary stress and concern for the state of Christianity in our communities, is real. Yet I wonder whether such a question is really God-honoring. What if we turned from questions of self-preservation to questions about mission?

So let’s ask a different question. What if we asked how Christians were the church in their ordinary lives? Such a question assumes some rather important convictions. First, that ordinary Christians are, in fact, bearers of the Spirit. And second, that our ordinary lives – family, relationships, work, play – are the location where God does transforming work.

I’m not suggesting that communal, Sunday worship is unimportant. Actually, worship is central, life-giving practice to declare the gospel and to practice our testimony. We encounter the broad Christian community that anchors our identity – and much more! The reason for my concern about Sunday worship is that we can falsely allow Sunday worship to be the end – not the means to an end.

If we begin talking and practicing our faith in our ordinary Monday through Saturday lives, we will find another conviction emerge. This conviction – that God is already in our homes, our Zoom calls, our neighborhoods and parks – offers us a vibrant and hopeful invitation. Namely, that if we want to find and discover the wonder and mystery of God, we can do no less than look for God in the networks and relationships of our life.

The apostle Paul discovered this in Corinth. A bustling city full of commerce and trade, Corinth might look like the sort of place that God would be interested in. It was a city filled with temples; people from all kinds of places and walks of life inhabited the town. Yet God reminded Paul, “I am with you.” And significantly, God said, “There are many in this city who are my people.”

The stunning thing for Paul, and for us, is that God is already present in our cities. He is already at work pursuing God’s transforming work in ordinary people. The life and vitality of the churches we serve will be best served when church leaders model and invite others into living the Christian life Monday through Saturday. This will differ from town to town. However, it will include practices like engaging others in faith conversations, actively engaging in local community issues for the good of others, being good neighbors, getting to know the people who actually live near you, and much prayer.

So in our efforts to draw people back into Sunday morning assemblies, let’s be God-centered and winsome. Yet let’s not forget that the test of discipleship and the call of God are to form persons to live Christianly Monday to Saturday. That is certainly where we will find God.