This week I facilitated a NewStart Assessment Center in St. Marys Ohio. Nine couples and ten assessors gathered at the Northwest Ohio Nazarene campgrounds for three days. As always this was a time of evaluation and learning as many of these couples are on the verge of doing something new in ministry.

They are responding to a new challenge and to be honest many of the couples who come to these assessments are just plain tired of hitting their heads against the wall with "churched" people who just don't or won't get it.

Unfortunately, much of the church is America is a long way from the biblical model of what the church is supposed to be about. The church is not about a building. The church is not about church people. We were left on this earth to be Christ body. His hands and feet. His eyes and to have His heart of compassion.

Someone asked this week, "Where was God during the Virgina Tech shootout?" Where is God? He is in the lives of His people and the only way He gets around is when we get around. The only way sin is held back in this world is when we have been out of our church buildings and engaging the culture. There is something better than just conversing and that is a conversion from living for ones self and living for God. When the church is truly being the church we are salt and light in the world in which we live. I heard the question and wondered what churches or Christians in the area could have or should have interacted with the Cho family. Would it have made a difference in this young shooter's life? Maybe it was someone who refused a call by God to go to his native land and share the message of Christ.

An acquaintance wondered out loud recently if I wasn't a little too radical on this idea of being mission driven. From my point of view we were put on this earth for one reason and that was to be Jesus to our world. That means everything we do should matter. I think that is the way Jesus taught His disciples.

That is the kind of church I want to be a part of and the kind of church I hope to stand before God someday and be able to say I lead.