This is not to deny that Christ can work beyond the church and address people outside the church. While God can and does work saving reality outside the church, it is the church that has been provided the language by which such experiences can both be interpreted and integrated into the whole story of God. It is in the church that we become connected to God’s larger story. Paul, having experienced his Damascus Road revelation, still continued to be blind until he was able to make connection with Ananias who was part of the continuing community of faith. It may have begun as an individual experience but it had to become corporate to find its completion. (Acts 9:1-19)
The key is that people who accept Christ as their Savior must be prepared to meet and be addressed by Christ in the continuing Body on earth. It is by the language of faith that we are given the eyes to see what God is doing in the Body of Christ. Church members must “have a belief that the church has a message that is both meaningful and challenging.” (Vital Signs; p. 111) It is there in the church, through Scripture, tradition, ritual, and prayer that Christ reveals to them the meaning of the events of their lives. It is only when they have recognized that what is happening in their lives is meaningful that they will feel an urgency to share that same experience with others for whom they care. “Growing churches believe their church has something to say and offer. Therefore they invite people to church.”
