Thought for the Week: Church Building – 28th August 2026

In last Sunday’s Gospel reading we read in verse 18 Jesus’ declaration to the disciple Simon: “18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”.

There was lots of good material to focus on in that Gospel reading, so I didn’t touch on that verse. Perhaps I should have done because it is an excellent reminder that the church is not ours, but belongs to Jesus himself. So, it is Jesus building His church, not us building our church. We can’t build a church, only Jesus can. When we think about building the church, we must acknowledge that our faith in Jesus Christ is the very foundation. In the Bible, Jesus tells us that He will build His church upon the rock, which is Peter’s acknowledgment of Christ’s identity. This signifies that as a community of believers; we stand firm on Jesus Christ as our cornerstone. Each of us plays a vital role, building not just any church, but a living, breathing organism that reflects Christ’s love and teachings. When we align ourselves with this foundation, we can weather the storms of life, grow deeper in our faith, and draw others into a relationship with God. Our unity and strength lie in this strong foundation. Together, we are called to be salt and light within our communities, extending God’s grace and truth to all around us.

One of the joys and challenges of being church is that we have buildings, which we need as we face unsettled weather. It would really test our faith if we worshipped God in a torrential downpour or below zero temperatures. Indeed, I wonder how many of us would bother with worship if that was what we faced. Our church buildings are practical necessities, rather than objects to be worshipped in themselves. They would no longer be churches if they were empty, because it is people worshipping God within them built on centuries of faith filled believers that make them churches, rather than just church buildings.

The Church that Jesus tells us He is building on Peter (the Greek word Petros means ‘rock’) is His Church, a community of believers who worship Him and live out the Christian faith in their community. That is what the Church is all about – our names and buildings facilitate this. Sadly, too many of us focus on the buildings themselves rather than the living, breathing, changing organism that is the Church of Jesus Christ.

During August we have had the opportunity to be the ABC Church as we’ve gathered as one community worshipping God together each Sunday.

Come Lord Jesus and build your church.

Geoff.