I believe the church will certainly exist. I believe church effectiveness will depend on the recognition, affirmation and equipping of the scattered church. While the biblical mission of the church (Matt. 28:19-20) is constant throughout the ages, the function, structure and appearance of the church in culture is destined to change if it is to remain effective.

As we move into the 21st century, we are returning to the circumstances of the early church. We are called to reach a pagan/secular/unchurched culture. How might the church accomplish its biblical mission in a secular culture? Let me suggest that the scattered church will emerge as the major channel through which persons are reached for Christ and through which persons enter the institutional church.

What if...

• ministry-focused businesses emerged and intentionally worked to be the most customer-friendly, cost-efficient, customer-sensitive, relevant business around?

• ministry-focused business men and women emerged and intentionally worked and prayed that God might guide and empower them to be His best representative in their business contacts delivering the best service, products and resources available?

• employers became encouragers and "pastors" of their employees and customers seeking to bring hope, love, support and servant posture?

• employees became seeker-sensitive, customer/person-sensitive servants seeking to offer the best service, support, products and care for customer needs/desires?

• the institutional church (gathered church) became as concerned about equipping and nurturing their church at work as equipping their members serving inside the church walls?

• our outreach and mission fields were the businesses, community clubs, recreational teams, schools, etc., which our membership frequented rather than outreach assignments in places and to people they rarely encounter?

• the function of the gathered church in the 21st century is to resource and activate the scattered church to be the clearest representation of Christ the unchurched world might know?

• the roles of the layperson and the clergy were to shift in focus? The layperson will become the "pastor of their flock" in the world and the clergy would become the "support/servant-leader and coach" of Christians' ministry in the world and the institutional church. Such would be more in sync with Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 2:9-10.

How it Can Work

Our paradigm of church is restricted by our churched culture experience and upbringing. Most church leaders and members were raised in buildings with steeples, pews, hymnbooks, preachers behind pulpits delivering 30-45 minutes lectures seeking to convict and deliver information people in the pew "needed to hear." The church functioned by committees, councils, deacons, elders and volunteer choir members and faculty for educational classes and organizations. While this seemed sufficient for us, it is not proving effective in our secular culture. We must stretch our faith to see that God works in and beyond the walls of the church, or the pulpit, pew or committee meetings. Scripture is clear that "God so loved the world..." (John 3:16) and that "we must do all we do for the Glory of God."

The church of the 21st century is called to activate and focus our faith on being redemptive and compassionate presence and penetrating the secular culture for the cause of Christ. We have no choice but to learn how to be "salt," "light" and "leaven" in the world. The lost, unchurched and hurting - which the Great Commission calls us to reach - are no longer coming to our church houses or our church meetings in droves. They are, however, in the world. They work beside us, play golf with us, exercise with us and are patrons at our workplaces. God is calling us to "go into the fields that are white unto harvest" and to learn to reap the harvest while it is still in the fields. For it seems that then and only then will the unchurched feel the draw and relationship to visit the institutional church.

So how will the scattered church work? What will it look like? These are questions that challenge our definition of "church" as we have known it and pull us to live by faith and not by sight. The effective Christian and disciple of Christ in the secular culture must live disciplined, intentional and focused lives, sensitive to the Spirit's leading, empowered by the Spirit's presence.

Consider how customer-centered and servant- oriented the business world has become in the last 5-10 years. Books, training events and resources are abundant to help the business world be more client centered, servant hearted and relevant. In fact, spirituality is a major part of many training programs for chief executive officers. Another step in the right direction is represented by topics like the "Holy Use of Money" and stewardship of all of life which are making their ways into the business world. The shame is that the institutional church hasn't really been a part of this trend. Now we have the opportunity to dream new dreams and move our vision of just doing church inside the walls and learn to do church in the world.

The funeral home industry and medical communities are prime candidates for scattered church ministry in the secular culture. When people get sick, face personal loss and/or crises the church has counseled, comforted, buried, offered grief support. Now most are not connected to a church. Where do the hurting go for help? Many go to substance abuse, addictive behaviors and lonely houses because they have no support system for all the aches and questions crises raise.

What if the funeral home saw its mission not just to bury the dead but to minister to the survivors over a period of time through grief counseling, support groups for all family members, ongoing anniversary remembrance services and nurture for getting through the holidays? What a great opportunity of touching the unchurched world as the scattered church!

What about a medical team who sees someone in crisis? What if they saw their mission as offering support groups, educational/inspirational seminars and resources along with the best medical treatment available? What if the medical team took seriously their prayer ministry and connected their workplace needs to their local church's prayer ministry? What if people in crisis or their family members were invited to participate in some church events that might offer them comfort, help or support? What if some men-toring relationships were established between the churched and the unchurched during this time of crisis? What an opportunity for being salt, light and leaven and going on mission in the world!

What if the public school faculty person or administrator saw their mission as linking the hurting, disadvantaged, distressed to Christ-centered support groups and/or to mentoring relationships which would not only nurture their person, but help insure their education?

You see, it seems our paradigms of our vocations need stretching as well as our understanding of church as we enter the 21st century.

Interested in more information? If you have further interest in exploring these and other related issues about the 21st century church - the ministry of the scattered church - please respond by writing Edward Hammett, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, P.O. Box 1107, Cary, N.C. 27512-1107. The e-mail address is EHammet@BSCNC.org or call (800) 395-5102 ext. 209.

When writing indicate your specific concerns/questions, your function/role in church and in the work-a-day world and include your e-mail address or fax number if you have access to either. For more information explore Tar Heel Baptists' laity leadership team web site at www.bscnc.org/laity leadership team.

(EDITOR'S NOTE-Hammett is leader of the laity leadership department team for N.C. Baptists and author of Making the Church Work: Converting the Church for the 21st Century.)