Recently, while applying for a grant program to help fund our ministry, I was posed the question, “Describe Your Organization in 75 words or less.”

I found this more challenging than it may suggest. Even though my following response was just over 75 words, I found it difficult to summarize our organization any finer than this.

“We believe God’s people are Jesus’s church and not a building or physical structure. Jesus did not tend his sheep in barns. He tended them in the field and allowed them to find their shelter among believers where they found support and comfort.

We are about kingdom building in the community. Every kingdom has its villages. We are all about building and reminding those villages that we are meant to be led by the same king and work together to build his kingdom outside of our village walls.”

This writing was a trimmed-down version, and I’d dare to describe it as a watered-down version of how I wanted to respond.

If I had more latitude, this would have been my response regarding our particular ministry.

“We believe God’s people are Jesus’s church, not a building or physical structure. We believe that Christ’s true church exists beyond doctrinal and denominational differences.

Jesus did not tend his sheep in barns. Instead, Jesus tended them in the fields, the street, and an open public forum. Jesus allowed them to find their shelter among the village believers to find the support and comfort within the walls of those “villages.” These villages are the individual church congregations. Every kingdom has villages. Each village has its differences and interpretations.

We believe to make a substantial impact for Christ’s kingdom; we need to be all about these villages working together as one kingdom under the same King, Jesus Christ. Our doctrinal difference should have no bearing on the greater kingdom’s growth, and that Kingdom belongs to Jesus Christ. As long as we share that belief in Jesus Christ, we are fighting for the exact cause, on the same team, with the same goal of bringing people to Jesus Christ.

Our ministry strives to be the proving ground, a field to assemble the villages to better the whole kingdom of Christ.”

There is nothing evil hates more than when we come together in force against it. Unfortunately, we have spent too much time allowing differences and world views to dissolve Christ’s kingdom into different factions working against each other instead of together. We don’t have to agree on everything, except that Jesus Christ is King. If we all bow to the same King, we should come together to defend the kingdom and expand it together. This very concept is the cornerstone of our ministry.

So, why did I find it essential to write a blog about this? There are some in Christian leadership and in general who won’t see that we are meant to function as one great kingdom of believers.

Notice I chose the word won’t instead of the word can’t.

I have heard stories from others that share our vision of Pastors saying they believe it to be impossible to work with other Pastors outside of their own churches. I find this very disturbing. I refuse to believe that we can not come together, putting our superficial differences aside for the common cause of Jesus Christ.

If someone in hunger comes to you in need, should it matter if they are Catholic, Methodist, or any other denominational label? As a Christian or Christian leader, are you going to turn them away if they don’t share that label? I indeed pray that this would not matter. Even the Samaritan Woman in John Chapter 4 gave Jesus a drink at the well. If this difference could be put aside over a cup of water, then why can’t we put the difference aside to bring the entire well of Christ’s love to everyone as a united kingdom. Some of us may carry steel swords, some bronze, and even some fashioned from wood. Some may not carry swords at all, but together we can put on the collective armor of God and stand tall in his glory and show the world the true King of Kings.

I challenge all Christians in all levels, denominations, and locations, both new, old, leaders, teachers, and so forth, to meditate on this.  

Is a rainbow not made of different colors? Do these colors not come from a single light source?  If we block that light, does it not affect all the colors?  If we focus those colors of the light together, does it not bring warmth to everyone?  Shouldn’t we be focusing our colors together to be the light in the darkness, bringing the warmth of Christ to all points that light can touch?  Or do we continue to shine our colors in different directions leaving areas of darkness for evil to dwell, only helping those who follow the same color beam you do?