Some may respond: "C'mon, you're just splitting hairs. What's the big deal? It's all semantics." I think the big deal is that we are slowly, methodically, and unbiblically training our children and our people to have an incorrect view of the church and its mission. We are ingraining in our people--whether we like it or not--that church is a location and an event that takes place a couple times a week. Even if we know it's not a location or an event, that's what we are saying when we continue to talk about the church the way we always have.
Why is this important? Because our view of the church and how we talk about the church affects our understanding of our mission--as the new people of God (the Church)--and how we live it out. So, let's start speaking about the church what we really believe rather than what we have always said. Our words matter.
JC